Breathing through mouth a bit with CPAP mask on nose
6 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Heated Hose and Humidifier
Did you hook those up yet? Why not?
Re: Breathing through mouth a bit with CPAP mask on nose
A number of folks on here have posted about similar problems. They have varied solutions. Some mouth-breathers prefer to go with a Full Face mask (go for the ResMed Ultra Mirage. Anything else, you'll most likely have complaints, and then be pointed to the Ultra Mirage. ). Others try the chin straps (although from what I've seen on here, they're not particularly effective). At least one very popular poster has been known to tape her mouth shut with (if I recall correctly) surgical tape (making sure to leave a folded over "pull tab" for quick removal, in case your nasal passages happen to clog up in the night).
Heated humidifiers probably WON'T help in this situation, IMO, because although they do help humidify the sinuses, the constant rush of air through your mouth is likely to do more drying than moisturizing. My opinion.
Others will have others, I'm sure.
Liam, who never was much of a fan of dehydrated tongue. "Tongue Jerky" as it were.
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rested gal
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Hi Smiley,
Yes, that happened to me a lot. Breathing through the mouth or leaking treatment air out the mouth is a very common problem for many cpap users. I've read that some stop doing it as they get more used to cpap, but it didn't stop for me. If a person even notices it happens from time to time, you can almost bet that air leaking out the mouth probably happens a lot more than you realize while you're in the total muscle relaxation of sleep.
Some solve it with various types of chin straps to keep the jaw up. However, often a chin strap doesn't work if the problem persists in the form of puffing air out from between closed lips. Some have had success stopping lip leaks with Chin-Up strips. I, and others, have even resorted to adhesive tape across the mouth to keep the lips sealed shut. Some would consider that dangerous to do, but....you do what you gotta do... I always turn down the ends of tape to make handy grab tabs.
Others have fashioned homemade, but very effective, chin straps with an Ace bandage wide enough to pull up over the lips to keep the lower lip up better. Sometimes just a simple stretchy headband or sweatband makes a more comfortable chin strap than the pricey commercial ones. A fabric shop is a good place to look for things that might make a comfortable "cup" for a homemade chin strap.
Others have switched to a Full Face mask (covers just the nose and mouth, not the entire face.) With a FF mask, it doesn't matter if you breathe through nose or mouth - either way gets the treament air where it's supposed to go. Even people who don't need a full face mask all the time would do well to keep one stashed away for nights when they have a cold or congestion and can't breathe freely through the nose. My personal favorite FF mask is the ResMed Ultra Mirage FF.
To give you an idea of why chin straps don't work for many inveterate air-leakers, try this little experiment. Close your mouth tight...even clench your teeth. Deliberately try to blow air out between your closed lips while your teeth are clenched tight. If you can blow air out your mouth with teeth clenched shut , you will see why chin straps don't help prevent "lip puffs". If quite a bit of treatment air coming into the nose is escaping through the mouth or lips instead of going on down the right way to hold the throat open, the person isn't getting the full benefit of cpap treatment.
People who don't leak cpap air out the mouth are lucky. Their tongues form a natural airtight seal in the mouth, even if their mouths relax open a little, or the jaw drops down letting the mouth open a lot.
Try this little experiment. With your mouth closed, place your tongue flattened out up against the roof of your mouth. It's easy to breathe in and out of just your nose.
Now try letting just your lips be relaxed open, but keep the tongue up there. You probably still breathe easily through the nose with no mouth air leaks.
Now let the jaw/mouth drop wide open. Tongue can't stay up there if you let the tongue relax, but....an alternate place for the tongue to maintain an airtight seal with mouth hanging open is by bringing the tongue wayyy back to seal off the opening to the throat. As long as the tongue stays way back there (the middle of the tongue being thick enough to touch the soft palate) no air will leak out of a wide open mouth during nose breathing.
The DME (Durable Medical Equipment - DME is message board shorthand for a home health care supplies store or an employee of the local store) will often suggest a chin strap when you tell them you think you're leaking air out your mouth. But chin straps don't do a thing if the tongue just won't maintain a good seal inside the mouth.
