Putting on full face mask
When I put a FFM (F10 or F20) on my mom she is laying on her back and I lift her head to put the headgear on. So, the 2 top straps are attached to the mask frame and the 2 bottom ones are loose. At this point, the mask is not resting in its proper place on her nose and around her mouth. The mask is slightly high. I pull it down and position it. The mask feels like it is being pulled up. I need to hold it in the right place around her mouth to secure the first bottom strap. Otherwise the mask would be up to high from the "pulling".
Is this normal? Or is the mask supposed to be gently resting around your mouth with the top 2 straps on and the bottom 2 not yet secured?
I am wondering if this is part of the issue with her lip getting stuck during the night.
Thank you.
RE: Putting on full face mask
I find I need to hold my mask in place with one hand and fasten the lower straps while holding. Using a AirFit F20.
RE: Putting on full face mask
The way that I don the F20 is to hold the mask in place against my face with one hand while I pull the headgear over my head and down with the other hand. I then pull the bottom of the mask up against my face and fasten the lower straps one at a time.
The problem that I see for you with this procedure is that you must hold your mother's head up while you position the headgear behind her head which leaves no hand to hold the mask. I would try loosening the top straps while you are putting the mask on your mother and then retighten them once the headgear is in place and the bottom straps are fastened. Another possibility is that the top straps are too tight to begin with. Finally, a third possibility is that the headgear is too small. The headgear is available in 3 different sizes and is usually supplied in the same size as the mask.
You could also modify the strap that goes over the top of her head to give it more length.
Having said all of this, the answer to your question is no, the headgear should not pull up on the mask.
Best Regards,
PaytonA
RE: Putting on full face mask
Regbeach, regarding her lip getting stuck, are you sure she is wearing the right size mask cushion? Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but perhaps trying one size larger could prevent the problem. Has she been professionally fitted with her mask?
RE: Putting on full face mask
Yes, my mother was professionally fitted- for the F10 mask which is what she has been using until I recently got the F20 to try. The CPAP supply company technician sized her as a small initially which did not work at all. The sleep lab technicians sized her as a Medium as soon as I told them she sleeps with the mouth open. When I told them about the lip sticking issue, their only advice was to tighten the lower straps. This helped somewhat but does not solve the problem because I can't make it any tighter without it hurting.
I recently got the F20 large because with her mouth open she is very close to that size. I wasn't sure if it would seal with her mouth closed but after one night of use, it appears to seal. There wasn't a large leak but it did exceed the expected leak rate for her pressure. I plan to try it more nights. The problem is the F20 large is very close to her eyes. The F20 sits a little higher on the bridge of the nose vs. the F10. I am considering the F10 Large now.
Thanks for the input. I am going to try making the top straps looser.
