Full face mask a disadvantage?

[vasnucka]

Hey all I was just wondering since Im a mouth breather and wear a full face mask.Ive noticed most people use the nasal ones.The doc that did my sleep tried the nasal mask first but quickly decided that wasnt for me.Im 28 days in and feel alot better.The only problem Ive had so far is a couple leaks here and there.I guess what Im asking is,am I still benefiting if I breathe through my mouth?

[greatunclebill]

if you're breathing, you're benefiting. the best mask for you is the one that works for you.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

If you are using a Full face mask and you are breathing through your mouth, then yes, you are still benefiting from your PAP therapy as it is contained with-in the Full face mask. If you go to using a Nasal mask or Nasal Pillow mask, then no, you will be loosing PAP therapy by letting some of the air escape through your mouth and your airway will not be stinted open, which is the whole idea of using PAP therapy.

John

[LSAT]

If you are a mouth breather, there is no disadvantage to using a FF mask. To me...it is MUCH more comfortable that using a nasal mask and a chinstrap and...maybe taping your mouth shut.

[nanwilson]

If you are a mouth breather...then the best mask for you is a ffm...just like it is for alot of us

[chunkyfrog]

Some of us use chinstraps or tape; but that can fail, get annoying, or not be safe when we're feeling 'urky'.
Then we use a full face mask, too.

[Sheriff Buford]

Some of us use chinstraps or tape; but that can fail, get annoying, or not be safe when we're feeling 'urky'.
Then we use a full face mask, too.

I've always thought I would FREAK OUT with tape or a chinstrap. That's just me...

[The Choker]

I guess what Im asking is,am I still benefiting if I breathe through my mouth?

Of course!

Keep up the good work!

[archangle]

It's better to breathe through the nose, but if you can't manage that, breathing through the mouth is much better than untreated apnea.

Breathing through the mouth tends to dry you out, even with a humidifier. There are also some neural feedback mechanisms that involve airflow through the nose that may affect your breathing and heart rate.

Even if you're a "mouth breather," you may well still breath through the nose some of the time, or partially breathe through the nose. With a nasal mask, if you open your mouth even a little, air leaks out and screws things up.

There are some "experts" who say that a full face mask pushes your jaw back and can make your apnea worse, and you need more pressure. It's still better than losing all your air through your mouth with a nasal mask.

[cosmo]

Its a disadvantage if you're a drooler

[Komadori]

Keep an open mind.

For some a FF mask is essential, but my case (backed by others on forums) was different.

After a couple of years getting some CPAP relief with a FF mask, I tried a Sleepweaver nasal mask, anticipating a different experience but without great expectation of real improvement, however suddenly CPAP worked !

With a FF mask I was on pressure of 14, and AHI hovered in the 15 - 20 range, suddenly with Sleepweaver I found my AHIs less than 5, and I needed pressures of less than 10. Initially I had some leakage from nose to mouth, but after 2 or 3 months I have cut this to almost zero by positioning my tongue on the roof of my mouth, and now this position just happens naturally. After fine tuning my AHI is less than 2 most nights. I can't explain why I need less pressure with the nasal mask, but I just do!

So my advice is try anything and everything until you find what works for you. There doesn't seem to be any one answer for all, and even the professionals seem to guess which mask will suit which patient. Personally I would never go back to a FF mask, but sometime I would like to try traditional plastic nasal masks to see how they compare with Sleepweaver, as minor leaks near the eyes can be annoying, even though they don't affect the therapy.

[lazer]

My experience with a FFM wasn't so good. I'm a part-time mouth breather according to my stats/graphs and experiences. My DME seemed to think issuing me a FFM was the answer since I told them I fought with chinstraps not working out well due to comfort issues mainly. I went with the Quattro FX and I also have toyed with the Mirage Quattro that I had acquired used some time ago and only wore briefly if I was stuffed up too bad.

Problems were increased pressure needs resulting in leaks which I couldn't get under control and led to me awaking during the hours when I should have been sleeping soundly. With the Swift FX nasal pillows (for example), I never had such repeated awakenings throughout the night fighting with it. My LL numbers were much worse with the FFM than the nasal pillows. And quality of sleep, likewise.

My resolution: I gave up on the FFM, exchanged it for another Swift FX and I'm sticking with the nasal pillows OR nasal masks as I also have a SleepWeaver Elan but it has also given me some leakage issues although not near as bad as the FFM.

So, YMMV. Just my experience again..

[archangle]

The FFM will take more force on the straps to keep it on because there's a larger surface area for the air pressure to work on. Since it covers a larger area of your face, the edge where it has to seal is longer, and there's more variation in face shape, making leaks more of a problem for many people.

FFMs have their problems, but some people can't solve the problems they have with nasal masks.

[zoocrewphoto]

I really like my full face mask. It took some work to master, but it fit perfectly at the sleep study, so I knew it was possible.

For me, a nasal mask is not an option. I am a mouth breather, even during the day. Breathing through my nose gets harder when I lay down. No idea why. I'm not really that concerned about it either since my mouth works just fine. The only time the issue has ever come up was when I got the cpap machine. And it was easily solved with the full face mask.

I do see that there are some disadvantages, but they are minor for me. The other night, I had a very slight leak near my eye. When I first started, I could not sleep with even a tiny leak like that. This time, I didn't feel like fighting with it. I figured that is the side that smooshes into the pillow anyway. So, I went to bed with it like that. I slept solidly for 5 1/2 hours. Awesome sleep. One of my longer times. I went to the bathroom, came back and slept another 3 hours.

If I could improve the mask even more, I would really like an extra small since my face is small, and I have to get the small size mask centered vertically just right.

[49er]

To make a long story short, I have been unable to stay asleep on my machine for any significant amount of time in spite of trying several things. I think a number of factors are contributing, including perhaps the issue of my full face mask which I have worn due to having chronic sinus congestion and thus, being a mouth breather.

Unless I wear a neck collar, I am unable to get the AHI below 5 no matter what pressure I use. This has happened with several full face masks. Needless to say, this does not make for very comfortable sleep.

If I was able to sleep at least four hours on the machine with a higher pressure and an AHI above 5, I would accept that for now but that isn't happening.

I did try an FP 431 Flexfit in the hope that due to the mask fitting under the chin and holding it in place would enable me to shed the collar but returned it after I was unable to stop the farting noises.

During naps (which sadly I have gotten into a bad habit of taking too many recently), I was able to sleep with the Swift FX and tape. But when I have tried it at night, it was alot harder to breath due to my sinus congestion worsening. So I had to switch to the full face mask.

I may try not eating foods, like dairy to see if that might help. Unfortunately, not eating dairy doesn't help my dental health so I have to do the best I can to balance everything out.

I guess my point after all of this is I wonder if I was able to wear my Swift FX if that might help me stay asleep longer on the machine. It may not but with all the problems I have had with FF masks, of course, I am exploring all possibilities.

49er

PS - I had a home study due to not having health insurance and never was titrated during an official sleep study