Headgear is changing my skull???

I've noticed the same thing recently, although I can't say when the "indentations" first appeared. They certainly seem to be in the bone, though, not soft tissue. I don't really care...as long as they're not a reflection of something bad.

Samofny, you are vindicated, as am I.

I found this forum because I have the same problem. I have been on CPAP for a couple of years. For about the last year, I have used one of those under-the-nose pillow masks. I had to keep tightening the straps to stop it from blowing air into my eyes. Then about a week ago, I noticed that if I slide my hands back across my head, as to push my hair back, there is a depression all the way across my cranium, so big that my hands momentarily sort of "fall into" it. This may explain the strange feeling of pressure in my head, and the fact that I have partially lost my hearing.

Geezer...You keep finding these old posts...You are responding to Samofny's post from 2009...7 years ago

Hi FiddlinGeezer,

As LSAT has said, you have tacked on to an old thread, and thus opened it up again.

I had a look at the posts above, and what they describe happens to most people. Pressure from the straps can cause soft tissue compression. This is most noticeable in the morning, or in the hour or so after taking the straps off. And then the tissues, being elastic, expand back to their normal shape.

In some individuals, the tissues are not quite so elastic, and the marks or dents persist. Again, this may take place in the soft tisssues, and the underlying bone is unaffected.

There is however a third possibility - Paget's disease of bone. A quick way to describe it is: 'osteoporosis for men' (that's another way of saying 'more women that men get osteoporosis; more men than women get Paget's of bone').

If this is present in the skull, and if there is sustained pressure, it's possible that changes to the bone take place.

I say possible. Obviously, I can't see you, and anyway, I'm not a doctor. But you might want to see your PCP for an x-ray and some blood tests.

There is an additional factor - when Paget's affects the skull, one of the internal bones - the petrous - can grow forward and put pressure on the inner ear. And since you also mention some partial hearing loss, that might be an additional reason for you to go and have it checked out.

Here it is the fall of 2016 and I too have skull depressions from wearing CPAP masks. I used to wear a mask that had straps behind my head below the ears. I have indents from that mask still but didn't realized what they were until I started reading theses posts. Because that type of mask leaked a lot, I switched to a mask that just covers my nose and mouth. The main strap here goes over the top of my head. I have the indentions over the top of my head going from side to side and down to just above the tips of my ears. I've only been wearing this mask for a few months. I'm 75 and I'm concerned about long term effects.

Jim7 wrote:Here it is the fall of 2016 and I too have skull depressions from wearing CPAP masks.

if your skull is so soft that it's affected by the straps from a mask, you should see your doctor about calcium supplements.

I have grooves in front of my ears where my glasses push into the fat on my face.
I could get rid of said grooves if I didn't mind not being able to see.
My headgear causes a bit of hair breakage. It is a reasonable trade-off. (To WAKE UP!)
The human skull hardens within the first few years.
Anyone past the fifth grade who believes their skull BONE is recently dented is DELUSIONAL..

An incredibly old post, however, If you think that your headgear is making your head pin-shaped then, yes, I also think you are a pin-head!

Any other shapes like mushroom, pear or cantilever profiles (Trump) are strictly a personal fashion choice.

A plastic surgeon might be able to create headgear that became like a facelift?

Or at the very least worked to help heal a procedure?
Maybe one could change their skull for the better and more beautiful?

I know it's not HFLC to make lemonade out of lemons ... but I am sure there is a HFLC analogy with the same sentiment?
(~~~or do they make honey lemonade? )


~~~and <weak /wank> 'analogy segue'

Like explaining the "brick" ... that has been driving me crazy!
I like the insulin testing analogy to a machine having NO DATA ...
(...from Pugsy's warning thread I think?)

...but surely there are more?
analogies?
particularly when COMPLIANCE is the only data?
*that little tidbit HAS to be reflected in a good analogy!

Make a machine where 'Nobody' has any data?
Not even the doctors?

CRAZY!

OMG wd


I'm surprised there's not an old or ongoing thread of analogies ~~~
"smart phones and dumb cpaps?"

How is that true?

Feb 2017. It would seem that the majority of comments on this thread are dismissing this observation; however, I have only been using cpap for less than 6 months, and have observed the same changes in my skull shape. I have in recent years used roaccutane, which does affect your bones and joints, so not sure if in my case, this could be a contributory factor. All very interesting reading. Glad I'm not alone.

I have recently noticed the same thing and find it alarming. It is disappointing the number of mindless answers your serious question generated.

most people have actual bones in their skulls, not silly putty, and thus, they don't squidge out because of a few hours of something pressing against them every day.

therefore the vast majority of people can't relate to the puttyhead disasters.

Well there is always the remote possibility of osteomaliacia.
http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/what- ... omalacia#1
But I guarantee you that if that is what a person has, then indentations from cpap headgear straps are the least of their problems.

Normal skull bones in normal healthy adult people simply cannot deform due to cpap headgear straps.
Now it might look and feel like it but it's all soft tissue/fluid related.

Now skulls of babies and children still growing...might be a different story but not many 2 year olds in this thread.
I am pretty sure they were all full grown adults whose skulls long ago quit growing.

Jim7 wrote:Here it is the fall of 2016 and I too have skull depressions from wearing CPAP masks. I used to wear a mask that had straps behind my head below the ears. I have indents from that mask still but didn't realized what they were until I started reading theses posts. Because that type of mask leaked a lot, I switched to a mask that just covers my nose and mouth. The main strap here goes over the top of my head. I have the indentions over the top of my head going from side to side and down to just above the tips of my ears. I've only been wearing this mask for a few months. I'm 75 and I'm concerned about long term effects.

Maybe it's not XPAP, maybe your hat is too small. You also get the same problem from wearing glasses, would you rather be blind, as long as my head doesn't explode, i'll opt for living using XPAP over dying with a perfect skull, not that that's a given. If you fall asleep driving and your head goes through the windshield in a crash, it might change your skull! Jim

And maybe you just never paid attn to the shape of your bean until you went on Cpap - it's probably always been that way!