How often do you replace mask and headgear

My supplier calls me every 6 months to buy a new mask, headgear, and hose. Is this really necessary? I do think it get a bit more difficult to get a good fit when the straps get old, but I'm not sure the whole things needs to be tossed at 6 months. Opinions?

Marywallin wrote:My supplier calls me every 6 months to buy a new mask, headgear, and hose. Is this really necessary? I do think it get a bit more difficult to get a good fit when the straps get old, but I'm not sure the whole things needs to be tossed at 6 months. Opinions?

What specific mask? You'll get quite a spectrum of answers on this one. Some people take all the supplies they can get paid for by their insurance and some of us are pretty frugal and purchase out-of-pocket and get many months to years out or our masks. I'm in the latter category. Even though I've purchased multiple masks, headgear and parts for mine, I got 6 years out of my first mask cushion (I was doing an endurance test on it).......and 4 years out of the first set of headgear. I'm still using that original mask I started with in 2005, but it's now on its second seal/cushion and I have 2 or 3 sets of headgear and other masks that I rotate.
But, we advise users to get a few sets of masks, cushions, headgear, nasal pillows, etc. for future/emergency use and then see how long they last. Everyone is different and different masks and their parts have different life expectancies. This is definitely a "Your Mileage May Vary" situation.

Hope that answers your questions.


Den

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For some, it will depend on which type of mask/pillows they wear. How they're cleaned and how often they're cleaned. Pillows can deteriorate pretty rapidly. I always use a felt liner with my mask, so the headgear gets worn out long before the mask itself does. I usually get new ones every six months, mainly for the headgear.

Depends on the mask...Some can last forever...they are plastic. The cushions/pillows do occasionally need replacing. The hose is another thing that can last years as is the humidifier cup. Always use distilled water in your humidifier .. The DME would like you to replace more often than necessary. Once you have a back up on everything you only need to replace when something breaks/tears.

On average I usally change mine out on the first of every month. I haven't really been following a specific pattern with replacing parts. for me its been on as needed basis.

My Swift LT headgear lasted about 8 years. I recently replaced the headgear just a couple of months ago.

As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay. My Swift LT pillows are still going strong after almost 8 years with no sign of wear other than coloration from white to off-white. I actually bought 6 pairs way back in 2009 and it now seems I way overdid it with back up pillows.

tlohse wrote:On average I usally change mine out on the first of every month. I haven't really been following a specific pattern with replacing parts. for me its been on as needed basis.

Replacing on the first of every month is not a pattern? How is this an "as needed" basis? Curious?

Headgear lasts me about 1 to 1.5 years if I don't pull the velcro apart too much. My ResMed Airfit F10 cushions last me a long time... I'm getting close to six months on the one I'm using now. I do use a Padacheek, so maybe that helps on wear and tear? That's probably not average mileage for most folks around here. One additional note: When I use a brand new F10 cushion, the first two weeks seem to need a 'break in' period to produce a leak free seal.

Back in the day when I was using Swift FX nasal pillows I usually got 3 months per pair.

DreamStalker wrote:My Swift LT headgear lasted about 8 years. I recently replaced the headgear just a couple of months ago.

As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay. My Swift LT pillows are still going strong after almost 8 years with no sign of wear other than coloration from white to off-white. I actually bought 6 pairs way back in 2009 and it now seems I way overdid it with back up pillows.

You have intimate knowledge of all of the other pillow brands and their users to make the determination that nonsense is afoot, I suppose ? Or....... is that just hearsay ? Mileage truly can vary.

Gasper62 wrote:

DreamStalker wrote:My Swift LT headgear lasted about 8 years. I recently replaced the headgear just a couple of months ago.

As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay. My Swift LT pillows are still going strong after almost 8 years with no sign of wear other than coloration from white to off-white. I actually bought 6 pairs way back in 2009 and it now seems I way overdid it with back up pillows.

You have intimate knowledge of all of the other pillow brands and their users to make the determination that nonsense is afoot, I suppose ? Or....... is that just hearsay ? Mileage truly can vary. :wink:

It's probably Obama's or Obamacare's fault, some kind of conspiracy that has them at the bottom of it, I'll bet. In any case, DreamStalker is the source and holder of all wisdom, so his word is law and must be believed.