Didn't mean to make this so long - I just strongly feel that mouth and/or lip air leaks can be a big reason, among many, why some people who have been on cpap for a long time say, "I don't feel better yet." If there's a lot of air leaking out the mouth, the person simply isn't getting true cpap treatment yet, no matter how religiously they use the machine and mask for sleeping. Treatment air blowing out into the bedroom isn't going where it's needed.
I'm not a doctor or anything to do with the health care profession, but I do think "treatment" has not even truly begun until mouth air leaks and lip air puffs are effectively dealt with.
As others have mentioned, a heated humidifier is a good idea - whether you breathe through nose, mouth, or both.
Good luck.
Yes, that happened to me a lot. Breathing through the mouth or leaking treatment air out the mouth is a very common problem for many cpap users. I've read that some stop doing it as they get more used to cpap, but it didn't stop for me. If a person even notices it happens from time to time, you can almost bet that air leaking out the mouth probably happens a lot more than you realize while you're in the total muscle relaxation of sleep.
Some solve it with various types of chin straps to keep the jaw up. However, often a chin strap doesn't work if the problem persists in the form of puffing air out from between closed lips. Some have had success stopping lip leaks with Chin-Up strips. I, and others, have even resorted to adhesive tape across the mouth to keep the lips sealed shut. Some would consider that dangerous to do, but....you do what you gotta do... I always turn down the ends of tape to make handy grab tabs.
Others have fashioned homemade, but very effective, chin straps with an Ace bandage wide enough to pull up over the lips to keep the lower lip up better. Sometimes just a simple stretchy headband or sweatband makes a more comfortable chin strap than the pricey commercial ones. A fabric shop is a good place to look for things that might make a comfortable "cup" for a homemade chin strap.
Others have switched to a Full Face mask (covers just the nose and mouth, not the entire face.) With a FF mask, it doesn't matter if you breathe through nose or mouth - either way gets the treament air where it's supposed to go. Even people who don't need a full face mask all the time would do well to keep one stashed away for nights when they have a cold or congestion and can't breathe freely through the nose. My personal favorite FF mask is the ResMed Ultra Mirage FF.
To give you an idea of why chin straps don't work for many inveterate air-leakers, try this little experiment. Close your mouth tight...even clench your teeth. Deliberately try to blow air out between your closed lips while your teeth are clenched tight. If you can blow air out your mouth with teeth clenched shut , you will see why chin straps don't help prevent "lip puffs". If quite a bit of treatment air coming into the nose is escaping through the mouth or lips instead of going on down the right way to hold the throat open, the person isn't getting the full benefit of cpap treatment.
People who don't leak cpap air out the mouth are lucky. Their tongues form a natural airtight seal in the mouth, even if their mouths relax open a little, or the jaw drops down letting the mouth open a lot.
Try this little experiment. With your mouth closed, place your tongue flattened out up against the roof of your mouth. It's easy to breathe in and out of just your nose.
Now try letting just your lips be relaxed open, but keep the tongue up there. You probably still breathe easily through the nose with no mouth air leaks.
Now let the jaw/mouth drop wide open. Tongue can't stay up there if you let the tongue relax, but....an alternate place for the tongue to maintain an airtight seal with mouth hanging open is by bringing the tongue wayyy back to seal off the opening to the throat. As long as the tongue stays way back there (the middle of the tongue being thick enough to touch the soft palate) no air will leak out of a wide open mouth during nose breathing.
The DME (Durable Medical Equipment - DME is message board shorthand for a home health care supplies store or an employee of the local store) will often suggest a chin strap when you tell them you think you're leaking air out your mouth. But chin straps don't do a thing if the tongue just won't maintain a good seal inside the mouth.
