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OK, just tried the Bella on. I can see the top of my ear dipping down a little when it's tight enough to not leak (haven't slept with it yet, just trying on). Is that too tight?

Are folks still finding they leave marks on the face? I don't need any more of those.

SleepingUgly wrote:OK, just tried the Bella on. I can see the top of my ear dipping down a little when it's tight enough to not leak (haven't slept with it yet, just trying on). Is that too tight?

Are folks still finding they leave marks on the face? I don't need any more of those.

I think it's too tight. When I put it on and for some reason sit up, I have to hold it in place. Once I lie down and my head is on the pillow (I sleep on my side), I adjust it a bit and then it's fine. When I'm lying down the bottom strap falls down a bit on my cheek.

I had red marks one nite and that's b/c it was too tight.

I think I have come up with a much simpler solution for the loosening, tightening and sore ears which followed when wearing the Bella Loops, without having to replace the Loops with strands around the back of my head, as I had earlier said I was considering.

We slid the top pink cheek tube to the back of my ears to cushion them, and replaced it on the cheeks by adding the grey cheek covers from the original Swift FX.

Result after several nights this way: The loops stay snug enough during the night that I don't feel the need to tighten them; the soreness at the back of my ears from the thin silicon straps is eliminated; and the loops stay in place for the most part most of the night so that I wake up to a smiley face for leaks.

I never felt the need for the old grey cheek pads and never used them before, but now I conclude that they help eliminate slippage of the nasal pillow pad, while sliding the top new pink pad back around the ears eliminates ear pain and also contributes to keeping everything in place.

Regards,

Nate

One more thing I only recently started doing because I had overlooked it in the manual. I get off to a good start after first masking up by hitting Info and holding down the right knob for 3-4 seconds instead of just turning the unit on, and I get a BIG smiley or frown face to tip me off immediately as to whether or not I am well-fitted.

Just last night, I too slid the little pink cover up to protect my ear, I will try the other covers for the cheek covers. I could never stand any of the headgear, so the Bella loops have helped me in that way (and I need all the help I can get) Marce

NateS wrote:I think I have come up with a much simpler solution for the loosening, tightening and sore ears which followed when wearing the Bella Loops, without having to replace the Loops with strands around the back of my head, as I had earlier said I was considering.

We slid the top pink cheek tube to the back of my ears to cushion them, and replaced it on the cheeks by adding the grey cheek covers from the original Swift FX.

Result after several nights this way: The loops stay snug enough during the night that I don't feel the need to tighten them; the soreness at the back of my ears from the thin silicon straps is eliminated; and the loops stay in place for the most part most of the night so that I wake up to a smiley face for leaks.

I never felt the need for the old grey cheek pads and never used them before, but now I conclude that they help eliminate slippage of the nasal pillow pad, while sliding the top new pink pad back around the ears eliminates ear pain and also contributes to keeping everything in place.

Regards,

Nate

One more thing I only recently started doing because I had overlooked it in the manual. I get off to a good start after first masking up by hitting Info and holding down the right knob for 3-4 seconds instead of just turning the unit on, and I get a BIG smiley or frown face to tip me off immediately as to whether or not I am well-fitted.

Thank you for that tip, Nate! I'll try it tonight.

Last nite was one of those nights... nothing was working. Tossed and turned most of the nite. Looking forward to giving your suggestion a try! Thanks for posting about it!

The straps are no longer bugging the area behind my ears. No longer any tenderness. I wonder if it worked like the nostril area did when I first started using the nasal pillows. Sort of virgin territory not used to having anything against it and was slightly tender but eased up after a couple of weeks.

Good idea about sliding the pink covers over the ear loops though. Wish I had thought of it but now for the last 3 nights zero tenderness behind ears and have not changed a thing in over a week.

Thank you Nate, I tried your fix for the Bella Loops and wa la, I had a great night with the mask! I do think they need to round out the loops, but for now I'm LOVIN THE LOOPS!

portiemom wrote:Thank you Nate, I tried your fix for the Bella Loops and wa la, I had a great night with the mask! I do think they need to round out the loops, but for now I'm LOVIN THE LOOPS!

