MASK FITTING SUGGESTIONS:
If you are not the bashful type, take a blanket or sheet and a pillow w/you your next mask selection/exchange visit to your DME supplier if they don't supply a bed for you to lay on during the mask fitting. Ask to see a variety of all three types of masks: full face, nasal cushion and nasal pillows. Just to look at. Narrow the field to a couple you want to try.

1] Don one of those sitting up, adjust the headgear loosely, the mask should still feel like it is a fraction away from falling off.
2] Now lay down on the bed or cot or your blanket/sheet on your back. Adjust your pillow comfortably. If the DME supplier doesn't provide a CPAP at your pressure to fit masks, bring your own CPAP w/you. Plug it in, attach to this mask and turn it on. Ideally at your scripted pressure or 10 cms whichever is the greater.
3] Lift the mask from your face just a skosh to let it fill w/air. Let it lay back down on your face and make any adjustments to the headgear straps you need. The mask should fit comfortably, NOT tight.
4] Don't worry about minor leaks at this point. For them you don't tighten but rather you run your fingertip along the seam between the mask's outer cushion cover and your facial skin. That should eliminate the minor leaks.
5] For leaks near the eyes (NEVER tolerate eye leaks!) lift the mask from your face a skosh, once it refills w/air let it lay back down on your face a trifle low on the bridge of your nose. Now slide the mask just a skosh up to the bridge of the nose to where you want it. That should both seal any minor leaks AND turn the edges of the mask cushion cover UNDER so it doesn't cut into the skin.
6] For leaks under or around the lower part of the nose try twitching your nose, or wagging your jaw back and forth or screwing your lips up every which way. Often that's all that is needed to seal those minor leaks.
7] Now flip over to one side and make any necessary minor adjustments for leaks as above. Then flip over to your back and to your other side making any necessary MINOR adjustments. AT NO TIME should the mask fit too tight or uncomfortable. The longer you wear the mask like that the tighter and more uncomfortable it is going to feel.
8] If none of this works, or it is obvious from the git go none of this is gonna work, forget this mask and try another until you find one that seems like it is gonna work for you. THAT is the one to take home.
9] Its gonna take another week at home for you to be sure you can live (sleep) w/this mask for sure.
10] When you find a mask that almost works be sure to look it over good and compare it to the next one you are interested in trying.
11] Look closely at the distance between the nose cushion inside top of nose area and the cushion at the inside bottom of the nose (or chin or lower lip if a full face).
12] Had the one you tried felt like it was too long or too short? How does this other one compare in that length?
13] The same holds true for the width distance both at the bridge of the nose and lower at the cheeks and around the mouth. Its the inside opening of the cushion that is important, not the outside measurements.
14] Many of us need to be able to adjust the angle between the forehead and the bridge of the nose. The wrong angle can account for a lot of the discomfort at the bridge of the nose. Generally, the top straps looser than the bottom straps will help to avoid the discomfort at the bridge of the nose.

Figuring out and understanding WHY one mask won't work for you is a big step in finding out which mask IS the right mask for you. Good luck and Happy xPAPping! Here's to a life full of restful nights for us all.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed's new VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro mask, ResScan 3.4 software, SPO 7500 oximeter.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

I just printed out your tips for my husband to read.  He has been having some problems with his mask leaking and doesn't seem to want to believe me when I tell him that tighter isn't always better.  Perhaps he will be able to follow your instructions and get the good night's sleep he needs.

Thank you again for taking the time to figure this all out and post it for us!

     

Susan

Great Suggestions. Very helpful post. Thanks

Very good post. I'd like to suggest that it be made a Sticky Post for easy access and reference as I am sure  
folks will want to be able to access this information for some time to come.

Best wishes,
Bill

I don't know how to do stickies but anyone who would like to make it a sticky is welcome to do so. I'm sure others have encountered, learned or devised other fitting tips that are of value - for instance the silicone ear plugs being rolled and used to help seal a mask. There's a current thread on that. They could be added to the above if made a sticky.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed's new VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro mask, ResScan 3.4 software, SPO 7500 oximeter.

DELETED POST

Hiya CrohnieToo,

Thanks to one of your fans, I've copied your Mask Fitting Suggestions into a new Tips section which is now a sticky topic in this section.  

Hope you don't mind me doing so.  I could have made yours a separate sticky, but there were already some posted tips (not exclusively masks), so I decided to create a Tips sticky for specific good advice like yours.  I may copy it to the main section as a sticky as well, once I've tried to consolidate some of the sticky topics there.  If they get to be too many, then it's annoying for some to have to move too far down the page for the regular posts.  But I think I can add your suggestions there as well.  It's a locked topic, so if anyone has any additions for it, just PM me and I'll try and add them.


Linda

Thank you.  All's fine w/me.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed's new VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro mask, ResScan 3.4 software, SPO 7500 oximeter.