Avoiding mouthleaks / mouthbreathing

[roster]

[quote="Ms. Piggy"]I tape, am currently using a porous type, maybe a waste of time but I feel safer with it since we had a power failure one night. It was rather scarey waking up unable to breath and feeling rather panicky until I awakened enough to realize that all I had to do was rip the tape off. Not a nice feeling

[wading thru the muck!]

The best way to keep your mouth closed is to keep your alternate breathing passages open. I realize that for some this may be a losing battle.

For me, I use the "path of least resistance" method. If you can do it... it will not fail you.

[lvehko]

I am partial to tape. Sometimes use a stocking leg too since it stabalizes the swift and serves to encourage my mouth to stay closed. But for me tape is essential.

_________________

How does the stocking leg work? I'm trying to visualize this and can't figure it out.... I have had trouble with mouth leaks lately, and looking for easy solutions. I use the Swift too and am intrigued about the possibility of stabilizing it a bit also since I turn a couple of times at night.

Minerva

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): swift

[rested gal]

Been using tape over the mouth for more than two years -- works fine for me.

Lately, I've been able to fashion a DIY mouthguard thingie to make my tongue maintain an airtight seal inside the mouth. Been using that for the past several weeks with as good results as I got with tape.

One or the other, tape or DIY mouthguard, is as much a part of of my cpap routine every night as putting on the mask.

The only time I use my full face mask is if I have a cold (rarely) with too much congestion to nasal breathe. If I didn't use tape or the DIY to control mouth air leaks/mouth breathing, I'd have to use a FF mask all the time instead of the other types of interfaces that are more comfy for me.

Links to: Mouth leaks - Air Leaks - Tape - DIY Guard

[HerbM]

I am reading this trying to figure out how to deal with such issues while awaiting my first machine and mask this week. The poll and discussion brings up a couple of questions for someone with no experience.

Just because I am a mouth breather especially when experiencing chronic congestion doesn't necessarily mean that taping etc. wouldn't work IF I can breath through my nose using the machine.

For those without a mask which covers the mouth, how bad is the problem of congestion? What I am getting at, is obviously if you can't breathe through your nose without the machine you must breathe through your mouth, but does the machine tend to open the nasal airways?

If so, how helpful is the machine? Is this better at higher settings?

As to problems with throwing up, regurgitation etc: Currently when regurgitation happens to me (maybe once per month) it isn't always the case that I wake fully and get out of bed to deal with it -- sometimes there is first a period of fitful uncomfortable sleep and half-awake irritation before it prompts me to "do something" effective.

As to power failures there is a simple fix for 99% of them which I haven't seen mentioned:

Buy a UPS (uninterruptable power supply). The type designed for a desktop computer are fairly inexpensive and likely to last hours for such a small device (I haven't done the research or math so YMMV) as the CPAP.

Even ones that only last a few minutes will likely cut out 90% of power outages and if you machine won't auto-on then probably 99% of interruptions since most 'outages' are brown outs and momentary due to power company equipment cutover.

I bought two of these recently Tripp Lite SMART1500LCDT 1500VA 900W UPS Smart LCD Battery Back Up Tower AVR 120V USB Coax RJ45 for about $165 with shipping. These are likely WAY bigger than you need or want as they will power either a "BIG screen TV, mid-size computer, and cable box" or "2 fairly powerful rack mounted servers (lots of fans and heat) with the Internet cable and wireless boxes" using only about a third of their power in either case and giving about 1.5 hours.

These are 1500VA (volt amps) and you will pay about $50 per 500-600 volt amps so it's pretty easy to get on that is 1/3 or 2/3 the big units that I bought above.

If this is a problem, then likely I will buy just a desktop size at around 650, or maybe a little bigger if I decide to put a computer next to the CPAP for easier data loading (I have a several computers left over from years ago that aren't worth much but which can easily be co-opted to do this provide convenient access.)

Also, they have beeping warnings on power failure so even a little one with 15-20 minutes of backup power might be all your would ever need.

But consider that $50-60 is about the least you would WANT to spend (after that the case and shipping weight will mean you pay more for less proportionally) so you might as well go to 500VA or MORE.

I forgot to mention: For the folks here who say they don't know anything about computers: Basically all you do is plug the UPS into the wall, and the device(s) into the UPS. It's about as difficult as using an extension cord or a power strip.

[ChicagoGranny]

I bought a power-off alarm for about $10. Works great. Has "saved" me a few times. Of course I had to get up and stay awake in the dark.

About that congestion, why not go to a good ENT/Allergist and get a full going over including a scoping of the airway? Find out what's wrong and see if something can be done about it. This is not 1914 you know.


ChicagoGramps

[Luvdawgs]

How do you use the "tape" on your mouth?