Cheap, Easy Solution for Mouth Breathing/Leaking

I am a full face mask fan also. Taping seems like a very difficult thing to do night after night. I tried it for a little while some years ago.

restrict neck and head movement during sleep.

I am very at peace with wearing a soft spinal collar (neck collar) at night. I start out sleeping on my back and usually roll to one side in the middle of the night. The collar does not allow my neck to get in a position where the airway is cramped.

I saw Dr. Park explain why sleeping with a rolled up towel under your neck (when you are supine) is good for your spinal posture and your breathing. The spinal collar does the same thing on your back or on your side.

Boyce wrote:I am a full face mask fan also. Taping seems like a very difficult thing to do night after night. I tried it for a little while some years ago.

restrict neck and head movement during sleep.

I am very at peace with wearing a soft spinal collar (neck collar) at night. I start out sleeping on my back and usually roll to one side in the middle of the night. The collar does not allow my neck to get in a position where the airway is cramped.

I saw Dr. Park explain why sleeping with a rolled up towel under your neck (when you are supine) is good for your spinal posture and your breathing. The spinal collar does the same thing on your back or on your side.

Do you use the Cervical Collar to keep your mouth closed, or do you use it merely for proper alignment?

I use a Nasal mask & am considering using a Cervical Collar instead of a Chin Strap to keep me from mouth breathing.

[quote="Boyce"]What do you think?

I think it would be totally, absolutely, 100% useless to me.

Plastic, tight against half my face? I'd be sweating like a pig inside of 10 minutes. You've obviously never worn a CPAP mask in a New Orleans summer!

I wear nasal pillows for a reason: a full face mask sends me screaming up the walls because of my claustrophobia. (I finally have trained myself to tolerate a Liberty mask when I have a respiratory infection, but only with the Pad-a-cheek liner. And I go back to my nasal pillows the instant my nose clears enough to let me use them.)

StuUnderPressure wrote:

Boyce wrote:I am a full face mask fan also. Taping seems like a very difficult thing to do night after night. I tried it for a little while some years ago.

restrict neck and head movement during sleep.

I am very at peace with wearing a soft spinal collar (neck collar) at night. I start out sleeping on my back and usually roll to one side in the middle of the night. The collar does not allow my neck to get in a position where the airway is cramped.

I saw Dr. Park explain why sleeping with a rolled up towel under your neck (when you are supine) is good for your spinal posture and your breathing. The spinal collar does the same thing on your back or on your side.

Do you use the Cervical Collar to keep your mouth closed, or do you use it merely for proper alignment?

Good question. Only for proper alignment of spine and airway.

Try this right now. Clench your teeth together tight. Hold them together and open your lips. See? You can breathe through your mouth with your teeth clenched. This is why I think so many people find chinstraps useless. It is the reason people tape their lips.

But what do I know about you? You may find a spinal collar stops your mouth from opening. Give it a try. Get one of the simple, cheap soft ones - about $8.

At the very least it might help with the alignment issue.

Good luck.

You've obviously never worn a CPAP mask in a New Orleans summer!

Well not the whole summer but I have been there a few times including 8 nights at one stay in August. The hotel had good room air conditioners and I was not uncomfortable with my FFM. But man outside during the day was tough!

I do see your point about that plastic device and it is not for me. Taping lips is also repugnant to me. But if it works for others, that is a good thing.

BTW, I try to limit my N.O. trips to October - March. Wonderful city when the weather is good.

For me, a chinstrap DOES keep my mouth closed. But, it is too much stuff on my face.
I am hoping that a Cervical Collar will also keep my mouth closed.

I know I am just substituting something on my face for something around my neck.
But, it will be 1 less thing on my face.

I once tried this, but couldn't find an OTC collar that was long enough for my (apparently long) neck. Still don't see how it would keep me from puffing air out of my mouth. I think it might work for people whose problems lies solely in mouth opening.

SleepingUgly wrote:I once tried this, but couldn't find an OTC collar that was long enough for my (apparently long) neck. Still don't see how it would keep me from puffing air out of my mouth. I think it might work for people whose problems lies solely in mouth opening.

I can only find 3" tall ones in the local stores.

But, you can find 4" tall ones online (Amazon, etc.)

I tried a 3" tall one & it was not tall enough.
Guess, I will have to order one online & take my chances.

The collar props my jaw to keep my mouth closed. It's only been a month, but so far, it's working better than the taping over or under the lips or the PapCap. The 3-inch was too large, so I found the OTC Small and Narrow 2 1/2-inch to fit perfectly on Amazon.If I had a long neck, I would go to a medical supply store to see if you could try them on, as it is uncomfortable waste of money when it doesn't fit properly. My only complaint is that the collar is too hot---not sure I'll tolerate during the summer.

