06-22-2012, 08:03 PM
FitLife mask tip
For those who use the Respironics FitLife total face mask, here's a tip for eliminating the mask's tendency to leak across the forehead area of its seal. This tip comes from Zimlich who suggested it to me. When I first read about this, it sounded a little crazy, but I found it works quite well, bringing my leak numbers down dramatically; many nights leakage even gets to zero. On other nights, it's often a single digit. And of course, low leakage means a more accurate AHI report.
First, purchase a package of silicone ear plugs at a drugstore. They come in a plastic case and look like several roundish blobs of silicone;not expensive. To fix the seal, roll some of these silicone plugs into a pencil-thick rope using the palms of your hands, which also warms the material for easy shaping. Then, place this rope on the mask seal near the edge where the seal contacts your face. Then, wear the mask as usual. Zimlich says that due to skin oil, the silicone rope needs to be redone nightly, but this doesn't take long. In the morning, remove the material and store it in a plastic container (I use the original plastic case that came with the plugs). As an additional thought, I've found that the "small" headgear for the FitLife works better for me than the "large" headgear.
First, purchase a package of silicone ear plugs at a drugstore. They come in a plastic case and look like several roundish blobs of silicone;not expensive. To fix the seal, roll some of these silicone plugs into a pencil-thick rope using the palms of your hands, which also warms the material for easy shaping. Then, place this rope on the mask seal near the edge where the seal contacts your face. Then, wear the mask as usual. Zimlich says that due to skin oil, the silicone rope needs to be redone nightly, but this doesn't take long. In the morning, remove the material and store it in a plastic container (I use the original plastic case that came with the plugs). As an additional thought, I've found that the "small" headgear for the FitLife works better for me than the "large" headgear.