Some people apparently have facial skin secretions don't play well with silicone. At least that's what I've heard. Great for those whose headgear and pillows last forever. I get about 4 months out of nasal pillows and about a year out of the headgear on a Swift FX before it loses elasticity enough to become less effective and less comfortable for me. Don't get any noticeable discoloration of the nasal pillows, they just stop sealing well for me at some point. This does seems to vary, though.

If I went by my DME's desires, I would use nasal pillows for a month, and headgear for 6 months. However, I go by functionality instead of the maximum that Medicare will pay for *smile*.

DreamStalker wrote:As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay

I've noticed a loose correlation between people who say that their cushions/pillows need replacement often and people that are vigorous cleaners of same... more than one has admitted to tearing the cushion while scrubbing it.

DreamStalker wrote:My Swift LT headgear lasted about 8 years. I recently replaced the headgear just a couple of months ago.

As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay. My Swift LT pillows are still going strong after almost 8 years with no sign of wear other than coloration from white to off-white. I actually bought 6 pairs way back in 2009 and it now seems I way overdid it with back up pillows.

You're pretty lucky with your pillows. Very few people would get your experience. It is not nonsense or hearsay based on many, many threads in this forum that pillows don't have a long life. I can't get even 2 months with my pillows before they collapse. I boil them (suggested in a thread here somewhere) and get usually get them going another 3 weeks. Cushions, on the other hand, typically last a lot longer than pillows. Using my brother as an example, he used to be able to get 6-8 months per cushion. Since his stroke though, he gets less mileage before leaking. I've extended it a bit by boiling for 5 minutes, but that lasts about another month or so and then on to a new cushion. So, this shows me that face shape (and nose shape in the case of pillows) may have a lot to do with longevity in these things - showing the leaking earlier than on others (younger people?).

SewTired wrote:

DreamStalker wrote:My Swift LT headgear lasted about 8 years. I recently replaced the headgear just a couple of months ago.

As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay. My Swift LT pillows are still going strong after almost 8 years with no sign of wear other than coloration from white to off-white. I actually bought 6 pairs way back in 2009 and it now seems I way overdid it with back up pillows.

You're pretty lucky with your pillows. Very few people would get your experience. It is not nonsense or hearsay based on many, many threads in this forum that pillows don't have a long life. I can't get even 2 months with my pillows before they collapse. I boil them (suggested in a thread here somewhere) and get usually get them going another 3 weeks.

I've had my p10 pillows for two years now, I'm considering swapping in a new set just to see if there's any difference.

I used my mirage quattro cushion for five years, waiting for it to fail, never opened the spare package.

some people are just tougher on things than others, or wear them out faster.

I've also heard multiple tales of people inverting the inner cones while cleaning their resmed pillows, and then thinking they'd gone bad, when all the pillow needed was a squeeze to get the inner cone to pop back into position.

@LSTAT I wasn't doing it as often at first but now that I have so many parts I am trying to get on a schedule and sometimes if something still looks good yet I leave it for a while longer.

Gasper62 wrote:

DreamStalker wrote:My Swift LT headgear lasted about 8 years. I recently replaced the headgear just a couple of months ago.

As for pillows deteriorating rapidly, that's just nonsense or hearsay. My Swift LT pillows are still going strong after almost 8 years with no sign of wear other than coloration from white to off-white. I actually bought 6 pairs way back in 2009 and it now seems I way overdid it with back up pillows.

You have intimate knowledge of all of the other pillow brands and their users to make the determination that nonsense is afoot, I suppose ? Or....... is that just hearsay ? Mileage truly can vary.

Well, since you ask. I have intimate knowledge AND experience using the Breeze, original Swift, Swift II, Opus 360, Aloha, Adams Circuit, Opti-life, Bravo, Comfort Lite, Headrest, Mirage Hybrid, and InnoMed Hybrid, and of course the one I finally settled on, the Swift LT.

But your right .... I've not tried ALL of them (so uhhh ... you got me! ). However, of the ones I have tried, NONE of the pillows ever deteriorated. But that's just me .... what do I know?

I've also tried a 2 or 3 full face masks and another 2 or 3 nasal masks ... oh and the that nasal prong, I forget what it's called. Those I only wore once or twice before I realized they were the types I needed to stay away from and consequently focused my attention on the nasal pillow systems. All that stuff is in the distance past now.