How does tongue position stop aerophagia?

[smiles2you]

This was from another thread, as an aerophagia sufferer I would love to understand this better! (BTW, I am not a mouth breather, I use a nasal mask, and my aerophagia seems to come and go without reason.) Here was the tip noted in the other thread:

try training yourself to sleep with your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Sounds hard, but it's actually quite easy to learn--practice all day long holding your tongue to the roof of your mouth. It seals off your mouth from your airway, so that the air coming in does not go down into your stomach. This can help a lot with the aerophagia and it may stop the mouth breathing issue (as long as you can breathe through your nose).

How does this work? I understand how keeping my tongue on the roof of my mouth will block air from going into my mouth toward my lips, and keep me from mouth breathing. I don't, however, understand how this tongue position would keep me from "swallowing" air. Your throat and airway are the same above the voice box.

So I guess I have to ask, what causes aerophagia during CPAP treatment? Aren't we swallowing our saliva all night long? Is it too great a flow of air or just a sensitivity to the airflow? Or, is it just that some extra air goes down when I swallow saliva? Why does it seem to come and go? I wonder if it is stress related? Anyway, I am just curious.

*Even if I don't fully understand how this tips works, I can guarantee you that I am going to start practicing it - anything to help with aerophagia! So, thanks!

[nanwilson]

When your tongue is lax you swallow excess air, the air goes into your stomach, thus you have auerophagia. With your tongue plastered to the roof of your mouth you do not swallow air...try it, follow the directions for putting you tongue against the roof of your mouth, now try and breath through your mouth...can't, so no air going into your stomach, ergo, no aerophagia.

[smiles2you]

Thanks for your reply, nanwilson. I am going to keep practicing!

After reading:
1. more past posts on the topic of aerophagia
2. info in the CPAP Wiki section
3. the article http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/ar ... -10_02.asp
4. and even listening to Dr. Park's Expert Interview: Dr. Christian Guilleminault on UARS (which was fabulous btw)

I have decided to go see a GI doc and make sure I don't have silent GERD. I had GERD when I was pregnant, but I don't have obvious symptoms now. Tonight I am going to try to sleep in the recliner and see if the aerophagia goes away. I really only have it a few nights a month, but it can be really painful. So thankful for this forum!

[greg-g]

I my case its the soft palate that is pushed upwards and into the tongue that blocks the nasal passage, and not my tongue. This information came from the below link.
http://www.acurest.com.au/truefit-custo ... face-mask/
I think that trying to talk while using a nasal mask may help this action.
I had some issues with aerophagia during my initial months but it hasn't been a problem since.

[needzzzzs]

I've been using CPAP since the end of Nov 2010. Had a bit of aerophagia in the beginning, but it then disappeared.

Switched masks several times recently (and had two week-apart severe bouts of aerophagia) in the a.m. -- really bad gas pains. Thank goodness for Gas-X!

The mask being used at the time was the Fisher & Paykel Opus 360, which I found much more comfortable than my original Swift LT for Her. Have switched back to the LT for Her to see if I still have problems.

I do have GERD, but symptoms are under control with medication...or so I think.

If aerophagia continues, I'll get myself checked out, to make sure something else doesn't need treating.

Debbie