Sealing ability gone quickly

I have been on cpap for about 1.5 yrs now. I started with a ComfortGel mask which was good for the first few monthes. I little irritating getting started, but overall good. After 3 months, the plastic around the mask had cracked and the forehead support had cracked. I was not treating it unusually bad or taking it apart or constantly adjusting it. I noticed that I was also getting a lot more leakage. I thought it was related to the breakage and my DME replaced it under warranty with a new setup.

The new ComfortGel again started good. I started reading messages and saw that the Activa sounded good for side sleepers so I got one. It started good as well. I found that I sometimes take my mask off in the night so decided to alternate masks. ie, the comfortgel a few nights then the activa a few nights- don't know why but this helped me form taking the mask off in my sleep. I used both of these for a few months and then began to notice that the sealing ability of both kept diminishing over just 3 or 4 months. I'm not sure how to explain this best but for the first couple of months on both masks, I basically had no sealing or leakage problems. Now, I can't seem to get a decent comfortable leak-free fit. Its almost like the sealing ability is breaking down substantially over a few months for me.

I also obtained a Swift unit because I travel and it seemed like a great, compact travel unit. I've experienced the same thing here though, for the first couple of months it worked great. No seal or leakage issues at all. Then after a short time of just a few months, I find more seal and leak issues. I found with the Swift I would experience heavy nasl congestion after using for a longer period so I started switching off between it the Gel and the Activa to alternate them.

On the ComfortGel I also notices that the Gel insert seems to become too soft and too "squishable" after just a few months.

So, now I have 3 masks that don't seal great and leak or cause quite a bit of adjustment all the time. It seems this happens to them after just a few months. I can't really afford to be replacing masks or expensive parts of masks all the time so I was hoping folks could comment on why after such a short time these masks all seem to drastically loose sealing and begin leaking heavily. I am not unusally rough on them and treat them very well. They are all is excellent condition. I've followed all DME suggestions and used just non-moisturizing soap and water to clean and I've also tried just water or a mask cleaner. When I started with each mask they were a reasonable fit and not overly tight - but as time went on as they lost sealing, I have had to go tighter. THe ComfortGel Gel insert has broken down to the point where without overtightening it, the gel just squishes all the way down and I feel the plastic on my lip.

Could this be me or something I am doing? Is it normal to except a drastic loss of seal ability after only a few months?


On the side, the Swift is by far my favorite of the three. Greatest comfort with the least leaking no matter what. I find when I am naslly congested though that I cannot wear it. The ComfortGel is my next favorite because it provides a better seal than the Activa for me. The Activa is more comfortable, but as I toss in the night it does not stay put. I still like to rotate the masks wearing each for a few days - but I can't even wear the ComfortGel anymore because it does not seal whatsoever now - it did great for 2 months though.

Well now you know why "they" suggest a new mask every 3 months. I have had mine for 3 years. No problems. It likes Kirks natural soap . Could it be some sort of face cream that you are using ?

Are you using hot water to wash the seal? I use cold to warm water all the time with a nonscented lotion free soap. I could see if the temp is too warm that you might distort the seal...

Is your face oily? That usually makes it harder in general to get a seal, and if you aren't getting all the oil off the seal then it is going to have sealing problems...

I really don't use any facial things other than soap (I guess I am naturally a hunk ).

Unfortunately, my insurance will not pay for but a single mask each year no matter what. My doctor has tried issuing it as medically necessary, but the insurance denies it and flat out stated - 1 per year no matter what the circumstances. My company is self-insured so unoffically speaking, I can't dispute the insurance claims ongoingly if I want this job. I can't really afford to replace the masks or parts on my own every 3 months, so either I live with it or find out how to get them to last longer - but I don't know what I am doing that they don't last in order to fix it.

So are you saying it is typical to have such problems after a few months of use?

I've been using warm water. I would say that my face is probably more oily than the average, but not over the top. I too am using just plain soap - ie, no lotions, moisturizers, etc.

