Side Effects of CPAP Facial Masks

Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, is a common and effective treatment for sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, your airway becomes blocked during sleep when soft tissue in the throat collapses, causing you to repeatedly wake just enough to start breathing again. CPAP involves sleeping with a facial mask over the nose and mouth, a mask connected to a machine that keeps air flowing through a tube. Some people discontinue CPAP use because of problems using the machine, including physical side effects.

Factors

Research indicates that about 40 percent of people discontinue using CPAP after a few months, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association. Many stop using the treatment because of inconvenience factors or the machine's noise, but disagreeable side effects also appear to have an influence on some people's decisions.

Discomfort

Facial mask discomfort, which causes sleep disturbance, is one of the most common complaints. Either the mask does not fit properly, or you may be adjusting it too tightly. Because people with this issue experience disrupted sleep whether they wear the mask or not, they tend to quit the treatment. A variety of masks are available, however, and you should check with your sleep specialist or home health care provider to see if you can make a change.

Dryness

Dryness in the nose, mouth and throat can be caused by the airflow, resulting in sore throat, nose irritation, runny nose or nasal congestion, and sometimes nosebleeds. Humidifier attachments are a good solution for this problem. They add moisture to the CPAP air, causing less stress to throat and nose tissue. If a cold-air humidifier does not do the trick, a heated one can be obtained instead. Heated air carries more soothing moisture.

Gas Pain

Another side effect is air becoming trapped in the stomach, causing gas pain. Sometimes sleeping with a large pillow or more than one pillow causes this problem, because your head tilts forward and your airway becomes blocked. If this occurs regularly, try either sleeping without a pillow or sleeping with a wedge pillow. Switching to bi-level positive airway pressure, or BiPAP, may also solve the problem.

Earaches and Headaches

Some people develop earaches, ear pressure, dizziness or headaches from using CPAP. This is usually caused by sinus congestion that results in air pressure disturbances in the ears. Avoiding CPAP therapy during sinus infections or colds can help, and if the problem is a regular occurrence, talk with your sleep specialist or physician.