Sleep Apnea Support Group
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning they may not be aware of sleep disturbances.
I was recently diagnosed with SA and have been using my CPAP device for 3 weeks. The treatment has changed my life. I feel so much better. But unfortunately the full face mask that I use is causing a red mark on my nose and my cheeks.
The redness lasts all day. I have tried adjusting the straps to loosen and tighten etc to find a happy medium. Unfortunately if I make the mask looser I get excessive air leakage.
What can I do to help?
When I first started using CPAP 3 years ago, I was sold a "nasal" mask and it gave me severe red marks around my nose. Even after just two nights of use it was obvious that this mask was going to give me pressure sores (aka: bed sores). Absolutely do not let your mask make pressure sores, they are very dangerous. I was quickly switched to a pillow mask and have not had a problem since. Pillow masks are not claustrophobic at all and barely even noticeable. The only catch is that you have to keep your mouth shut all night, Luckily, for me, I am not a mouth breather so I have had no problem with using a pillow mask, even the couple times that I have had colds, which I thought would have caused problems, but they did not.
Good luck finding a good and comfortable mask!
http://www.healthcareasia.org/2018/when-breathing-too-much-can-kill-you/
When breathing too much can “kill” you