Air bubbles in mouth

SnoreNoMore2005 · Post by **SnoreNoMore2005** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:14 pm

I'm a newbie. I notice when I sleep with a nasal mask, I keep getting air bubbles in my mouth. Is this normal? Does it mean the pressure it too high? It seems like the air pressure is coming in my nose and going out my mouth instead of opening my throat.

Should I be swallowing the air bubble or opening my mouth to let it out?

Is there a way to fix this dilema?

Thanks for your answers to my many questions.

SnoreNoMore

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:06 pm

Self is a newbie too!. At the sleepover & for my 1st 2 nights I was getting lots of air in my mouth. I would usually puff it out (swallowing leads to stomach ache after a while).

I have temporarily fixed this problem though, by picking up on some advice from 'restedgal' - this was to tape my mouth shut using Johnson & Johnson 2inch wide waterproof tape. I have done this 2 nights in a row & no more mouth bubble trouble nor mouth leaks.

I am trying to devise a technique that is less drastic & still working on what I might try. I have a respironics top-of-the-line chinstrap but it has achieved nothing by way of solving this problem. I am not yet willing to go to a full face mask even though I bought one & have it standing by.

One thing I did do though was (in my case) drop my recomm pressure from 15 to 14. I strongly suspect that this mouth air problem is worse for those of us on higher pressures.

Cheers

DSM

Newsgrouper · Post by **Newsgrouper** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:08 pm

I cannot find 2" Johnson & Johnson waterproof tape. Where do you buy it? The widest I find is 1". I puy two pieces together and it works.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:55 pm

But I am in Australia rather than US so can't guarantee the same products are available there.

I bought my tape at the nearest all-night chemist - it cost me $AUD 11.95 for 5 metres of tape.

In US equiv:
$ = approx $US 8.90 (but most probably quite a cheaper that this figure as ours includes GST (10% tax) plus we get charged more for the privilege of living in paradise ). The 5 meters is approx 16.5ft (3.28 * 5 if my math is correct).

DSM

SnoreNoMore2005 · Post by **SnoreNoMore2005** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:59 pm

So the only way to stop the air bubbles in my mouth is to tape my mouth shut? Why would that be any different than just keeping your mouth closed?

SnoreNoMore2005

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:02 am

I have not been able to go a night without my mouth opening or air poping into my mouth (& being blurted out).

Some folk are lucky that they can keep their mouths shut & sealed all night.

DSM

SnoreNoMore2005 · Post by **SnoreNoMore2005** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:05 pm

Does anyone have an explanation for how taping your mouth shut would prevent air bubbles from getting into your mouth by way of your throat?

I could see how taping your mouth would stop the air bubbles from leaking out of your mouth, but the tape would not stop the air bubbles from getting into your mouth in the first place.

SnoreNoMore2005

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:48 pm

Last night I completely sealed my mouth with a large bit of tape. Absolutely no gaps.

I noticed on the odd occasion (when I was awake enough to know) that my cheeks would suddenly bulge (air bubble) I would just squeeze this back out whence it came. Only happened very few times. Interestingly I am sure my ears often popped at the same time. I think I was swallowing or clearing my throat when this happens.

So, my initial theory is that the CPAP machine was at full pump when I did something in my throat to block the airflow & this air promptly sent the air into every other orifice it could force its way into. Without the tape this burst would come straight out my lips & open a path out until I (woken by the sound) closed my lips again.

My wife said to me this morning that she sometimes hears the CPAP machine appear to be straining to force air into me & that I seem to have slowed or stopped my breathing. My comment to her is thank god it succeeds.

I am aware of often going into an almost hybernation state where I stop breathing or go into very shallow breathing. I used to practice doing this years ago as a means of dropping my heart rate after extensive exercise & also as a meditation technique. I have been wondering if this has come back to haunt me as I have got a bit older & the OSA symptoms began to surface.

