Nasal Pillows Straps

Mpf555 · Post by **Mpf555** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:02 pm

The stupid strap that goes on the back of my head always slips upward and causes the mask to leak. Anyone have any suggestions to get the straps to stay in place?

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 8:52 pm

If your hair is long... put your hair over it... like a pony tail.

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:45 am

I use my hair in a pony-tail every night to hold straps where they belong and it works!

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:12 pm

I suspect Dreamstalker's mod here will help. It helps me with my Opus.

viewtopic.php?t=30787&highlight=

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:47 pm

Attach it to your chinstrap and ditch the headgear?

That's what I did.

Cheers,
B.

Mpf555 · Post by **Mpf555** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:12 pm

My hair is not long so that will not work. I see in that picture that the tubing goes up over the head. MIne just runs direct from the mask to the machine. It does not wrap around my head or anything like that. I wonder if that is why the tubing seems to crack open at the connecting point to the machine.

Bonnie · Post by **Bonnie** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:19 pm

Check out the velcro tip to keep the back straps from riding up. It works great.

viewtopic.php?t=5965&highlight=velcro+swift

Needsdecaf · Post by **Needsdecaf** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:48 pm

[quote="Mpf555"]My hair is not long so that will not work. I see in that picture that the tubing goes up over the head. MIne just runs direct from the mask to the machine. It does not wrap around my head or anything like that. I wonder if that is why the tubing seems to crack open at the connecting point to the machine.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:34 pm

Check out some of the creative fixes people have come up for quite a few different masks:

LINKS to Lab Rat Trophy awards
viewtopic.php?t=15104

Don't limit yourself to looking only at the Swift fixes. Look at all of them. You might get an idea from another mask's modification that would work with your Swift.

new-to-BiPAP · Post by **new-to-BiPAP** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:57 am

I seem to have this problem every few nights. I usually turn to my husband in frustration and he says that the top strap is not far enuf back on my head. Once he pushes that back the backstrap stays on better. I have also been using a chinstrap that I put over it to hold it down a bit better also. Hope you find something to help!

islander · Post by **islander** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:18 pm

"The stupid strap that goes on the back of my head always slips upward and causes the mask to leak. Anyone have any suggestions to get the straps to stay in place?"

I notice you use the Swift II, I have found that it helped me a lot when I stapled the straps after finding a good fit. As the straps will stretch with time and use, I just remove a staple and tighten the strap accordingly, then re-staple at new adjustment. The strap buckle used on this model just loosens with a person rolling around and the staples are a simple remedy.

Hope this works for you!

Mike

grandmma · Post by **grandmma** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:16 am

There is a velcro fix someone has posted at some stage, and that apparently works quite well - velcro inside the back strap, (staple first to check) with the rough side and your hair will hold it in place. Doesn't work quite so well for me, so I cut one leg off a pair of pantyhose.

I have quite a small head apparently, which does not help mask-wise, so I wrap this around both sides of the mask where the sides enter into the barrel, and tie at the back. Sort of a loop really to clamp the sides to my head - 3 straps instead of two, I guess. I can then place it over the bottom strap, and it has the added effect of the mask not slipping all night.

Works for me anyway, so good luck whichever way you go.

DanoJ · Post by **DanoJ** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:59 am

I have a different problem with my Swift II: the headgear seems too small. The straps coming off the nasal pillows dig into my face and actually cross the outer corners of my eyes--sometimes even affecting my eyelid movement. It's very uncomfortable, and affects both my ability to fall asleep and to stay asleep. This is with the straps set so loosely that I can slide a finger between the back strap and the top strap and my head (so I don't have them too tight). Also, the straps ride on the area of my ears where they connect to my head (where eyeglass temples ride), which irritates my ears nightly. I feel like my face is too wide, and my head is too large for this headgear. Does anyone else have this problem?

BTW, I bought the chinstrap with my equipment, and stopped using it at all after the first couple of nights. It caused a lot of pain whether worn over or under the headgear. I apparently have no trouble keeping my mouth shut while I sleep, though I cannot do it while awake!

Bonnie · Post by **Bonnie** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:59 am

DanoJ
I remember reading a post about your problem. The solution was to fit the head gear repositioning the straps by folding them in the area where the two come together on the side of yoour face and stapling them. I wish I could remember more. Maybe if you experiment with positioning while you have the head gear on it might make more sense. Don't be afraid to "lab rat" to find a comfortable fit. Most people here make all kinds of adjustments based on the shape of their head for many of the masks.
Good luck

DanoJ · Post by **DanoJ** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:55 am

Thanks, Bonnie...I think that might work for the ear problem, but not for the eye/cheek fit problem. I can't staple the thing any wider than it is.