I used the nasal pillows for as long as I could tolerate the irritation you are experiencing. I switched to a nasal mask that covered the entire nose. It was much better than the nose pillows but a couple of weeks in I started with a similar irritation, this time on the bridge and sides of my nose. I tried all kinds
of creams, ointments, etc. without success and then realized that it was the silicon that was the problem and I am allergic to the material. I found on Amazon (of course) a simple cotton cover (Snugz) for the nose cushion and it changed everything. It’s a bit pricy but we’ll worth the cost. With regular washing one cover easily lasts a month. I have tried others available on line but there is no comparison to this little knit wonder. Problem solved!