Sleep apnea treatments are available in many different forms and one of these forms is sleep apnea machines. There are also many different sleep apnea machine type including CPAP machines, BiPAP machines, Auto CPAP machines and more. Each of these sleep apnea machines needs a mask in order to provide the airway pressure from the machine into your nose and/or mouth. The CPAP masks and BiPAP masks that will work for you may vary from what will work for someone else. However the CPAP masks include the CPAP full face masks, the CPAP nasal masks and the CPAP nasal pillows. If you are trying to find the types of masks that will work for you, read on for the pros and cons of these three types.
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What do you need to know about the CPAP full face masks?
Sleep apnea patients already have the unfortunate experience of having the disorder and the lack of sleep due to the disorder and because of this their treatment should be as comfortable for them as possible. One of the options for a comfortable mask for their treatment is a CPAP full face mask. Review the pros and cons of these masks below.
Overall Pros of the CPAP Full Face Masks
- Might stay on your face better than other masks
- Will cover your mouth and nose, allowing the most airflow through
- Will provide you with efficient pressure from the mask
Overall Cons of the CPAP Full Face Masks
- May get in the way of your eyes while watching television or reading a book
- May be uncomfortable
- Might press in your face in too many spots
The above pros and cons are the main ones that sleep apnea patients have mentioned over the years and these pros and cons may be able to help you choose the right types of CPAP masks/BiPAP masks for you.
What information do patients need to know about the CPAP nasal masks?
The treatments for sleep apnea patients often include sleep apnea machines. These machines use a mask to deliver the airflow to the patient to allow them to breathe better during their sleep. Below are the pros and cons of the CPAP nasal masks that may be used.
Overall Pros of the CPAP Nasal Masks
- Will allow for efficient airflow into the nasal passges
- Will be more comfortable than a full face mask
- Will allow for more visibility when wearing the mask
Overall Cons of the CPAP Nasal Masks
- May fall from the face easier than a full face mask
- Won’t provide the airflow to the mouth if you need it to
- May slip while you’re sleeping
These pros and cons of the CPAP nasal masks have been reported by some sleep apnea patients. However, the cons were only reported by a minimal amount of patients.
What do you need to know about the CPAP nasal pillows?
CPAP nasal pillows are just one of the mask types that are offered for sleep apnea treatments. Just as with all of the other masks available there are pros and cons with this mask type as well. These pros and cons are listed just below.
Overall Pros of CPAP Nasal Pillows
- Allow for great pressure of airflow
- Provides an efficient treatment for sleep apnea
- Work great with many CPAP machines
Overall Cons of the CPAP Nasal Pillows
- May leave some marks on your face during the night
- May become too loose when you move
- Might move around while you are sleeping
These pros and cons are quite similar to those of the CPAP nasal masks however this type of mask is a bit different from the others. These masks are often reported as the most comfortable.
Summary of the Types of CPAP Masks/BiPAP Masks
There are different masks available for sleep apnea treatments. These mask for CPAP machines include the CPAP full face mask, the CPAP nasal mask and the CPAP nasal pillow. Each of these three masks have their own pros and cons for sleep apnea patients.
When you are choosing which mask may be right for you and your sleep apnea treatment, you should take into consideration what is most important for you. These things could include what is comfortable, amount of airway pressure, will the mask stay still, will the mask provide for efficient and effective treatment and more. The pros and cons listed above can help you to choose the right mask for you. Now that you understand the different types of CPAP masks, check out my review of the best CPAP masks for each mask type and what I have found to be the most comfortable CPAP masks on the market today. Also make sure to pick up some additional tubing as well as tube cleaners with your mask. These things get pretty discusting as we all know.
Some additional helpful articles for you might be: the best CPAP machines on the market today as well as my favorite BiPAP machines. Also if you do not know the difference between the two, check out my article here. I hope this was helpful for you guys. Rest well!
Additional helpful articles
Also some other articles that you might find helpful are my favorite CPAP masks, best masks for side sleepers, as well as the most comfortable masks on the market right now.
You should also be sure to check out these other helpful and informative articles all in one spot to help you find the right machine for your sleep apnea treatment so you can spend more time on the things that really matter to you: