Mask straps hurt the back of my head - will a head cap work?

Hello,

I've had sleep apnea for a few years now. I have found that the full face mask works best for me. The problem I am having is the strap head gear hurts the back of my head very badly, so bad that I have to take the mask off after two hours. If I loosen the straps, I get bad leaks. I have tried putting hand towels, washrags, foam rubber, and blue foam on the back of my head. I have even tried head gear made out of fleece.

Has any one else had this problem? What have you done for it? Do you think using a head cap would get solve the problem?


Thanks,

RalphD

Those straps shouldn't be so tight that they cause pain.
A bit of discomfort maybe but not really bad pain. It's not fitting right for some reason.
No mask should ever have straps that cause pain...if it is leaking and it has to be so tight to stop the leaks then something is wrong..fit or size.

Can you please add your equipment to your profile so that members can see exactly what you are using and offer more specific ideas to help you.

I was going to offer Padacheeks strap covers but if you have already tried fleece then it may not work.
Do you happen to also have cervical spine issues going on? That bottom back strap can really aggravate any C Spine issues.

Are you talking about the top back strap or the bottom one...which model FFM?
What head cap are you talking about?

How long have you had those specific head straps. When the stretchiness of my head straps goes because of aging, then it is time to replace them.

What kind of mask? If one tightens down some mask a bit tightly then they more easily lose their seal. Same is true if the silicon seal on the mask has lost its flexibility because of age or cleaning it with alcohol swaps or harsh soaps.

Are you sleeping on your back?

But if its not too tight i would think any soft cushiony type material made out of cotton might do the job.

You haven't said how far down our mask straps go. But, if they go down pretty far, perhaps wearing the ruby chin strap under your full face mask will help. Then you can put the facemask straps over the chin strap: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/ruby-s ... strap.html.

Good Luck,

ThrWino

the pad-a-cheek neck padding made of fleece worked wonders for me & my quattro

http://www.padacheek.com/PAC-Neck.html

All I needed was some extra padding in the back... So I cut off the leg parts that are supposed to cover your cheeks.



Dave

RalphD wrote:Hello,

I've had sleep apnea for a few years now. I have found that the full face mask works best for me. The problem I am having is the strap head gear hurts the back of my head very badly, so bad that I have to take the mask off after two hours. If I loosen the straps, I get bad leaks. I have tried putting hand towels, washrags, foam rubber, and blue foam on the back of my head. I have even tried head gear made out of fleece.

Has any one else had this problem? What have you done for it? Do you think using a head cap would get solve the problem?


Thanks,

RalphD

Just a reminder that you might get a lot more specific advice and help here if you would tell us what mask you are talking about.

Regards, Nate

RalphD wrote:Hello,

I've had sleep apnea for a few years now. I have found that the full face mask works best for me. The problem I am having is the strap head gear hurts the back of my head very badly, so bad that I have to take the mask off after two hours. If I loosen the straps, I get bad leaks. I have tried putting hand towels, washrags, foam rubber, and blue foam on the back of my head. I have even tried head gear made out of fleece.

Has any one else had this problem? What have you done for it? Do you think using a head cap would get solve the problem?


Thanks,

RalphD

I'm in the same boat with the bottom strap on the back of my head. I'm using a heavy sock under the strap. At one time I tried about every full face mask on the market, had problems getting a good seal without a lot of leaks. Unfortunately the mask that worked best is no longer made.

I just got a new bipap, doc's prescription was 8/25 on auto, I've increased the lower number to 16/25. So far my highest 95% pressure is 23 and I seem to be hitting 20+ most nights. I'll probably end up limiting the top pressure but first I want to get a good base line for my doc. So far my doc has been ok with me changing the pressure. I've been a hose head for 10+ years.

Hi, Guys,

I'll try to get the details on my mask and machine and post them tomorrow, June 15. If I can't do it tomorrow, I'll post them next week.


Thanks for all of the support!


RalphD

You don't have to use the straps that come with the mask. I use a FP headgear with my ResMed mask. Some mask now come in a lady version that tends to fit higher and lower on the head and will be pink.

