favorite full face mask?

[zackds]

its weird that my mask cushion seems to have shit out so fast
maybe i have rancid face oils

I'd be VERY surprised if it affected the silicone.

id like to know why so i can prevent it with whatever next mask i get
maybe it was just old to begin with
although it seemed pretty firm when i first got it and that lasted for like a week
for now ill have to see if i can make my pillow mask work

What is the issue you're having?

the silicone just got soft all of a sudden
it was firmer when i first got it and seemed to seal better
now its leaking everywhere and just doesnt make a good seal
i have increased pressure since i first got it as well though

[palerider]

the silicone just got soft all of a sudden
it was firmer when i first got it and seemed to seal better
now its leaking everywhere and just doesnt make a good seal
i have increased pressure since i first got it as well though

The silicone on the mirage quattro cushion is very soft, it's supposed to be, so that it can form fit to your facial structure when there's pressure inside.

Clean it good with some alcohol, or dishwashing liquid, to get any facial oils off of it, and then a triangle of cloth cut form an old t-shirt, between the cushion and your face will help tame the leaks... it's called a 'mask liner' (for googling purposes) and that was one of the game changers for me when I was using that mask.

[LSAT]

how long does a mask generally last?
besides cleaning it with soap and water each day, what do you do to make it last longer?

Not cleaning it with soap and water every day.
When I was wearing the quattro, I'd wash it every week, (as long as I hadn't sneezed or coughed goo into it), i would give the cushion a quick wipe down every day with a tissue and a squirt of hand sanitizer (not for germs, but because it cleaned the facial oils off the cushion very easily).

I'd bought a spare cushion on ebay, but I never opened the package... the original one lasted me four years, till I switched to a different type of mask.

its weird that my mask cushion seems to have shit out so fast
maybe i have rancid face oils

You can boil the Quattro cushion...it comes out like new.
Put distilled water in a saucepan. Add a tsp of baking soda. Put in your cushion and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the cushion and rinse in distilled water. Caution....You should have a second cushion in case you screw up.

[zackds]

how long does a mask generally last?
besides cleaning it with soap and water each day, what do you do to make it last longer?

Not cleaning it with soap and water every day.
When I was wearing the quattro, I'd wash it every week, (as long as I hadn't sneezed or coughed goo into it), i would give the cushion a quick wipe down every day with a tissue and a squirt of hand sanitizer (not for germs, but because it cleaned the facial oils off the cushion very easily).

I'd bought a spare cushion on ebay, but I never opened the package... the original one lasted me four years, till I switched to a different type of mask.

its weird that my mask cushion seems to have shit out so fast
maybe i have rancid face oils

You can boil the Quattro cushion...it comes out like new.
Put distilled water in a saucepan. Add a tsp of baking soda. Put in your cushion and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the cushion and rinse in distilled water. Caution....You should have a second cushion in case you screw up.

what is the need for the water being distilled?

[Okie bipap]

Using distilled water eliminates the build up of mineral deposits in the water reservoir. If you want to try making a mask liner, you can find a pattern at this site:
http://montfordhouse.com/cpap/diy-cotton-mask-liner.pdf

I made my liners out of an old, well-used tee shirt. I have also made them out of paint rags I purchased at Lowes or Home Depot.

[palerider]

You can boil the Quattro cushion...it comes out like new.
Put distilled water in a saucepan. Add a tsp of baking soda. Put in your cushion and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the cushion and rinse in distilled water. Caution....You should have a second cushion in case you screw up.

what is the need for the water being distilled?

My feeling is that it's a 'just in case' sort of thing, I don't know that it'd really be required, but that's just an unsubstantiated guess.

[zackds]

ok was wondering because i tried doing this a few days ago but without distilled water
didnt really change the cushion
so i was wondering if because i didnt use distilled water was why it didnt work
maybe i need a medium mask instead of large
it seems to only start leaking bad at higher than around 13cm of pressure
and i need my pressure to be higher than that

[LSAT]

ok was wondering because i tried doing this a few days ago but without distilled water
didnt really change the cushion
so i was wondering if because i didnt use distilled water was why it didnt work
maybe i need a medium mask instead of large
it seems to only start leaking bad at higher than around 13cm of pressure
and i need my pressure to be higher than that

I hope you didn't think boiling would shrink the mask.....I only cleans it.

[chunkyfrog]

Distilled water, unless your water supply is exceptionally soft.
Mine is hard, and left a powdery, white scum on the silicone.
Distilled let the soda do its job, without adding yucky crud.

[melikou1]

I don't *like* any full face masks, but the one that works best for me in terms of holding a seal, and not hurting my face too much, is the Fischer & Paykel Simplus. The cushion venting does give an annoying whistling sound once in a while for me - it seems all cushions are not created equal in whatever factory they use.

