Mouth taping logic ??

[wasColette]

Been on CPAP for a month now. Last week realized that while I breathe in through my nose, sometimes I exhale through my mouth which wakes me up. Have read a lot of old posts about mouth leaks, taping, NoseBreathe device, etc.

The last few nights I have been taping mouth closed. I still sometimes notice that my tongue relaxes and my mouth fills up with air, yet, of course, does not escape out the mouth. I guess that air must then get redirected out my nose. Is this ok? Is it bad for me to have my mouth fill up with air?

Let's say as an option I use a full face mask or a hybrid. I would still predominantly keep my mouth closed and breathe in and out through my nose. But for those times when my tongue relaxes and the air goes out my mouth I would have the mask on to cover that. What I'm wondering is if that's any better than taping? When you have the full face mask on but you inhale through your nose what happens with the mouth portion? How do these work together?

I've thought about the diy mouthpiece or the NoseBreathe but I already wear an old fashioned wire retainer and don't think I can wear both. So I'm thinking about trying a full face mask but don't know if that's the answer either. Any suggestions?

[Wulfman]

Been on CPAP for a month now. Last week realized that while I breathe in through my nose, sometimes I exhale through my mouth which wakes me up. Have read a lot of old posts about mouth leaks, taping, NoseBreathe device, etc.

The last few nights I have been taping mouth closed. I still sometimes notice that my tongue relaxes and my mouth fills up with air, yet, of course, does not escape out the mouth. I guess that air must then get redirected out my nose. Is this ok? Is it bad for me to have my mouth fill up with air?

Let's say as an option I use a full face mask or a hybrid. I would still predominantly keep my mouth closed and breathe in and out through my nose. But for those times when my tongue relaxes and the air goes out my mouth I would have the mask on to cover that. What I'm wondering is if that's any better than taping? When you have the full face mask on but you inhale through your nose what happens with the mouth portion? How do these work together?

I've thought about the diy mouthpiece or the NoseBreathe but I already wear an old fashioned wire retainer and don't think I can wear both. So I'm thinking about trying a full face mask but don't know if that's the answer either. Any suggestions?

The ideal situation is to breathe in AND out your nose. It may take some time, but if you can train your tongue to stay to the roof of your mouth, it will help. Also, some exhale relief like EPR or C-Flex helps, too (depending on one's pressure).

Den

[tattooyu]

I'm new to all this, but would a full face mask be ideal for someone who has trouble breathing through their nose? Perhaps, I'm misunderstanding the function of the full face mask...

[SharkBait]

I'm new to all this, but would a full face mask be ideal for someone who has trouble breathing through their nose? Perhaps, I'm misunderstanding the function of the full face mask...

Absolutely.

I'm trying for the minimal I can get away with, but I do have a full face mask for if I get a cold (which seems to be the norm for those using nasal masks or nasal "pillows"). I'm not "great" at breathing through my nose, but I've found the CPAP actually helps in that regard. I also consider myself a mouth breather (because I'm not great at breathing through my nose), but so far I think I've done a decent job of keeping my tongue on the roof of my mouth and keeping my mouth closed while sleeping. The leak rates reported by my machine seem to indicate this as well...

[Wulfman]

I'm new to all this, but would a full face mask be ideal for someone who has trouble breathing through their nose? Perhaps, I'm misunderstanding the function of the full face mask...

You have to have pressurized air for CPAP to work. It either comes in through the nose or through the mouth.....or both. If one isn't "usable", you need to use the other. A full face mask offers the best options in those cases. You're going to get the pressurized air one way or the other.

Den

[wasColette]

Wulfman wrote:
The ideal situation is to breathe in AND out your nose. It may take some time, but if you can train your tongue to stay to the roof of your mouth, it will help. Also, some exhale relief like EPR or C-Flex helps, too (depending on one's pressure).

I do breathe in AND out of my nose...most of the time. At least that's what I thought until I woke up to a loud noise and realized it was air escaping from my mouth when my tongue relaxed. This must be a somewhat common occurence for others because there has been a lot of post regarding mouth leaks and mouth taping. My pressure is only 5cm.

Are there any others out there who use a full face mask even though they are nose breathers, who just sometimes have mouth leaks?

[fortomorrow]

Are there any others out there who use a full face mask even though they are nose breathers, who just sometimes have mouth leaks?

Absolutely. I'm a nose breather, but often woke up with my mouth hanging open and air rushing out, so I started taping. But I got so tired of dealing with taping at night that I just went to a FFM. Never been happier.

[roster]

..........

Are there any others out there who use a full face mask even though they are nose breathers, who just sometimes have mouth leaks?

I breathe mostly through my nose at night and always fall asleep breathing through my nose. But then there are periods, and it is worse some nights, when my mouth falls open.

Get a full face mask. They are made for the approximately 40% of patients who sometimes breathe through their mouth.

Personally, I think the number is higher than 40% because there are so many people who just don't know about mouth breathing and the failure of CPAP to be effective if your mouth is open with a nasal device.

[chessie]

I was one of those who really really did not want a ffm, so I taped my mouth for a while, but it became old real fast.

I love the ffm - I start with breathing through my nose, but end with my mouth wide open, and do not have to worry about anything.

I am still trying different ffm masks to find the one I like the best, so good luck

Skittles