Does it really matter if air escapes through your mouth?

cpapjack · Post by **cpapjack** » Thu May 18, 2006 2:12 pm

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.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 18, 2006 2:21 pm

It affects the CPAP's ability to maintain proper pressure necessary for the "air-splint" effect that keeps your breathing passages open.

You can see this clearly on a machine with a smart card that tracks statistical data. When the mouth is open, the pressure drops below that required by your titration study.

TerryB · Post by **TerryB** » Thu May 18, 2006 2:23 pm

The problem is that the machine can only keep up with a certain small amount of leakeage and still maintain the required pressure inside your airway where it is required. You may not have enough pressure if you have too many leaks of any type. Usually a mouth leak won't stay sufficiently tiny to let the machine work for you.

TerryB

A new method which is working pretty good for me. It is to use some things called denture adhesive strips to glue your lips temporarily together for the night. When it's time to talk and wake up again a little moisture on the strips and they slide off again. There is a thread which has just rolled off of page one by a few days.

Good Luck

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Thu May 18, 2006 2:42 pm

A small opening, or occassional opening is not a problem, at least I don't think so, the machine can compensate for it. A gaping mouth amounts to a huge leak and the machine can not compensate for that. It is difficult to tell where that threshold is without software or by a subjective sense of how you feel the next day.

I gape, at least moderately and it affects how I feel therefore I tape or use the denture adhesive strips. Both works quite effectively. Chinstraps did not.

David

cpapjack · Post by **cpapjack** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:00 pm

That's what I thought. That's whats the Sleep Technician pretty much told me when I had my sleep study. I think I will try the denture adhesive strips to see if that makes a difference. My only hestitation with that is, what if I get sick at night and I have to "toss my cookies." Will I be able to get my mouth open in time? Sounds gross I know, but it could happen.

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:09 pm

IF you have to open your mouth the adhesive does not inhibit that. I have opened wide, quite easily, for a real cough. The adhesive seems to act more like a reminder "don't open" than like a super secure closure.

Good Luck

David

feelinfab · Post by **feelinfab** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:16 pm

Totally matters. I found that even a small leak affects how I feel the next a.m.

Starting using Polidant a la a brilliant suggestion here (like the denture strips, which I may try next) and it is a brilliant solution!

I had previously switched to a ffm which was not as effective. Went back to the nasal mask w/ polident and it's MUCH better. Even a small difference can make a big difference in how you feel.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:20 pm

your doctor is a quack if he doesn't know what mouth breathing does to therapy.

That's what I thought. That's whats the Sleep Technician pretty much told me when I had my sleep study. I think I will try the denture adhesive strips to see if that makes a difference. My only hestitation with that is, what if I get sick at night and I have to "toss my cookies." Will I be able to get my mouth open in time? Sounds gross I know, but it could happen.

When was the last time you "tossed your cookies" during sleep in all your years of living?

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu May 18, 2006 5:09 pm

"your doctor is a quack if he doesn't know what mouth breathing does to therapy. "

We have them in Texas also. I hear they will be in season soon. Quack, Quack.

Get another DOC.

:twis ted:

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 18, 2006 5:59 pm

Just introduce the doc to Dick Cheney

guest2 · Post by **guest2** » Thu May 18, 2006 6:28 pm

What about just puffing on exhale? Is that ok?

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Thu May 18, 2006 6:40 pm

This is the one I am unsure of myself so I'll let others pipe up. I think that one has to go by subjective sense in this case. If you feel fine then it's probably OK. The symptom of mouth leaks I noticed is one mentioned in the literature and on this board - flu like symptoms. I felt achey and a mild but distinct sense of malaise. I close up the the mouth and it went away. Now, with the polident grips, there can be a small opening right in the center of my lips/mouth and I haven't noticed whether or not I am puffing any air out but I also have not noticed the mild malaise.

Hope this helps.

David

cpapjack · Post by **cpapjack** » Thu May 18, 2006 7:56 pm

Thanks to everyone for replying. I see that the overwhelming response is yes it does matter. I will certainly buy some denture adhesive and give it a whirl. I aksed this question because I haven't been waking at night, but I catch myself exhaling through mt mouth sometimes. When I wake up in the morning, it's alot eaiser for me to wake up then when I wasn't on the CPAP machine, but I have found myself still being drowsy throughout the day. Could the fact that I still breath through my mouth a bit be the cause of that?

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Thu May 18, 2006 8:00 pm

It could be that but it is also possible that you have not made up your sleep debt yet. That can take weeks, months, even longer.

Your body has suffered from oxygen deprivation and apeniac stress for however long you have had untreated OSA.

It would not hurt to be sure that you are not having major leaks from mouth breathing.

David

cpapjack · Post by **cpapjack** » Thu May 18, 2006 8:14 pm

Yeah, believe it or not, I was kinda thinking that maybe was the case too. My oxygen level when I went for my sleep study was 79%!!! And as far as how long I've had OSA, I'm gonna say a long time. I'm 32 and I can remember feeling this way ever since I was a little kid. 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.