What is a "bad leak?" I think your mask is way too tight and your mask may not fit. A proper fitting mask should use be able to stay on with just a bit of pressure from one finger. Most of it is there to keep it on when you sleep on your side.

Hi.

My mask is a Respironics FitLife Total Face - size large. I do sleep on my back. By "bad leak" I mean using the BiPAP makes so much noise that it keeps me and my Fiancée up. The mask goes from my forehead to just below my bottom lip, so I don't think it's to big. I haven't gotten the specs on my machine yet (I am in a wheelchair, and can't get to it, and my Fiancée has been very busy). It is the bottom strap that is hurting the back of my head.

The head cap that I am wondering about is the Respironics Blue Mesh Softcap Headgear

I don't have any c spine issues.


Thanks,

Ralph

Pugsy wrote:Those straps shouldn't be so tight that they cause pain.
A bit of discomfort maybe but not really bad pain. It's not fitting right for some reason.
No mask should ever have straps that cause pain...if it is leaking and it has to be so tight to stop the leaks then something is wrong..fit or size.

Can you please add your equipment to your profile so that members can see exactly what you are using and offer more specific ideas to help you.

I was going to offer Padacheeks strap covers but if you have already tried fleece then it may not work.
Do you happen to also have cervical spine issues going on? That bottom back strap can really aggravate any C Spine issues.

Are you talking about the top back strap or the bottom one...which model FFM?
What head cap are you talking about?

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/softca ... onics.html

This head cap seems to be for nasal masks...they mention 3 masks that it works with.
I don't know if it would work as far as attachments go with the FitLife. I can't tell by looking at the pictures of either.
I did take a closer look at that back strap for the FitLife. Boy there sure is a lot of "bulk" back there on the bottom and it pretty much all sits at the base of the skull.
When it causes pain....where is the pain located?

I wonder if a different headgear would work... I see now why you were thinking of the head cap.
The way that headgear goes would definitely cause me problems and pretty much either give me a headache or neck ache pretty quickly. That's the main reason I don't do any mask with a lower strap.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... ement.html
Which configuration is your current strap...see that some are solid and some are "cut out"...see the pictures at cpap.com link
there's black with cut out and gray with solid back part...

Respironics has some other universal straps available. I don't know if they will work or not with the FitLife.

RalphD wrote:y "bad leak" I mean using the BiPAP makes so much noise that it keeps me and my Fiancée up

What type of noise....beeping from bad leak??

Hi, Pugsy,

Which configuration is your current strap...see that some are solid and some are "cut out"...see the pictures at cpap.com link
there's black with cut out and gray with solid back part...

I have both, and they both hurt.

By noise, I mean the mask either sounds like a train, or makes a farting noise.

the pain is on the lower back of my head.

I've tried the kind of masks that cover your nose and mouth and have an adjustable piece that rest either on the bridge of your nose or forehead, and both types give me very, very bad sores where that piece rests. The one with the piece that rests on the bridge of your nose gave me a sore so bad that it went into pre skin cancer. Of course I tried all kinds of materials to pad / cushion the pieces. The kind of masks with the nose pillows do not work for me, either, as the pillows don't stay in my nose - no matter the size of the pillow.

Thanks for the link to the head cap!


Ralph

Are you bald? Sometimes it's a good idea to run a knife over the edges of sharp head gear. I am female but found I had to do that as the head gear hurt my face. Just rub the blade of a knife back and forward along the edges.

RalphD wrote: By noise, I mean the mask either sounds like a train, or makes a farting noise.

the pain is on the lower back of my head.

Okay, mask noise as opposed to machine noise. I thought you meant machine noise and couldn't figure out what was going on.
Pain in the lower back of the head area. That's where the lower back strap on any mask having a lower strap would cause me pain.
You are caught between a rock and a hard place. You need the type of mask that only has that sort of strap placement and therein is the problem.

I don't know if the head cap would offer the ability to secure the mask you are using or not.
Never having seen either (or seen it mentioned) I have no idea if it would work or not. My concern would be anchoring the mask well enough to create a seal. Since you are so limited in masks that you can effectively use....worth a try I guess.
I am sorry but I am out of ideas.