Didn't mean to make this so long - I just strongly feel that mouth and/or lip air leaks can be a big reason, among many, why some people who have been on cpap for a long time say, "I don't feel better yet." If there's a lot of air leaking out the mouth, the person simply isn't getting true cpap treatment yet, no matter how religiously they use the machine and mask for sleeping. Treatment air blowing out into the bedroom isn't going where it's needed.
I'm not a doctor or anything to do with the health care profession, but I do think "treatment" has not even truly begun until mouth air leaks and lip air puffs are effectively dealt with.
As others have mentioned, a heated humidifier is a good idea - whether you breathe through nose, mouth, or both.
Good luck.
Last edited by rested gal on Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:41 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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wading thru the muck!
- Posts: 2799
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:42 am
The humidity WILL help IMO. The humidity will help keep your sinuses clear which will in turn make the need to open your mouth to breathe. This is in no way fool proof, but makes it less likely, especially if this problem has occured along with nasal congestion.
This is a problem for which the solution seems to vary greatly depending on your individual situation.
Good Luck!
This is a problem for which the solution seems to vary greatly depending on your individual situation.
Good Luck!
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
Re: Breathing through mouth a bit with CPAP mask on nose
Hi Smiley:
Do you have a htd. humidifier? It will help you even on a low setting, or no heat, just the humidity. I have the new PB H2O. It's very compact and my apap 420E sits right on top. I use a good bit of water nightly, and only have it on 1.5 setting (low). I do not get stuffed up. Always had sinuses/sinus problems. Also, I've mentioned it before, an inexpensive cool mist humidifer in the bedroom is helpful. (that is if kids and roaming pets are an issue?). I sometimes catch myself with like a bubbling from my chin strapped up mouth. I do see vibes on my software program results, when I check my overnight #'s and see compliance. None of my leaks have been too bad or numerous, I can watch my hypop's, apneas etc. So I can actually chart my hopeful progress. I use nasal pillow from Swift, it's pretty good. I bought the Breeze nasal pillow and plan to try wearing it for a few hrs here and there.
Going off the point, I haven't tried taping my mouth yet. As a diabetic I try not to yank skin, and cause possible problems with sore skin.
which mask do you use? Hang in there....
It's all a learning curve for all of us.
I'm once again stating, I'm not a doc, RT, DME, or for those in NYC, the IRT.
I'm trying to do a "liam-ism"..in effort to be humorous. Don't think it's working.
Let us know what kind of mask you're wearing, and esp. about the humidifier, ok?
Nighty night
Do you have a htd. humidifier? It will help you even on a low setting, or no heat, just the humidity. I have the new PB H2O. It's very compact and my apap 420E sits right on top. I use a good bit of water nightly, and only have it on 1.5 setting (low). I do not get stuffed up. Always had sinuses/sinus problems. Also, I've mentioned it before, an inexpensive cool mist humidifer in the bedroom is helpful. (that is if kids and roaming pets are an issue?). I sometimes catch myself with like a bubbling from my chin strapped up mouth. I do see vibes on my software program results, when I check my overnight #'s and see compliance. None of my leaks have been too bad or numerous, I can watch my hypop's, apneas etc. So I can actually chart my hopeful progress. I use nasal pillow from Swift, it's pretty good. I bought the Breeze nasal pillow and plan to try wearing it for a few hrs here and there.
Going off the point, I haven't tried taping my mouth yet. As a diabetic I try not to yank skin, and cause possible problems with sore skin.
which mask do you use? Hang in there....
It's all a learning curve for all of us.
I'm once again stating, I'm not a doc, RT, DME, or for those in NYC, the IRT.
I'm trying to do a "liam-ism"..in effort to be humorous. Don't think it's working.
Let us know what kind of mask you're wearing, and esp. about the humidifier, ok?
Nighty night
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wading thru the muck!
- Posts: 2799
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:42 am
G-zee,gailzee wrote:I haven't tried taping my mouth yet. As a diabetic I try not to yank skin, and cause possible problems with sore skin.
Try to find the Silicone scar reduction patches. They are very soft and stretchy. They stick well, but peal off easily.
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
6 posts
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