NASEL AND MOUTH FILLING UP WITH AIR

Hello,
i have only had the cpap for a month or less
i tried the full face mask and i clinch my jaws so i never was able to keep a seal, so we switched me to a nasal, i like the nasal, but my mouth fills up with air and i get frustrated and take it off, some nights i may only have it on for 30, do you think that since i clinch my jaws that a chin strap will work, if so i will give that a shot any help or suggestions would be appreciated thank you very much

Try the FF Mask with a mask liner. If you are a mouth breather, that will work better than a nasal mask and chin strap.

I AM NOT A MOUTH BREATHER, JUST CLINCH MY JAWS KINDA LIKE GRINDING YOUR TEETH
I HAVE ALREADY TRIED THE FF WITH A LINER AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK
THANK YOU

Impossible.

It can take some time to get used to breathing with the machine and mask. What helps many people is to use the machine while you are awake and doing something distracting, like watching a good movie, reading a book, or surfing the net. You may need to increase your machine's minimum pressure in order to be able to do this comfortably. When I put on my mask and machine, it is a very comforting and relaxing feeling - I know that I will be able to breathe through the night and wake up in the morning.

Some of us have a tendency to exhale through our mouths once we are asleep which makes the therapy much less effective and causes very dry mouth and throat. What works for me and some others is taping my lips shut with 3M Micropore tape available from WalMart as NexCare paper tape for a few bucks. For some people, a chinstrap helps them but this didn't work for me as I would still blow air out between my lips. We are all different and need to figure out what works best for each one of us. All you can do is keep trying different things and using sleepyhead to monitor your progress. And don't make changes based on single nights - it's the trends that are important as we all have nights that are better and nights that are worse. Sleep is complicated!

In the ideal case, the cpap air comes in your nose and goes right down your throat, keeping the airway open. And when you exhale, the air comes up through your throat and goes back out through your nose and the exhaust vents of your mask. Your mouth really shouldn't be involved at all. The problem is that once we are asleep, sometimes our bodies will unconsciously revert to mouth breathing. And, unless you are using a full face mask (which has it's own set of issues) breathing through your mouth will be detrimental to your therapy. Having my lips taped keeps my body from taking the path of least resistance and blowing the air out through my mouth.

clc wrote:I AM NOT A MOUTH BREATHER, JUST CLINCH MY JAWS KINDA LIKE GRINDING YOUR TEETH
I HAVE ALREADY TRIED THE FF WITH A LINER AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK
THANK YOU

Take 2 minutes and fill in your equipment...you will get more/better help that way. Also...download Sleepyhead software and display some detail.........No need for all CAPS...we can hear you.

This will probably get better with practice. Try planting your tongue up on the roof of your mouth. This should keep the air from the cpap from getting in front of your teeth where it can inflate your lips and even leak out.

If you grind your teeth, I hope you use a bite guard when you sleep. I use one and have no trouble from it with the cpap.

Try this and give it a couple months. I bet you will stop being bothered by it.

Jim

Have your dentist make you a mouth guard or try one of these :

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Dental-Nigh ... mouthpiece

I have found that a cervical collar works better than a chin strap, they come in several styles and sizes :

https://www.amazon.com/Ergonomic-Cervic ... ollar&th=1