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Oxygen masks

Posted , 3 users are following.

Chikin62
Chikin62

i have to use oxygen using a Venturi type mask.

the problem I have is all the masks I have tried end up making my ears sore and are quite un comfortable to wear due to the elastic strap.

does anyone know of a more comfortable type of mask head strap arrangement or manufacturer of mask and where I can obtain them

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • sheila135
    sheila135 Chikin62

    Posted

    Hi, my husband had the same problem , so I wrapped some wide fabric sticking plaster around the part that went over his ears and it padded it out so the elastic stopped cutting into them.  He also wore a nasal canula with his oxygen and I did the same with that.  Such a simple thing but it did work.  You can also get foam pieces from the people who supply the masks but we found them useless.  Hope this helps.
    • Chikin62
      Chikin62 sheila135

      Posted

      Thanks Sheila I use the foam wrapped strap idea which does help but I was wondering if a mask was out there with patient comfort as well as therapy  in mind may be a manufacturer could manufacture something
    • sheila135
      sheila135 Chikin62

      Posted

      Hi, we rang the hospital and the oygen services who supplied the nebuliser masks and the different types of oygen masks and asked them about this and all they  told us was they give out the little foam things, which are useless, and there is nothing else on the market.  I suppose it would mean changing the whole concept of the mask as they are made to fit everyone and elastic does this.  There must be many more people like yourself and my husband who has this problem but because they are given out free I honestly do not think they will change the design unless we were paying for them.  Perhaps a look on the internet to see what is out there may help.
  • sheila135
    sheila135 Chikin62

    Posted

    Hi, my husband had the same problem , so I wrapped some wide fabric sticking plaster around the part that went over his ears and it padded it out so the elastic stopped cutting into them.  He also wore a nasal canula with his oxygen and I did the same with that.  Such a simple thing but it did work.  You can also get foam pieces from the people who supply the masks but we found them useless.  Hope this helps.
  • sheila135
    sheila135 Chikin62

    Posted

    I forgot to ask, you say you use the Venturi type mask, have you to use this all the time or can you use a nasal canula instead.  Because I know they manufacture head set oygen masks, like a pair of headphones but the tubing doesn't go around the ears. Just a thought.
    • Chikin62
      Chikin62 sheila135

      Posted

      Hi Sheila yes I do use nasal cannula but for just short term use as my prescription dosage is 28% oxygen and the only way to be truly accurate is using a white Venturi with a 4ltr/m supply. Nasal cannula can be worn but using 2ltr/m to 3ltr/m depending on how severe my activity.

      goodnews is I have had a reply that looks promising from another source,

      by using my NIV mask fitted a lot looser Ii avoid the ear area completely and therefore solve the problem.

      i am going to trail this and will report on its success.

      thanks for all your help

  • sheila135
    sheila135 Chikin62

    Posted

    What I did for my husband was similar to your new source, but he could not make the elastic looser as there wasn't enough of it and it popped out of the ends of the mask.  He was a very large man with a large head, we could not even get caps to fit him, so I bought some elastic, very similar to the masks elastic and cut longer lengths so he could wear it higher on his head.  It was trial and error, I even put elastoplasts on the back of his ears to make it more comffortable.
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