Best FFM chin strap ever?

[Jay Aitchsee]

Being a sometimes mouth breather, throat leaker and jaw dropper, I use a full face mask. The FFM doesn't prevent any of those, but it does improve the therapy. I still get dry mouth from mouth breathing and sometimes my jaw will drop completely out of the mask. I've tried quite a few chin straps to improve the situation but I haven't been happy with them. The biggest disadvantage of most is that they add another layer of straps around the head, don't stay in place and tend to pull the chin back – which is uncomfortable and, I think, probably tends to aggravate OSA.

After searching for a while this is the solution I've come up with - A chin strap that attaches to the mask headgear. I used the bottom portion of a Halo chin strap which has Velcro for attaching it to the top portion. Overall it's about 18” long. With the Quattro, I attached it to the top straps by looping it through suspender clips and on the Quattro Fx I just looped it over the top straps. I found that attaching it to the top straps worked better than to the bottom straps.

Once the strap is in place and adjusted, it can be left in place and simply slid off and on the chin with the mask. I found that the strap only needs to be minimally tightened so that it begins to offer some resistance only when the jaw starts to drop lower than the normal mouth closed position.

I've been wearing it now for a couple of weeks and it's surprisingly comfortable. It stays in place, the tension is directly up so it doesn't pull the jaw back, it doesn't add another layer of straps around the head, and it only needs to be minimally tightened. I had reservations about the suspender clips, but it turns out I don't even feel them. Best of all, it has completely stopped the jaw dropping and mouth breathing.

I was lucky to have the Halo chin strap on hand but I can imagine all sorts of of strap material working.

Maybe something like this will work for you.

Jay

[Pap365]

Nice lab ratting Jay!
I like the idea of using a suspender clip. Does it push into your head when you sleep on your side?

G

[Jay Aitchsee]

I like the idea of using a suspender clip. Does it push into your head when you sleep on your side?

No, I sleep on my side most of the time and it doesn't bother me. Although, I thought it would.

[teachcsg]

Thanks for the post. Many of our patients seem to have trouble making the chinstrap work effectively so this will be another option to tell them about.

[Always tired]

Jay,
Great idea and I think it will work on lots of other masks. I took my True Blue nasal and secured my chin strap to the upper strap on one side and held the other side in place with my finger. Slight leaks around the eyes but think that they can be worked out with a better prototype. Now, if only I could sew.
A T

[Posey]

I am having the same issues with the chin strap. I have a Resmed chinstrap but will look for this one. Thanks for postig. It is amazing how so many of us have the same issues and some of us get creative enough to solve it! Thanks

[Denial Dave]

great idea!!

I've been fortunate that I have not had any problems with chin drop..My quattro fits right into the indent below my lower lip and stops me from doing it. Plus my higher pressures force me to have the lower straps a little tighter than recommended

it took me a few weeks to realize that just because I had a FFM, I did not have to have my mouth open.

[Jay Aitchsee]

If you want to try this but don't have a Halo chin strap, cutting the bottom strap from an old headgear might work. If you cut the bottom part of the headgear off, you have a strap with velcro tabs on both ends and a wide spot in the middle for your chin. It's a little long though, so the suspender clips might not be needed. Just loop it over the top straps instead.

Jay

[imsleepynomore]

I tried this method last night using cloth tape to secure at the top and sides no increase in leaks and more comfortable to wear with less straps . Thanks for the idea

[Jay Aitchsee]

I haven't had to use this recently since my jaw dropping and mouth breathing seem to have stopped, but it's still my "go to" if it should start again.

J

[jilliansue]

Hmmmm, interesting! This gets me wondering if I could use your adaptation with the chinstrap labratting I described below in a previous post:

"I use a modified PapCap. I use the cap itself, but instead of the strap portion that goes under the chin, I use a basic one which has more give to it, and which has a sort of "cup" of fabric, which I can bring over my lips: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respiro ... white.html . I cut the chinstrap's ends shorter and use the little Velcro squares it comes with to Velcro the ends together on top of the PapCap. This has worked great for me."

I might try using this white chinstrap described above, folding its straps around the mask headgear straps and Velcro-ing them to close, as opposed to a suspender clip. If this worked, it would eliminate both the cap and the chinstrap fastening at the top of my head. If I do this I will post the outcome.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[Jay Aitchsee]

Bump for Digitalepiphany

[Sir NoddinOff]

Another way to go if you can find a bike cuff strap about 12" long. It has to be soft and comfy enough to wear all night with no discomfort. Steer away from pure nylon or rough plastic materials that feel abrasive to the skin. Hey, Karen at Padacheek... why don't you make these yet? (PM me for my address and you can send me royalty checks as soon as you get some sales)


Also, many people report cutting up old headgear straps and making something like this abbreviated chinstrap... sorry, I don't have a photo but you can imagine what it would look like. Maybe somebody else will upload a photo of that approach. One bonus of this mini-chinstrap is that it also keeps your mask from 'riding up' during the night - a very common and annoying problem.

[Jay Aitchsee]

Hey, Karen at Padacheek...

I did ask Karen about this some time ago and, IIRC, she said someone else already makes a commercial version.

Is that a bike cuff strap in the picture, Sir? Looks perfect. You're right about preventing "ride up".

[avi123]

What about the F & P FexiFits masks which have a built- in chin support?



A couple of years ago there was a poster here selling FF masks with chin straps tied to the headgear as you do.

I forget his screen name.