Dreamwear headgear stretching issues

[jhg]

Philips seem to have changed the headgear that comes with the Dreamwear mask frame, and it's causing me serious leakage issues.

My pressure is 10-12. For the first 2 weeks after changing to a new frame/headgear, things were perfect. After about 2 weeks the headgear started stretching a bit overnight such that in the early morning the cushion seal would deteriorate and start to leak. So I slightly tightened the headgear. This works for a couple of days and then the same issue occurs and I have to tighten it again. After a couple more weeks, the mask is uncomfortably tight when I first put it on, but loose by morning.

I had the same problem with the old style headgear, but it took a lot longer to manifest, on the order of months instead of weeks and then days.

I'd like to contact someone at Philips to discuss this but the website is no help finding an email address or phone number.

Can anyone suggest how to find the right department at Philips?

[LSAT]

Overnight the muscles in your face relax which could be part of your problem. Actually all of our muscles relax which is why we weigh less in the morning. Have you tried washing the headgear to see if it shrinks back to original?

[Janknitz]

This is the one item the powers that be at Medicare have determined is only replaceable every 6 months (I don't have Medicare, but most insurers follow their guidelines) and IMHO, it's the piece that wears out first. And they charge way too much money to replace it.

I get out my sewing machine. For one thing, the dreamwear strap is always sliding up the back of my head and my hair is too short to secure it with a pony tail or other hairstyle. So I sew in a strip of velcro hook tape (the scratchy side) facing my head and that reduces (doesn't eliminate 100%) the sliding. It also fixes the strap so the part where the velcro is attached doesn't stretch. However, the parts that wrap around the frame do continue to stretch and need to be tightened periodically.

[Amishboy51]

@Janknitz:

Thank you for the info, but, unfortunately, I don't knit or sew.

More importantly, I also spotted your link to the very helpful blog post on meeting your DME for the first time. Like so many others, I wished I'd read it years ago.

I was left wondering, though, whether you were still blogging, because I didn't see much in recent years. Thanks.