When you wash the seal, is it squeaky clean? I found that if I don't rub the surface of the seal I leave some soap and some facial oil on the seal.

Like Mike said, make sure that every last bit of soap and facial oil are off of the seals.
Yoiu may want to try cpap.com.....they have very reasonable prices if you need to replace you masks more often.

Mask mileage does seem to vary. The points already brought up are important - to not use hot water, etc.

I'd reiterate some of those suggestions, plus a bit more. These are just my opinion - I'm not anything in the health care field:

1. Wash and dry your face every night, without fail, before putting the mask on. No lotions or creams.

2. Use soft cloth and mild soap to clean face oils (even if you don't "see" any) off the skin contact parts of the mask cushion each morning. I wouldn't rub hard at all...just very gently... with cool, tepid or barely warm water and mild soap. Rinse the soap off well. Pat dry with very soft cloth - no rubbing it dry. Or just let it sit to dry.

3. Never take the mask apart. Don't remove the cushion to clean it. I really think they're not going to go back together as well, especially if a person routinely took it apart.

4. Many would disagree with this, but I'd say-- forget soakings and extreme disinfection methods or sanitizing products. The more gently and mildly you clean just the cushion surface, the longer it will last, imho.

5. When wearing the mask, keep the straps as loose as possible. Having to crank a mask down hard to try to deal with leaks is going to take a lot of the "oomph" out of the cushion or even the nasal pillows, imho.

Try this - this will help with a leaky seal and red marks on the face. Go to a fabric store and purchase a nice soft, breathable fabric. Something that feels nice to you. Go home and get a pencil, trace around the mask opening. You will cut this shape into the material - this should actually be an open space where your nose will fit through the material. Now follow the shape of this opening and leave enough material that it will actually cover your face wherever your mask touches. You will find out quickly if your skin is getting oily or sweaty during the night and making the mask move around. The material will absorb excess everything and keep the mask from slipping and sliding. I have used this trick with the Activa and the Vista. It helped quite a bit - definitely not a cure all - but it feels a lot nicer than latexfree crap on my face. I have also wrapped the edges of some of the headgear with softer material to reduce the redmarks. Just requires some store bought, selfsticking velcro. That really helped with pressure points. I have found that the heated humidified air makes my face uncomfortably warm and will make my face "glisten" - the material does prevent this from happening. They are actually selling this type product on the internet for some ridiculous amount of money. With a halfyard of material, you can have enough mask cutouts of all shapes and sizes to last a month - then throw them in the washer and dryer and start over again!!! Good luck!

I've been using the Activa Mask for exactly one year. It started leaking after about 3 months. Since insurance wouldn't cover another mask (at a brisk $222.50) I decided to purchase a new cushion. It cost me $43.00 plus postage. This particular cushion has lasted 9 months. Hummmmmm Why did the first cushion only last 3 months while a replacement is still performing great after 9 months ???? I started using Ivory bar soap. Now, I'm not saying this is a cure-all but it's the only thing I've done differently. I wash the mask every night with Ivory soap and warm water. I shake the excess water off then hang it on my bed post (I do this when I wake up) Just before I go to bed I wash my face ..(also with Ivory Soap)
As rested gal said..........everyone's mileage varies. I tried some of the spray stuff but it didn't leave the cushion ..."squeaky clean"
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Rich

Buns - I might know of a place for inexpensive replacement parts. If you join, pm me and I will give you the info...

Guest,

Would you mind telling us what kind of breathable material you use?

I have the same type of "breakdown" of mask sealing after about three months, too and would like to try your method.

I have serious sinus issues and need to use a nasal mask rather than the other types such as the Breeze. The heated humidity of the nasal mask actually helps my sinus congestion. I have been able to continue CPAP treatment through a nasty upper respiratory flu I started a little over a week ago.

Thanks for sharing your idea. I look forward to a trip to the fabric department on Monday.

