What is so wrong about mouth breathing?

[john_dozer]

I have a similar problem.

I started therapy about a month ago using a nasal mask. I found that even with a chin strap, I was waking with a dry mouth using a nasal mask and the feeling my therapy wasn't working. One night I was waken with bubbling on my lips. It seems the air will bypass my teeth and blow past my lips. And I had the sensation of severe teeth grinding making be believe I was fighting the jaw strap in my sleep as well anyway. I was also taking allergy medicine and using breathright strips to open up my nasal passages to get enough air.

I switched to a full face mask. I've tried a couple so far. I've had very successful nights where the apnea therapy is concerned with a full mask. But I've also had nights where I struggled with maintaining a seal and therapy seemed ineffective.

However, it seems full face masks encourages 'either/or' breathing. I either breath through my mouth or through my nose. They seems to encourage my mouth to take over completely. I think this is related to my nasal congestion. I may need to take some of the same measures others take to make a nasal mask more effective, while still using a full mask.

[ozij]

I think this is related to my nasal congestion. I may need to take some of the same measures others take to make a nasal mask more effective, while still using a full mask.

Try sinus rinses (medical term: sinus irrigation).
I use http://www.neilmed.com - the squeeze bottle - and make my own solution.

O.

[gasp]

Well, if surgery is not an option for you, you might want to look into a Mandibular Advancement Device, and not go the CPAP route.

I would seriously evaluate the provider, however, and find one licensed to service sleep disorders. Don't take your dentist's claims for fact. Do your own research. Here's a website that might help you:

http://www.ihatecpap.com/

Good luck!
Babs

Babs, I had the Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) and used it for over a year if memory serves maybe more. I even did a sleep study with it to see if it was effective. It wasn't. It may work for some, but for me even on the most advanced setting (without over distorting the jaw alignment you can only set your jaw so far forward) I had events.

It was expensive, has to be replaced if you have any dental work done (which I didn't thankfully) and insurance doesn't always cover it. It also causes most people to have increased salivation to the point that their pillow is drenched. Another drawback is that it does nothing for centrals. It also doesn't record data to know if it is working for the user. There's more, but well . . . I'd say that a sore throat from mouth breathing in a FFM is better than all the drawbacks of the MAD. That's my four cents : )

[den942]

I have been recently posting and reading threads on cpap.com and just notice everyone tries to push you to not mouth breath and to force yourself to breath out of your nose. I can not beleive people even tape their mouth shut...being a RN I know that is not right! I am on call alot and have a 4 year old so I obvoisly can not just tape my mouth shut...need to be able to talk at night. I did not have luck with a nasal pillow system because chronic missouri allergies keep my nose nice and clogged up most of the time and I felt like I was suffocating without breathing though my mouth. Then for a couple nights I used the F&P 431 and have noticed each time I use it I have a terrible sore throat and feel terrible the next day. It does not leak much. I was talking to the dme company about it and she said "You are just mouth breathing".....well yeah that is why I have a ffm. What is so wrong with mouth breathing that everyone has an attitude about it?
Jen

I was a mouth breather. I used a nasal pillow and had to have a chin strap to hold my mouth shut or the air just blew
out my mouth. The first ENT I went to didn't even mention Apnea as a possible cause of my breathing problem. He
tested and determined I was allergic to everything. He wanted me to come in for an allergy shot once a week. My
Neurologist suggested the sleep study. I had to switch to a full face mask because the nasal pillows just leaked
most of the time. When I went to another ENT with the same films he said I had a septum problem plus three sinus
polyps. After outpatient surgery and a few weeks to heal, I haven't breathed through my mouth since. The BiPAP
machine works much better now, too.
When I was a mouth breather I woke up sometimes with a mouth so dry I would just hold water in my mouth for
a while to get it moist again.

[LoQ]

Every mask is designed to leak on purpose at certain range of liters per minute of air so you don't asphyxiate from too much CO2 building up in the hose and mask.

Hmm, I did not know that. I guess I thought the exhalation ports on the masks were sufficient to take care of the CO2 problem.

Maybe getting the mask to seal better with things like silicone is a bad idea.

[DreamDiver]

Hmm, I did not know that. I guess I thought the exhalation ports on the masks were sufficient to take care of the CO2 problem.

Maybe getting the mask to seal better with things like silicone is a bad idea.

LoQ,

We're talking the same language. The expected leak rate range is through the exhalation ports. Headgear really needs to be cinched tight enough to remove large leaks while maximizing comfort.

[GoodKnight]

Reefdreamer,

You mentioned you doctor suggested nasal surgery to clear up you nose, but you didn't want to consider it.
Ask your doctor to evaluate you for "RF turbinate reduction".
It is a procedure that will shrink your nasal turbinates with very little discomfort and may help you.
It is similar to a dental visit. The doc numbs the inside of your nose with an injection just like the dentist uses, with about the same amount of discomfort, then inserts a needle in your trubinates that destroys some of the tissue. There is no pain and very little discomfort, during or afterwards.
In a few weeks the damaged tissue is absorbed by your body leaving less tissue in your nose, thus clearing your airway.

So, if you don't want to consider surgery, this is a good alternative that you may want to consider.

Good luck

[roster]

Oh and I have received medical treatment for nasal congestion...take claritin D 24 hour and use nasonex nose spray but it helps very little. Doctor says surgery is only way and I an not about to do that.
Jen

Jen, You don't specify which surgery, but last year I had all six turbinates resectioned to reduce their size and a double-deviated septum corrected at the same time. People had told me true horror stories about this surgery and the recovery. But the techniques have improved greatly in the last ten years.

The doc sent me home with a bottle of codeine which still sits on my shelf unopened! I had the surgery on a Tuesday morning and went to lunch and shopping with my wife on Friday of the same week.

I am really glad I had this surgery, but it did not completely stop my mouthbreathing at night.

I do worry about damage to my oral health from mouthbreathing and always make sure to floss and brush well before masking up. One dentist told me if I follow this routine at night and have a normal moisture in the mouth during the day, the dry mouth at night should not cause me problems. I am not so sure he is correct though.