Choosing The Right Mask
Choosing The Right CPAP Mask
For a novice user, choosing a suitable CPAP mask can be a frustrating process. Up to 50% of people diagnosed with sleep apnea that discontinue CPAP state the number one reason as discomfort. With so many different styles and models it can be a bit overwhelming to select one to start with. Sleeping with mask on your face is foreign to most people so finding the most comfortable one is the first step in long- term CPAP compliance.
On the night of your sleep study, a sleep technician will typically choose your initial mask, and it’s normal to change it several times during the course of the night. To reduce the number of times they must interrupt your sleep study for a mask change, the sleep technician will select the one they believe will work best from the beginning. Finding the perfect mask for you may be more difficult, though, as brand-specific sleep labs are not commonplace.
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CPAP Mask Styles
Nasal: The most often prescribed type, using a silicone cushion in the shape of a triangle that only seals the outside of the nose.
Nasal Pillow: This minimally invasive mask uses silicone cushions that simply surround or seal the exterior of the nostril.
Full Face: Breathes through the lips and nose thanks to a silicone cushion that forms a seal around them.
Nasal Cradle: This nasal pillow design employs the least intrusive technique possible by using a silicone cushion to form a cradle around the outside of each nostril.
Hybrid: Blends the style of a mouth cushion seal with the functionality of nasal pillows.
Cloth: This can be used as a silicone seal substitute.Cloth: This comes in nasal and full face models and is an alternative to a silicone seal. and comes in full face and nasal models.
Oral: This method is similar to a scuba mask in that it only uses a mouthpiece to deliver air.