Snoring with CPAP thoughts

http://cpapguy.blogspot.com/2016/03/sno ... -cpap.html

It is a known fact that sleep apnea is detrimental to the health of an individual, but the impact it has does not stop there. This disease can affect a patient’s spouse, significant other or family members health as well! Worrying about the health of another that you care for causes anxiety, but added to that you witness a person stops breathing throughout the night. Then dealing with this person’s fatigue throughout the day and the snoring that keeps everyone in close vicinity awake – now it is affecting the health and well-being of other individuals as well.

The one topic that is very common, and one of the prime indicators of sleep apnea, is snoring. It is up to your physician to assure that you are at risk for sleep apnea and to ultimately to have a pursuit in treating it. I am no medical practitioner, but I can tell you that sometimes, even after you receive a positive pressure machine, the snoring – just – doesn’t – stop! So imagine, you are fatigued, and you’ve sought the guidance of a sleep study, or you were encouraged by another to do so. You discover that sleep apnea is a factor to your health and that a CPAP is needed to correct this issue. You receive the CPAP machine and the snoring, a prime factor, is still evident. This whole situation is very hard for a new user to positive pressure therapy, and it is rightfully justified. So do not feel that you are in the minority in this situation, because you are certainly not. You deserve answers!

The first suggestion is to seek guidance, as this is the point where it becomes somewhat difficult as to what kind of advice you are to be seeking. Should it be from your physician, your DME provider or even a friend? As I do in every post, I warn you on consulting with the providers available. It is unfortunate that some providers lack the experience, care or understanding of the situation to fully assure your comfort and compliance to your positive pressure therapy. So after any consultation, attempt to seek to assure that you can trust that answer with second opinions. Make sure the recommendations from your doctor assure you feel comfortable and are sound. Find validity to what your DME provider (durable medical equipment) has suggested for you to do and do the same if you seek to advise from online forums, blogs such as this one or any other external resource! So here is the point of this first suggestion, do not ignore this problem; if you are wearing CPAP therapy and are currently snoring it is a problem that should be researched! So seek guidance and recommendation.

If you have the right sort of guidance, most are going to hope for you to have a download completed of your positive pressure device’s data through a program. Whether it is the brand software from the manufacturer or an external software, it is the first step in assuring the machine you are using is working appropriately. Hopefully, you have received a device that provides detailed data on a night to night basis, if you have then the download will offer excellent information for your providers; once the download has been reviewed a recommendation will be given, and it is possible that the machines prescription pressure may need to be changed.

In closing, I can’t truly suggest that if you are snoring that you should have a pressure change completed on your machine. However, I will suggest that it warrants a download to be completed on your device. In some users, it means that more pressure may be required to help maintain an open airway throughout the night eliminating the snoring, sometimes not. As I stated before, do not ignore the problem. Have a download completed to assure your CPAP therapy is working well for you!

I hope you don't mind if I add a few thoughts of my own to this thread.

"Snoring", typically points to noises being made by trying to inhale air while having nasal congestion. We have to inhale air either through our noses or our mouths. If the nasal passages are obstructed, then we have to breathe through our mouths.......which is when our tongues may possibly fall back onto our throats and block or severely obstruct that airway. So, we can have snoring sounds while nasal or mouth breathing.
It may well point to the possibility that the pressure setting is not adequate, but it can also point to the possibility that we have nasal structure (turbinates or deviated septum) or congestion issues (allergies, asthma, etc.). Doing nasal cleansing before bedtime may help in varying degrees. It's been discussed on the forum that too much heated humidity MAY cause nasal congestion. So, tweaking the humidifier settings on the CPAP may help.....some people need less and some need more. If nasal cleansing, tweaking humidifier settings and additional pressure doesn't help, then it may be worthwhile to consult an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat specialist).

The subject of the type of masks is a lengthy one and is influenced by many personal preferences which the OP has covered with previous threads.
But, a mini-summary:
Nasal masks can allow a person to mouth-breathe with nasal congestion......which can compromise or negate therapy.
Full face masks allow a person to mouth-breathe with nasal congestion......which allows the therapy to work, even with mouth-breathing.
Hybrid masks are also in the full face category, so they have the user "covered"......preventing therapy air loss.
Oral interfaces only allow for mouth-breathing as the nose has to be closed off.


Den

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Wulfman... wrote:I hope you don't mind if I add a few thoughts of my own to this thread.

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I don't mind an additional comment in any way Wulfman, thank you for adding to the information I did not put in the thread myself! I do stand by the suggestion that if snoring is persistent for a new CPAP user, despite an enlargement in turbinates or deviated septum that a download should likely be completed, a provider of some sort spoken with and research completed! Thanks again for the addition Wulfman.

Have a blessed day!