DSM

sleepyinde · Post by **sleepyinde** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:22 pm

I HAVE BEEN USING JOHNSON AND JOHNSON 2" WATERPROOF TAPE NOW FOR ABOUT A YEAR, FOLLOWING THE ADVICE OF SOMEONE ON THE FORUM. I AM ABLE TO PURCHASE IT AT THE LOCAL WALMART FOR A REASONABLE PRICE THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER. I ALWAYS BUY AT LEAST 5 ROLLS AT A TIME, AS OTHER CPAP'ERS MIGHT BE FOLLOWING THE SAME ADVICE. I ALSO USE A DELUXE CHIN STRAP TO HELP KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT. I USE THREE PIECES OF TAPE, OVERLAPPING EACH PIECE. I HOPE THIS INFO IS HELPFUL TO YOU!

fnorette · Post by **fnorette** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:34 pm

dsm -

Your description of "[being] aware of often going into an almost hybernation state where I stop breathing or go into very shallow breathing" is EXACTLY what I have experienced for years but didn't know it was of any significance. And I, too, would do that to lower my BP prior to a doctor's visit.

A long term problem ... ???

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:51 pm

fnorette wrote:dsm -

Your description of "[being] aware of often going into an almost hybernation state where I stop breathing or go into very shallow breathing" is EXACTLY what I have experienced for years but didn't know it was of any significance. And I, too, would do that to lower my BP prior to a doctor's visit.

A long term problem ... ???

I picked up the idea from when my wife had our 1st baby & she was taught to do deep & shallow breathing exercises - she was told that the 'panting' part actually reduced her vulnerability to birth pain.

I hated going to the dentist so I tried the technique out & kept working at it until I could lay in the dentists chair & he/she could do what they wanted. I was awake (conscious) all the time but more or less in a trance. The dentist would often ask me if I was ok (I had lowered my breathing so low they became worried about me, but I wasn't).

In time I became convinced I could lower my heart rate (& also pressure) using the same technique. So I used it a lot especially if I was ever over stimulated by any event. It seemed a great way to relax deeply & quickly.
I particularly practised it at night when going to bed hence I now wonder if the practice has become so automatic that combined with the onset of OSA I now have a complication to the OSA (slowing breathing & not becoming alarmed or aroused to wakefulness).

This is an interesting phenomenon & it is intriguing that you too have had similar experience.

Cheers

DSM

fnorette · Post by **fnorette** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:58 pm

Re: breath holding

Along with many years of (and I'm afraid, current) instances of conscious breath-holding, I've been taking beginning yoga for the last year and a half and may be reinforcing a potential problem.

Have never seen anything related to this. ???

Newsgrouper · Post by **Newsgrouper** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:30 pm

"I USE THREE PIECES OF TAPE, OVERLAPPING EACH PIECE."

sleepyinde:

My Walmart tells me they can't find J&J 2" Waterproof tape. They only know of the 1" variety. You say you use three pieces overlapping each piece. Doesn't that make for a very wide piece of tape? If you overlap 1/2 inch you would have a 5 inch piece of tape. I'm a big guy but a piece of tape that size would extend from my nose and wrap around under my chin.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:14 pm

Walmart where I am has the J&J 2" waterproof adhesive tape. I also tried the 3" J&J Sports Tape they had, but it didn't stick as firmly. Too bad, because 3 inches was a perfect width for a generous size patch. I have to overlap two 2" strips.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:34 pm

I could see how taping your mouth would stop the air bubbles from leaking out of your mouth, but the tape would not stop the air bubbles from getting into your mouth in the first place.

Snorenomore, you're correct. Tape over the mouth won't stop air from leaking into the mouth, and even ballooning the cheeks out sometimes.

Like dsm said, it's possible to push the ballooned air backward, toward the back of your throat, where the rushing cpap air coming in through the snout will whisk it on down.

Have to suck the cheeks in first, then make sure throat is relaxed open while you slowly move your tongue upward to make the tongue take up all the space inside the mouth. Tip of the tongue up first, then slowly, all of the tongue. Keep exerting a gentle slow suction backwards as you do that. That will push the balloon of air farther and farther backward into the throat.

Hard to describe that maneuver. But it can be done. When you get the ballooned air back far enough it will be captured by the incoming air and included in the downward flow.

You can practice that just sitting there at the computer, without even having the machine or mask on.

Geeze, the things we do (and write!!) in the interests of figuring how "how do you do that?"

Air bubbles in mouth

Air bubbles in mouth

Same experience

2" Tape

The tape is actually shown as 2.5cm

Tape over mouth

Can't do thato

How does that help?

I think you are right

I picked up the idea from ...