Extending mask life?

[MoneyGal]

My mask is now 4 months old, and I spent a better part of last night fussing with it to improve the seal. Is this -- the increasingly poor fit -- a sign of mask degradation with time?

I heard from my DME that "your mask won't fit as well as it gets older". I kind of brushed that off as an upsell.

What are others' experiences? How often do you replace your mask? What can I do to maximize mask life?

Thanks, Alexandra

[bdp522]

With older seals it sometimes helps to wash it well then soak in a solution of 1 part vinegar:2 parts water for about 15 minutes. Be sure to rinse very very well. Seems to help the mask seal by removing any facial oil and/or soap residue.

Brenda(who gets a year or more from a cushion)

[Sleepy Taz]

MoneyGal,

Most insurance companies allow at least every six month replacement of you mask, hose, and filters. Some allow this every 3 months. If you are having a problem with the mask you can probably get a replacement anytime as that will affect your therapy. You may want to explore other masks to find a better fit. I have tried many masks over the years and am currently using the nasal pillows. Even at a pressure of 17 and sleeping on my side my leak rates are below 0.12 on average and I never feel a leak from around the nose. Each individual is different so for you something else may work better. Good luck and let us know if you were successful at getting a replacement.

[MoneyGal]

No insurance to cover costs; it's all on me.

I use the Mirage Quattro and it has fit very, very well. It's only in the last week or so I have noticed that it isn't fitting as well. I'm going to try the vinegar soak to remove any oils, etc. and go from there.

[Sleepy Taz]

by MoneyGal on Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:47 am

No insurance to cover costs; it's all on me.

MoneyGal,

Without insurance I would recommend purchasing your mask and supplies from a company on the internet such as cpap.com. Once you find out your cost. I would setup a savings account devoted to cpap supplies and work towards at least double what the cost is so that you will always be able to get supplies if you need to. I would include the price of a new cpap in your savings so that after the warranty on your cpap runs out you can purchase a replacement it yours stops working. Someday you will end up with insurance and this fund can then be used for something fun for yourself.

[MoneyGal]

ST: I appreciate your advice, but I'm not ever going to end up with private health insurance. I live in Canada, in a province where 75% of the retail cost of my machine is covered by my provincial health care insurance. I work for an employer who does not provide private health care insurance, and I'm 100% fine with that.

I'm not worried about how to afford a mask or machine, just wondering about whether I'm experiencing mask degradation with time, and how I can alleviate that.

Thanks!

[Wulfman]

Replacement cushions are a lot cheaper than having to purchase a whole mask.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... attro.html

You could also check on http://www.cpapauction.com to see what's available there, too. (there's a "small" listed there now)

http://www.cpapauction.com/browse/cpap- ... -face.html

I do have a Quattro, but haven't worn it enough to even begin to wear it out.......I use my UMFF almost exclusively. With my UMFF, I've only replaced the headgear (about a month ago) in the 4+ years I've been using it. The rest of the mask (all original) seems to fit better the longer I use it. As I've said before, I don't wash it very often and I think that may be adding to the longevity. I've never used the vinegar solution, so I can't comment on that......but I've read that it works.

I've read that people who use the Quattro experience accelerated wear with their mask cushions.....but don't have any personal experience to add. They do seem to be thinner than those on the UMFF.


Den

[ozij]

I too recommend the vinegar and water soak, though I go easier on the vinegar.

I also found Dr. Bonners soap much better for daily washing than either baby wipes or baby shampoo.
So have others, see viewtopic.php?p=376849#p376849 and this viewtopic.php?p=376799#p376799.

So: daily soap wash, every now and then vinegar /water soak -- and certainly a vinegar/water soak when the supposedly clean mask won't seal properly.

O.

[Paul56]

I would be concerned about the long term effect of vinegar (acidic) on the silicone mask face cushion.

[ozij]

I would be concerned about the long term effect of vinegar (acidic) on the silicone mask face cushion.

I agree in principle, Paul.
However, if a mask gets to the point of "can't seal and therefore has to be replaced" and the vinegar/water soak extends its life -- how bad can that long term effect be?

My humidifier recommends a 1 vinegar to 9 or 10 water (don't remember which) - so I use that on my mask seals -- more to return them to transparency that to deal with sealing problems -- I haven't had those in a long time. But the vinegar/water (1 to 3 at that time) certainly helped me in the past to reuse seals that I would have had to toss out otherwise.

O.

[ww]

I have been using a ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask for nearly a year and the mask seals as well as it ever did. It is washed in liquid soap and water every week or two and wiped off with a damp washrag every night. I find that scrubbing my face where the mask touches, with a warm washrag every night helps the seal as well as anything else.

[S-Dubya]

I have found that 6 months is not an unreasonable life expectancy for a mask seal. I find that if I wash it daily in mild soap and do the vinegar soak about every month or two they last quite a while. I have read that skin oils do contribute to the breakdown of the silicone over time.

I also learned from my DME not to wash in very hot water, but rather to use lukewarm water and to rinse in cold water. I don't know why, but the cold water rinse makes a difference for me.

The vinegar soak is especially helpful if you live in an area with hard water as the hard water will leave deposits over time. The hard water deposits will give the silicone a foggy appearance and they definitely hurt the mask's ability to seal properly. Don't over-do it with the vinegar because too much or too often will speed the breakdown of the seal.

[Julie]

One thing to consider is whether or not you've lost (or gained) any weight. I find even a few pounds can sometimes make a difference not only to fitting, but to how well Cpap works in general.

[MoneyGal]

I wanted to thank everyone for the replies! I washed my mask really well, paying attention to the silicone seal parts, and that seems to have resolved the problem. Whew! So it's back to uninterrupted sleep for me...!

[spitintheocean]

Since I have the same mask I thought that I would check out the prices on this site for the replacement cushion and headgear. Only $67.00 verus $152.00 for the whole enchilada. Unless I start using my mask in goal at the local hockey rink, there's probably not much wear and tear on the hard plastic shell.

Good to know if the insurance ever runs out.

I guess I'll hold off on painting the plastic black and doing the whole "I'm Darth Vader and you're coming with me Princess Leia" schtick with the missus.

One last tip about washing your mask ....... through experience, I have discovered it prudent to wash the mask before the breakfast dishes, although there was something comforting to falling asleep with the pleasant odor of canadian bacon.