I've worn my mask every single night for 2+ years. I'm using a ResMed machine my insurance partially paid for. I believe that more important than the machine, is the fit and comfort of the mask itself. There are quite a few options available, and I think it's important to work with your sleep therapist to find the one that you are most comfortable with. Don't be shy about asking to try different styles until you find the one that is most comfortable for you, because that is the one that you'll be ok wearing. It takes some folks awhile to accept and adapt to wearing one. The benefits are real and substantial. I like the ResMed because there's also an app (well of course there is), that uploads my sleep data every night and I can see the # of events per hour, amount, if any, of mask leaks and other info. And if you are the kind that really geeks out, you can pull the SD card it records to and load the data into free software and delve deep into the data.
According to a poster on the door in my examining room at Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia when I saw Dr. Natale this week, those with afib and untreated SA are:
2x at risk for stroke
2x the risk for sudden cardiac death
5x the risk for cardiovascular mortality
and 57% increased risk for recurrence of afib after ablation
I've heard of people taping, especially if they are using a nasal mask.
The best and most comfortable to use? That's the one that YOU are comfortable wearing and doesn't leak excessively, because that's the one that you
will wear.