Over 8 years of cpap I have tried all kinds of masks...the full face masks are completely out for a lot of reasons...the main one being they are too heavy for my completely fused neck...and mouth breathing all night under it is very uncomfortable. So I do as a lot of us do....chin strap, tape (several layers) as when the tape gets wet it falls off. So gentle paper tape against my face and painters tape over that. I had to wear neck collars for years and find them to be very uncomfortable....but I have a very sensitive neck. We all have different problems to conquer in our own ways and what works for us individually.....So for anyone to say they "are amazed at what we go through to avoid a full face mask" has not been in our shoes!!

Have a good day!

Janice

SleepingUgly wrote:I once tried this, but couldn't find an OTC collar that was long enough for my (apparently long) neck.

Two stacked?

DeadlySleep wrote:

SleepingUgly wrote:I once tried this, but couldn't find an OTC collar that was long enough for my (apparently long) neck.

Two stacked?

OK, not THAT long!

Wulfman... wrote:I think..........
I'm amazed at the convoluted things people go through to avoid wearing a full face mask.
Tape, chin straps, mouth guards, etc., etc.
The response is almost always......"But, I'm claustrophobic in a full face mask."
And, all that stuff you apply to your face and head DOESN'T make you feel just as claustrophobic?
YIKES!!!

Den <shaking his head>

.

FFMs push back on your jaw. This can make apnea worse. They have longer edges and more chance to leak. They have to follow the curve of your face over a bigger area, so once again, more chance to leak. The area is larger, so you need more force on the straps to resist the air pressure. You can't sip water, take pills, or (maybe) talk without taking the mask off. I can't wear my glasses with a FFM on, so I can't mask up if I'm reading or watching TV.

Sometimes, a FFM is the best solution for you. I think they should always be a last choice if you can't handle the problems with a nasal mask.

Kitatonic wrote:The collar props my jaw to keep my mouth closed. It's only been a month, but so far, it's working better than the taping over or under the lips or the PapCap. The 3-inch was too large, so I found the OTC Small and Narrow 2 1/2-inch to fit perfectly on Amazon.If I had a long neck, I would go to a medical supply store to see if you could try them on, as it is uncomfortable waste of money when it doesn't fit properly. My only complaint is that the collar is too hot---not sure I'll tolerate during the summer.

Yes, and HOT is why I did not use a cervical collar. That's why I invented my Brandy Keg.

You know how a St. Bernard dog is pictured with a brandy keg under its chin?

I bought a 4" diameter stiff foam cylinder similar to this one: http://tinyurl.com/ch4ot6b.

I cut a 4"-5" piece off it, and drilled a hole through the cylinder (along the length) with an apple corer. Then I wrapped it in a piece of fleece and stuck a strap through the hole (I'm using half of an old, stretched out Comfortlite 2 strap). The strap goes around under my hair and pulls the "brandy keg" up under my chin. I'm a side sleeper, and that tucks between my chin and my chest to keep my mouth closed. Once I knew it worked, Pad-a-Cheek made me a fancy cover for it that is easy to remove and wash.

I expect that there may be 4.5" and 5" diameter cylinders if one has a long neck, or 3.5" or smaller if one has a shorter neck. Just make sure you get the firm foam, and not the soft, spongy stuff, or it won't work.



The PapCap is a nice idea, but it was too hot for me, and the strap didn't keep my mouth closed.

Kiralynx wrote:

Kitatonic wrote:The collar props my jaw to keep my mouth closed. It's only been a month, but so far, it's working better than the taping over or under the lips or the PapCap. The 3-inch was too large, so I found the OTC Small and Narrow 2 1/2-inch to fit perfectly on Amazon.If I had a long neck, I would go to a medical supply store to see if you could try them on, as it is uncomfortable waste of money when it doesn't fit properly. My only complaint is that the collar is too hot---not sure I'll tolerate during the summer.

Yes, and HOT is why I did not use a cervical collar. That's why I invented my Brandy Keg.

You know how a St. Bernard dog is pictured with a brandy keg under its chin?

I bought a 4" diameter stiff foam cylinder similar to this one: http://tinyurl.com/ch4ot6b.

I cut a 4"-5" piece off it, and drilled a hole through the cylinder (along the length) with an apple corer. Then I wrapped it in a piece of fleece and stuck a strap through the hole (I'm using half of an old, stretched out Comfortlite 2 strap). The strap goes around under my hair and pulls the "brandy keg" up under my chin. I'm a side sleeper, and that tucks between my chin and my chest to keep my mouth closed. Once I knew it worked, Pad-a-Cheek made me a fancy cover for it that is easy to remove and wash.

I expect that there may be 4.5" and 5" diameter cylinders if one has a long neck, or 3.5" or smaller if one has a shorter neck. Just make sure you get the firm foam, and not the soft, spongy stuff, or it won't work.



The PapCap is a nice idea, but it was too hot for me, and the strap didn't keep my mouth closed.

Thanks! I am so frustrated with other "fixes". Much appreciated.