In 2007 is was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea along with Restless Leg Syndrome. I was given some medicine for my RLS and got my first CPAP. I have two brother in laws that both have CPAP's and neither had any problems with it. Mine has helped my Apnea but like a lot of other people have posted on various sites they had a problem with the CPAP irritating the skin on the bridge of their nose. In my case mine was bad enough that it would bleed.
I first took the mask back to the provider and they gave me a different kind. The first one was a gel mask. The next one was not. Same problem.
I bought some of the moleskins. Kind of a pain (literally & figuratively) when having to apply and remove every day. I then tried applying it to the mask. It pulled part of the plastic off the mask when I removed it the next day.
This story starting to sound familiar?
I then tried "gentle" surgery tape. Left a residue on my nose and also a pain.
When my time to get a new mask came I got one that doesn't rest on the nose, but on the forehead and fits over the nose (also tried the nasal pillows). My problem is I am a mouth breather and even wearing a chin strap doesn't help. I must use a full facemask.
More research and reading posts, then I saw a posting for a product that uses cloth and attaches to the CPAP and goes down over the bridge of the nose. Will it work? Hmmm, I hate to buy something if I don't know how it works. While I was reading some other postings someone else said "It doesn't look like it would be rocket science to make your own".
Well, I did make my own, but mine doesn't attach to anything. It is simply a small piece of polyester fleece. Since mine works I have not tried other types of material. Attached are some photos of what I have been using (as you can see, it is not some professional thing, just something I cut out myself).
The next two photos show where it would fit in the mask. I usually just hold it on the bridge of my nose, then put my mask on. Sometimes I have to remove the mask and start again.
Does air leak? Sometimes, but no more than before I used it.
I thought maybe my nose toughened up since then, but one night I forgot to use it and the next morning the bridge of my nose was very red.
I am not trying to sell anything but just want to pass along a solution that has worked for me without spending any money. This is not a medical endorsement or guarantee. Please check with your Doctor or equipment provider before trying.