So sorry, the above "guest" is me. I was logged in and then suddenly I was not. Confusing to me.

luckylinda

I have the swift. I thought it was me. I was using the ''medium'' sized n. p. but noticed lately (2 mos of use) that I had to tighten the straps to the point that I had the "nike" zip on my cheeks ALL DAY, never left, no matter what. So between tightening to prevent the famous hissy air leak sound, I went to the Large nasal pillow, stopped the leaks. I am careful about cleaning daily, letting air day, no perfumes/lotions/ and use tepid water to clean. In only 2 mos. the "medium'' n. p. is actually quite yellowed. I think these mftrs have one racket going. A few yrs things should last, but mos. Back to the almight $$-signs once again...........OH well.

Buns wrote:I have been on cpap for about 1.5 yrs now. I started with a ComfortGel mask which was good for the first few monthes. I little irritating getting started, but overall good. After 3 months, the plastic around the mask had cracked and the forehead support had cracked. I was not treating it unusually bad or taking it apart or constantly adjusting it. I noticed that I was also getting a lot more leakage. I thought it was related to the breakage and my DME replaced it under warranty with a new setup.

The new ComfortGel again started good. I started reading messages and saw that the Activa sounded good for side sleepers so I got one. It started good as well. I found that I sometimes take my mask off in the night so decided to alternate masks. ie, the comfortgel a few nights then the activa a few nights- don't know why but this helped me form taking the mask off in my sleep. I used both of these for a few months and then began to notice that the sealing ability of both kept diminishing over just 3 or 4 months. I'm not sure how to explain this best but for the first couple of months on both masks, I basically had no sealing or leakage problems. Now, I can't seem to get a decent comfortable leak-free fit. Its almost like the sealing ability is breaking down substantially over a few months for me.

I also obtained a Swift unit because I travel and it seemed like a great, compact travel unit. I've experienced the same thing here though, for the first couple of months it worked great. No seal or leakage issues at all. Then after a short time of just a few months, I find more seal and leak issues. I found with the Swift I would experience heavy nasl congestion after using for a longer period so I started switching off between it the Gel and the Activa to alternate them.

On the ComfortGel I also notices that the Gel insert seems to become too soft and too "squishable" after just a few months.

So, now I have 3 masks that don't seal great and leak or cause quite a bit of adjustment all the time. It seems this happens to them after just a few months. I can't really afford to be replacing masks or expensive parts of masks all the time so I was hoping folks could comment on why after such a short time these masks all seem to drastically loose sealing and begin leaking heavily. I am not unusally rough on them and treat them very well. They are all is excellent condition. I've followed all DME suggestions and used just non-moisturizing soap and water to clean and I've also tried just water or a mask cleaner. When I started with each mask they were a reasonable fit and not overly tight - but as time went on as they lost sealing, I have had to go tighter. THe ComfortGel Gel insert has broken down to the point where without overtightening it, the gel just squishes all the way down and I feel the plastic on my lip.

Could this be me or something I am doing? Is it normal to except a drastic loss of seal ability after only a few months?


On the side, the Swift is by far my favorite of the three. Greatest comfort with the least leaking no matter what. I find when I am naslly congested though that I cannot wear it. The ComfortGel is my next favorite because it provides a better seal than the Activa for me. The Activa is more comfortable, but as I toss in the night it does not stay put. I still like to rotate the masks wearing each for a few days - but I can't even wear the ComfortGel anymore because it does not seal whatsoever now - it did great for 2 months though.

i've had my Swift for about 3 months with no problems. I don't wash it but about once every few weeks, in spite of manufacturer recommendations. Most of us will have nasal congestion once we lie down, for this reason many of our ENT, etc have prescribed a steroidal nasal spray to use at bedtime that gets rid of the congestion, even during a cold, although you might need to use two squirts instead of one. I've found this to be all I need for nasal congestion even during head colds.

Remember too, the Swift works best when the straps of the headgear are quite loose. Yes, the pillows will still seal and stay put no matter how much tossing and turning you do. Mine are so loose I can probably put three or sour fingers under the straps.

Many insurance companies will pay for a new mask every 3 months.