Noob question: is a mouth leak ever NOT a leak?

I guess this really IS a dumb question........OK. True confession time. I snore. I also do the "lip flutter thing".

If I do the "lip flutter thing" as I exhale, is it still considered a mouth leak? I mean, I'm getting rid of that air anyway......it would be going out of the little holes in the mask anyway.......am I leaking if I'm exhaling?

You can't be sure what you're doing when you're asleep, unless someone is staying up all night watching you. For xpap to work it needs to be a 'closed circuit', all air - in or out - through the mask. You might try taping or a FF mask (some have luck with a chinstrap, I don't). If your leaks are ok and you're still snoring you might want to raise your pressure just a bit to see if it helps.

Brenda

If you're using a nasal mask and exhaling through your mouth, then the pressurized air is being pushed through in through your nose and then all escaping out your mouth while you're exhaling. As Brenda says, you need to be breathing both in and out your nose for your therapy to work.. otherwise, you're effectively depressurizing.

bobkat13 wrote:I guess this really IS a dumb question........OK. True confession time. I snore. I also do the "lip flutter thing".

If I do the "lip flutter thing" as I exhale, is it still considered a mouth leak? I mean, I'm getting rid of that air anyway......it would be going out of the little holes in the mask anyway.......am I leaking if I'm exhaling?

Yep! The masks have a stated "Vent Flow Rate" (the little holes in the mask) at the various pressures.....anything beyond that is "leakage".....mask seals or mouth. For the most part, this therapy is based on a certain amount of "pressure" that will keep your airway open. If that pressure is lost, your therapy is compromised.


Den

Wulfman wrote:

bobkat13 wrote:I guess this really IS a dumb question........OK. True confession time. I snore. I also do the "lip flutter thing".

If I do the "lip flutter thing" as I exhale, is it still considered a mouth leak? I mean, I'm getting rid of that air anyway......it would be going out of the little holes in the mask anyway.......am I leaking if I'm exhaling?

Yep! The masks have a stated "Vent Flow Rate" (the little holes in the mask) at the various pressures.....anything beyond that is "leakage".....mask seals or mouth. For the most part, this therapy is based on a certain amount of "pressure" that will keep your airway open. If that pressure is lost, your therapy is compromised.


Den

I sort of understand your question and my people had to do some different things to get the right numbers. Go with what they gave you for now..Mine is the full face mask and a chin strap.
Maybe in the future we will be alble to dial in what we need but for now we don't exist.