mouth breathing?

hecate · Post by **hecate** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:02 pm

Hi,

For the last week or so I have been waking with a dry mouth. I have also been pretty blocked up so I suspect I have been breathing through my mouth something that I normally have no problems with avoiding. I'm not sure why I'm so blocked up at the moment, but I'm thinking about getting the hybrid mask. I'm concerned that since i get a dry mouth through breathing out my mouth with my swift why wouldn't the same thing happen with the hybrid? The same thing concerns me the other way around. When I tried the F&P oral mask it would make such a noise when it came out my nose if I didn't have it pluged up tight. Will the hybrid cause a problem with breathing in through my mouth and it coming out my nose?

Thanks
Liz

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:13 pm

With the hybrid, being that the nose is 'plugged' with the pillows and the mouth is 'sealed' with the shell and cushion, you won't notice much difference. I only found out that I was a mouth breather when I tried a nasal mask. With a nasal mask I tape but if I'm clogged I stick to the hybrid.

Brenda

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:41 am

I'm concerned that since i get a dry mouth through breathing out my mouth with my swift why wouldn't the same thing happen with the hybrid?

Yes, you will probably still have some dry mouth with the Hybrid. However,
you will not lose treatment pressure like a nasal only mask.

I'm in the final stages of a simple head cold. When the cold first arrived, I
was able to use the CL2 and mouth tape to keep the nostrils open. However,
as things progressed I had to go to the Hybrid (wich I use most of the time
anyway) and the result has been a much dryer mouth than usual. The
result of mouth breathing, I'm sure.

Sleepless_in_LM · Post by **Sleepless_in_LM** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 9:58 am

There is a big difference between mouth breathing with a nasal mask and mouth breathing with a hybrid or full face mask.

Normally, if you mouth breathe with a nasal mask, you end up with some sort of constant flow of air going in our nostrilss and coming out your mouth. Even with a heated humidifier, this flow can cause a real dry mouth, but even worse, you loose treatment. However, if your sinus are so plugged that no air is going through, you might not have the constant flow of air, but you will still not be getting pressure for treatment.

With a Hybrid (or any full face mask), the pressure is constant at both the nasal openings and the mouth. So if you open your mouth, there will be no air flow through the nostrils and out the mouth. The only air flow is from breathing and the exhaust. If you mouth breathe with a Hybrid, you might get a minor dry mouth, but with the moisture your body produces on exhalation, it won't be too bad. And you won't have any noticable noise if you breathe thru your nose or mouth. I find the mask very quiet.

Hope that helps. However, beware that the hybrid has its lovers and haters. I love it. But it took going to a medium mouth piece(because the curve fit better even though it barely covers my mouth) and taping my nostrils so they are not quite as "round" to get the nasal pillows to seal. So the Hybrid is not for everyone, but it has been a blessing to me!

Merry Christmas!

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:11 am

Plus, it's now December, and people have the heat on, which means the relative humidity in your house is probably a lot less than it was in the summer and fall, so you're more likely to notice dryness now than previously.

kwjw32 · Post by **kwjw32** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 11:25 am

I have found that I need to turn up my humidifier a click or two when using the Hybrid. That helped quite a bit with dry mouth.