Why cpap mask leaks

In a nutshell, if the air is escaping "outside of the system" then it's not going down your throat where you need it and your airway will be more likely to continue to close up on you during sleep. This is one of those items on the checklist for troubleshooting leak that is akin to asking a person who can't get the TV to work if the TV is plugged in.

CPAP masks degrade over time and will inevitably cause leak to go up. Is your CPAP mask popping off of your face during the night due to high pressure? This is more common with nasal pillows and, to a lesser extent, full face masks. Nasal pillows are less securely sealed to your face than nasal masks. Full face masks have a greater surface area that needs to be sealed to your face which can make them harder to manage than nasal masks.

One issue that can cause harm is chronic mask leak into the eyes. This can dry the eyes out and cause ulceration of the cornea, the outer layer of your eye that surrounds your pupil. CPAP leak directed at the eyes can cause eye irritation or corneal ulceration.

We go through periods of REM sleep every minutes. During REM, our muscle tone drops to the lowest point during the night and this can cause the jaw to fall down.

If the mask travels with the jaw, air will leak towards the eyes. The easiest fix is a chin strap. There is only one chin strap design that I have found to be effective and this is it. Many chin straps have a vector of pull that actually moves the jaw somewhat backwards, worsening obstructive sleep apnea and ineffectively keeping the mouth closed. I like this chin strap because it pulls the jaw as straight "up" as possible and not backwards.

I counsel my patients that, in this situation, the goal is not to apply the chin strap super-tight. I want them to start with just barely overlapping the Velcro at the vertex of the head.

It is not medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your doctor. That way they can help you make adjustments without overtightening the straps, or give you a different size if your fitting was far off. Try it on yourself before you leave the office. Sometimes, people unknowingly put their masks on upside down or pull it onto their face in the wrong direction, both of which can cause significant leak. Try it on in the office before you leave so your respiratory therapist can instruct you on the proper steps will help you avoid these issues.

You can also find videos online for most masks showing you how to put them on. I have passed along your information to a specialist who will reach out regarding your request.

For more immediate assistance feel free to give our specialists a call at or if you prefer email sales amsrco. We suggest trying a different mask. Please visit our showroom at Centennial, CO to see what mask type will fit your needs. My machine keeps telling me I have bad seal. I have done everything possible. It was. Working fine then all of a sudden it changed I don even kn.

My mask started leaking heavy two weeks ago, and I cannot do anything to help the cause. Can you help me?

It is a full face mask and I snore a lot. I am so sorry to hear you are having troubles; please call us at: and we will do our best to help. I have just purchased a Resmed Air Touch Ultra Soft Memorary foam cushion for my Resmed F20 full face mask and it has totally eliminated all the leakage problems that I had before. It has taken 10 years for Resmed to design and produce this piece of genius. The memorary foam forms to the profile of your face to give a perfectly comfortable air tight seal.

Thank you for your comment, Paul. We are glad to hear you are enjoying your new face mask from our friends over at Resmed. Let us know if you have any further questions! I have tried adjusting this piece of junk. Is there anything that will work. It may be that this type of mask may not work for you. We have found that not all masks work for all customers. I would suggest trying a different mask to see if that helps. I have been on Res. Hi Harold, There are many types of masks on the market and you may need to try a different type and size to solve your issue.

Please give our customer care center a call at and they can troubleshoot with you over the phone. I have tried 2 different Resmed full face masks including the F20 full face leaking ever since I started using a Cpap in I feel rested and my AHI is 1.

The mask stays on PSI never goes above 8 psi. I use bipap and oxygen and my greatest problem is my mask leaks air on my face. I have brought 3 different masks and continue to suffer in the night. Please advise. Thank you for your comment, Nana. I began having a little bit of mask leak several months ago. I have had great difficulty over many yrs finding an effective cpap solution. I finally did within the last yr with a nasal pillow mask.

However, I still have major mouth leaking with it that negatively impaxts my qualty of sleep, treatment. I have tried numerous chin straps. Is there another solution? Could it be my pressure is too high? It is set at minimum of 8. Please help. Thank you for your comment, Steve. I have a nasal resmed n20 and I can not get a good seal I have got air leaks on all my masks I have had what can I do to get rid of those air leaks.

Thank you for your comment, Carl. Are there any noticeable cracks visible on the masks themselves or wear on the tubing? The mask is awesome. Just one problem. When I sleep, air escapes through my mouth, creating a flutter sound. Ive been trying to trouble shoot this online and have yet to come find anything. Thank you for your inquiry, Bob. Have you tried a different mask with similar results?

It sounds like the Quattro F20 may not be quite right for your situation. Feel free to give our specialists a call at for more information! I started using my CPAP two weeks ago. I use the nasal pillows which I love. I noticed that air is coming out of the tubing connected to my mask.

I am getting air through the nasal cushions, but not sure if the air is supposed to come out of the tubing. Annette, you may have a small crack in the tubing. I would take a look at that and see if you see anything. Depending on the age of the mask you may need a new one.

Thank you for your inquiry, Suzi. I use the pillow mask and am getting a red sad face that says mask seal. What is the problem.