Difference between revisions of "Mask Leaks"
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Mouth breathing''' and '''mouth leaks''' are closely related, but not necessarily the same thing. | '''Mouth breathing''' and '''mouth leaks''' are closely related, but not necessarily the same thing. | ||
| − | |||
Mouth breathing must occur when the nasal passages are blocked, so the only way for any air to get into the lungs is through the mouth. People with blocked noses breathe through their mouth, not through their nose. The solution to mouth breathing is to use a full face mask. Some effort and time may be required to find the best full face mask, fit it, and adjust to it. Use of nasal irrigation and humidified CPAP, especially with nasal pillows, may open nasal passages that were previously chronically blocked. The person can then learn to breathe through the nose. | Mouth breathing must occur when the nasal passages are blocked, so the only way for any air to get into the lungs is through the mouth. People with blocked noses breathe through their mouth, not through their nose. The solution to mouth breathing is to use a full face mask. Some effort and time may be required to find the best full face mask, fit it, and adjust to it. Use of nasal irrigation and humidified CPAP, especially with nasal pillows, may open nasal passages that were previously chronically blocked. The person can then learn to breathe through the nose. | ||
| Line 16: | Line 15: | ||
= Warning against mouth leakage = | = Warning against mouth leakage = | ||
Whether you use a nasal mask or nasal pillows (or any other kind of mask except a full face), if air leaks out through your mouth, the PAP therapy will not work. There are two safe options. The first is to learn to keep your mouth closed while sleeping. Since the feel of pressurized air exiting your mouth is an unpleasant sensation, PAP aids in this. Some people position the tongue behind the top teeth and let it spread out in back to cover the throat opening and make a seal so the PAP works. The second option is to use a full face mask. If you are a mouth breather, breathing in through your mouth instead of your nose, a full face mask is required. An alternative practice for mouth leaks, mouth taping or sealing, is understandable but not advisable, and is not safe if your nose gets stuffy at night, you have acid reflux, need to regurgitate; or you have a hose disconnect or lose machine power and need to breathe through your mouth. | Whether you use a nasal mask or nasal pillows (or any other kind of mask except a full face), if air leaks out through your mouth, the PAP therapy will not work. There are two safe options. The first is to learn to keep your mouth closed while sleeping. Since the feel of pressurized air exiting your mouth is an unpleasant sensation, PAP aids in this. Some people position the tongue behind the top teeth and let it spread out in back to cover the throat opening and make a seal so the PAP works. The second option is to use a full face mask. If you are a mouth breather, breathing in through your mouth instead of your nose, a full face mask is required. An alternative practice for mouth leaks, mouth taping or sealing, is understandable but not advisable, and is not safe if your nose gets stuffy at night, you have acid reflux, need to regurgitate; or you have a hose disconnect or lose machine power and need to breathe through your mouth. | ||
| + | |||
| + | See also [[Mask Leaks Blow onto Partner]] | ||
Revision as of 14:55, 5 November 2009
Mouth breathing and mouth leaks are closely related, but not necessarily the same thing.
Mouth breathing must occur when the nasal passages are blocked, so the only way for any air to get into the lungs is through the mouth. People with blocked noses breathe through their mouth, not through their nose. The solution to mouth breathing is to use a full face mask. Some effort and time may be required to find the best full face mask, fit it, and adjust to it. Use of nasal irrigation and humidified CPAP, especially with nasal pillows, may open nasal passages that were previously chronically blocked. The person can then learn to breathe through the nose.
Mouth leaks may occur if the person is breathing through their nose, but opens their mouth during sleep. If leakage through the mouth is a persistent problem, CPAP treatment can be rendered completely ineffective. CPAP air detouring out the mouth does nothing to keep the airway open. Either mouth breathing or mouth leakage can also cause feelings of suffocation from apneas still happening and/or just the choking feeling of air rushing out the mouth unexpectedly. The safest solution to mouth leakage is to use a full face mask.
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t23863/Why-dont-more-people-use-a-full-face-mask.html
Other remedies including using a homemade or commercial chinstrap in hopes that the tongue will maintain an airtight seal inside the mouth if the jaw is kept up. Many people find that chinstraps don’t work to prevent mouth leakage.
Another remedy is to use the tongue to maintain an airtight seal inside the mouth. Some people train the tongue by positioning the tip of the tongue behind the upper front teeth or on the roof of the mouth, and let the tongue spread out in back to seal the throat air passage, even if the lips open. Others use a dental splint, custom made by a dentist, or a do-it-yourself mouth guard to help the tongue maintain an airtight seal.
“The safety of taping the mouth shut has not been proven and there are potential risks of regurgitation and aspiration of food and of suffocation.” TS Johnson MD et al, Sleep Apnea – The Phantom of the Night, p. 167. Mouth taping is especially dangerous for anyone who ever gets blocked nasal passages during the night. If air can’t get in through the nose, it needs to get in through the mouth. Mouth taping is also risky in case of a hose disconnect or power outage.
Warning against mouth leakage
Whether you use a nasal mask or nasal pillows (or any other kind of mask except a full face), if air leaks out through your mouth, the PAP therapy will not work. There are two safe options. The first is to learn to keep your mouth closed while sleeping. Since the feel of pressurized air exiting your mouth is an unpleasant sensation, PAP aids in this. Some people position the tongue behind the top teeth and let it spread out in back to cover the throat opening and make a seal so the PAP works. The second option is to use a full face mask. If you are a mouth breather, breathing in through your mouth instead of your nose, a full face mask is required. An alternative practice for mouth leaks, mouth taping or sealing, is understandable but not advisable, and is not safe if your nose gets stuffy at night, you have acid reflux, need to regurgitate; or you have a hose disconnect or lose machine power and need to breathe through your mouth.
See also Mask Leaks Blow onto Partner