Does it really matter if air escapes through your mouth?

[Snoozin' Bluezzz]

I've always had a tough time getting out of bed in the mornings and I always felt tired when waking up. I've never felt rested. I've always been a crabby person when I wake up too. I hope and can't wait for these things to disappear.

I wish you the best in your desires but I would not count on all, or even some, of these disappearing. You may be disappointed. Some of us just aren't "morning" people regardless of 8-9 hours on the hose!

David

[NightHawkeye]

I've been attempting to do without taping but now have some Super Poligrip strips and will likely try them tonight and see just how much difference they make.

Surprise results! The seal wasn't as good as it might have been, and I was aware of just a few minor mouth leaks during the night, but I got up this morning feeling pretty good. At first, when I looked at the overnight data though, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. My oxygen saturation did look good though, about as good as it ever gets, since it stayed above 95% all night, and the traces looked pretty tranquil. I zeroed in on the leak data with Encore Pro and there wasn't much difference there either from a normal night. In fact, the leak data looked a little worse than normal with short periods of Large Leaks. I began to think that mouth breathing wasn't really much of a problem for me.

Then I looked at the Event chart and it was stunning. There were no apneas recorded and only 3 hypopneas for the entire night. I'm not sure that I've ever experienced that before with a full night's sleep. The norm for me is a few apneas and several clusters of hypopneas, with an average AHI around 4. I've been hoping to join others in the under 1.0 AHI category, but have been struggling to get there.

Suffice it to say, I intend to use the Super Poligrip strips again tonight. Of course, maybe last night was just a fluke . . . Time will tell.

Regards,
Bill

[Snoozin' Bluezzz]

...Then I looked at the Event chart and it was stunning. There were no apneas recorded and only 3 hypopneas for the entire night. I'm not sure that I've ever experienced that before with a full night's sleep. The norm for me is a few apneas and several clusters of hypopneas, with an average AHI around 4. I've been hoping to join others in the under 1.0 AHI category, but have been struggling to get there....

Using my cheap, used, smelly, non-cflex, Remstar Auto, I have never run my numbers without "optimum" conditions - taped, good seal, minimal leaks. I was beginning to think that perhaps I don't have OSA (silly, I know) but your results indicate consistency with the numbers I see. I think that making sure the mouth is closed and there are no significant leaks makes for the best results. I still wonder about my malaise on the Headrest but I suspect CO2 is the culprit there somehow - the OSA numbers are good.

David

[NightHawkeye]

I still wonder about my malaise on the Headrest but I suspect CO2 is the culprit there somehow - the OSA numbers are good.

The CO2 theory makes sense to me, David. I'm pretty sure I'm at the opposite end of the CO2 susceptibility spectrum, as I never had any problem with 4 cm pressure, unlike lots of folks. I've also enjoyed using the CL2, and when I read of the CO2 conjecture about it, several things just kinda clicked into place for me.

Regards,
Bill

[goddessrebecca]

I have a buzz of air whistling through my lips which sounds like a fury and wakes me up. It is easily stopped by closing up my throat, which allows me to fall asleep until I am awakened once again by the flow of air. This is not a case of mouth breathing, as my jaw is firmly shut. I am not inclined to seal my lips shut; this would only cause my cheeks inflate like a balloon, which I am sure would keep me from a sound sleep! My thought is that my tongue has slipped down into my air passage which allows the forced air to escape through my mouth. When I am awake, I can keep my tongue in place to stop the air flow. Does this mean that the forced air is not keeping my throat open, and is allowing my tongue to slide down and obstruct my breathing passage? Is it possible that a higher air pressure would solve the problem? Has anyone had this problem resolved with another sleep test resulting with your machine set on a higher pressure?

Rebecca

[Disgusted]

Does it really matter if air escapes through your mouth? I asked my Dr. about this possibility when I picked up my machine and he said not to worry about it. What's everyone else's thoughts? I know I've seen a lot of posts about people taping their mouths shut or using chin straps,etc.

Your doctor is an idiot, you should report them to your state medical board and fire them. Yes, it does matter if air escapes from your mouth during CPAP therapy. It causes loss of effective therapy to begin with and leads to dry mouth, tooth decay and I was told by OSA oriented RTS, can actually be worse than no CPAP at all. When I started CPAP years ago, I was started with a nasal mask which is the norm. Practically immediately I began waking up with a dry mouth and feeling worse than I had felt with no CPAP. I had a good DME at that time and told them about it was told I was experiencing "jaw drop" or mouth breating. I was given a Full Face Mask and the problem resolved within two or three days of using the FFM.

If I had to go back to using a nasal mask only, Id give up CPAP and go get a tracheotomy instead and just end all the equipment debates and bs cold turkey.

Disgusted

[SleepingDOG]

It mattered during my sleep study! The tech. woke me up after only 1 hour with a nasal mask on and changed me to a full face. Still using it too.

[archangle]

Even if it doesn't cause problems from loss of pressure, it will tend to dry out your nose, mouth, and throat.

Try a chin strap first. I make my own from 3 inch wide Ace bandages, non-sticky style, and safety pins to make a loop out of it. 3 or 4 straps for $5.

[LaCansada]

I am a big-time mouth breather and I use the ruby red chin strap that you can buy on the CPAP supply web sites. I notice it keeps my mouth closed really well but if I have to mouth breath due to nasal congestion I think that I do at least a bit. The FFM leaves marks all over my face more or less permanently and the chin strap allows me to use my nasal pillows. I am too afraid to try taping or anything that might either allow massive air escape if it comes off or no air escape if I have a problem. In the end though, the right solution is the one that works for you. Good luck!