The ResMed AirFit F20 has a great seal, but none of the cushions fit my face right and it really hurts the bridge of my nose area. Otherwise it's a comfortable mask. The top of the cushion slides up and down no matter what when I lay down, causing either a pressure sore or rubs away at my skin.

I would say try the F&P Simplus and maybe the Philips Respironics Amara View since that is sort of a smaller profile mask that doesn't obstruct your vision.

I've only been using CPAP for 3 weeks now, but agree with you regarding the Resmed AirFit/AirTouch F20. I have a deviated septum, so getting air through my nose is tough as it is. I had the AirTouch F20 for a week and knew it probably wasn't going to be a long term solution because of how it constricted my nose and hurt the bridge. I also had a bit of issue with the front loaded hose...just had rotator cuff surgery a couple months ago and when the hose gets stuck under the repaired shoulder, I would wake up with it really sore.

I have now been using the DreamWear FFM for two weeks, and it has been much better for me overall. Not perfect, but not sure I'll ever find one that is. I'm going to roll with this one for a few months, as I'm still in the total learning stage. I like that it doesn't cover the whole nose, and the hose mounts on top of the head, as I tend to flip from side to side all night.

Appreciate the input the other members have given!

[zackds]

I don't *like* any full face masks, but the one that works best for me in terms of holding a seal, and not hurting my face too much, is the Fischer & Paykel Simplus. The cushion venting does give an annoying whistling sound once in a while for me - it seems all cushions are not created equal in whatever factory they use.

The ResMed AirFit F20 has a great seal, but none of the cushions fit my face right and it really hurts the bridge of my nose area. Otherwise it's a comfortable mask. The top of the cushion slides up and down no matter what when I lay down, causing either a pressure sore or rubs away at my skin.

I would say try the F&P Simplus and maybe the Philips Respironics Amara View since that is sort of a smaller profile mask that doesn't obstruct your vision.

I've only been using CPAP for 3 weeks now, but agree with you regarding the Resmed AirFit/AirTouch F20. I have a deviated septum, so getting air through my nose is tough as it is. I had the AirTouch F20 for a week and knew it probably wasn't going to be a long term solution because of how it constricted my nose and hurt the bridge. I also had a bit of issue with the front loaded hose...just had rotator cuff surgery a couple months ago and when the hose gets stuck under the repaired shoulder, I would wake up with it really sore.

I have now been using the DreamWear FFM for two weeks, and it has been much better for me overall. Not perfect, but not sure I'll ever find one that is. I'm going to roll with this one for a few months, as I'm still in the total learning stage. I like that it doesn't cover the whole nose, and the hose mounts on top of the head, as I tend to flip from side to side all night.

Appreciate the input the other members have given!

i just ordered the dreamwear a couple of days ago due to the bridge of my nose getting messed up
i also think the mask i have been using, also for about 3 weeks as a cpap beginner, is too big for me and doesnt mold to my particular face right

[zackds]

I don't *like* any full face masks, but the one that works best for me in terms of holding a seal, and not hurting my face too much, is the Fischer & Paykel Simplus. The cushion venting does give an annoying whistling sound once in a while for me - it seems all cushions are not created equal in whatever factory they use.

The ResMed AirFit F20 has a great seal, but none of the cushions fit my face right and it really hurts the bridge of my nose area. Otherwise it's a comfortable mask. The top of the cushion slides up and down no matter what when I lay down, causing either a pressure sore or rubs away at my skin.

I would say try the F&P Simplus and maybe the Philips Respironics Amara View since that is sort of a smaller profile mask that doesn't obstruct your vision.

I've only been using CPAP for 3 weeks now, but agree with you regarding the Resmed AirFit/AirTouch F20. I have a deviated septum, so getting air through my nose is tough as it is. I had the AirTouch F20 for a week and knew it probably wasn't going to be a long term solution because of how it constricted my nose and hurt the bridge. I also had a bit of issue with the front loaded hose...just had rotator cuff surgery a couple months ago and when the hose gets stuck under the repaired shoulder, I would wake up with it really sore.

I have now been using the DreamWear FFM for two weeks, and it has been much better for me overall. Not perfect, but not sure I'll ever find one that is. I'm going to roll with this one for a few months, as I'm still in the total learning stage. I like that it doesn't cover the whole nose, and the hose mounts on top of the head, as I tend to flip from side to side all night.

Appreciate the input the other members have given!

i just ordered the dreamwear a couple of days ago due to the bridge of my nose getting messed up
i also think the mask i have been using, also for about 3 weeks as a cpap beginner, is too big for me and doesnt mold to my particular face right