So glad to hear it is helping you and others like it helped me!

We all get a lot of great ideas from each other on cpaptalk, and i have been helped so much by advice here from everyone else.

Best wishes,

Nate

The Bella mask is a good idea but I think who ever at ResMed that came up with the design of the loop straps blew it. I tried the pink cover over the ear and it works but it makes my ears stand out like Dumbo the elephant. If you wear it like that every night for a long time you might change the shape of your ear. I wear dual hearing aids and have permanent creases in my ears where the wire loops over the top of my ear so it might happen. I think the straps should be round and coated with something soft. I can remember one of the ways kids with dumbo ears were fixed for standing out was to tape them back every night when they went to bed. I think ResMed should redesign there loop straps.

I tried the pink covers behind my ears last nite and they really bothered me. I removed them immediately... very uncomfortable. Tonight I'll try the gray ones that came with the standard headgear near my cheek and see what happens.

So strange... was doing so well for awhile with the loops. Now I can hear leaking (don't even have to look at the machine to know) and can't figure it out. Maybe I don't have it tight enough... that your MMV is so true.

Hi ems

I would like to share with you what I have learned from playing around with Swift FX Bella for a while. It may help.

Pulling the headgear tighter will most likely only make your leaks worse. The Swift FX pillows are meant to flex under your nose. Crushing them tight against your skin will not allow them to do their job and adjust the various shapes of your face and nose. Don't overtighten the headgear is the recommendation.

Spend time before you go to sleep to make sure that the fit of the pillows to your nose is perfect before you turn off the light. If the pillows are not aligned well with your nose before you start, say, they are distorted or creased, this will only get worse as the night goes on and no amount of tightening of the headgear will make the situation better. A good sign that the pillows are fitted well is that they are easy to breathe through and quiet when you do so. It is realy worth spending a minute or two on this to ensure a trouble free night. You will get a sense of what is right and wrong over time.

Back sleepers may find that adding some padding behind the ears may help, but that will also put sideways pressure on your ears, pushing them outwards. This may result in more discomfor over time. Side sleepers may find that adding extra padding behind the ears is difficult to sleep on and the extrra pressure behind the ears will leave more marks. The straps are thin and flat for a reason.

Adding extra cheek padding may help back sleepers avoid red marks, but side sleepers will find that adding any thying will just make the marks deeper and longer lasting. I find that marks are usually caused by a combination of pressure, heat and moisture. The Silicone straps will trap moisture, so adding some wicking fabric (like from a running top) may help. Adding thick padding will only trap heat (leading to more perspiration) and will add more pressure too.

A little bit of leak is not a bad thing. Most machines will tolerate some leak. What's most important is that it isn't so bad it keeps you awake at night.....

I eliminated the marks on my cheeks (laying with cheek on the pillow) by adding a small extra fleece "sleeve" over the 2 pink sleeves. Covers both with one sleeve. Easy to make. Quite comfy and no marks on my face. I used a couple of scraps of fleece from a homemade hose cozy.

SecretSquirrel wrote: Spend time before you go to sleep to make sure that the fit of the pillows to your nose is perfect before you turn off the light. If the pillows are not aligned well with your nose before you start, say, they are distorted or creased, this will only get worse as the night goes on and no amount of tightening of the headgear will make the situation better. A good sign that the pillows are fitted well is that they are easy to breathe through and quiet when you do so. It is realy worth spending a minute or two on this to ensure a trouble free night. You will get a sense of what is right and wrong over time.

Thank you... I'll give it a try.

I just came across the Bella on another site . I couldn't believe it this thing barely looks like a mask. I had to stop in to see what you all thought of this mask.
Has anyone had any problems with this and hurting the top crease of the ears? I'm thinking of trying it. I currently us the swift fx for her. Does this come as just the ear pieces to save money?

Thanks everyone.

I will say I have a little ear soreness, but not much and I prefer it to the headgear!

I also think my leaks are a little higher, but just a little. It's SO comfortable and I'm thrilled with this new option.