Mouth leaks - best solution

[philthyphil]

Have posted this in the Main forum but thought I might get some other responses here. Hope it's OK to repost...

For many years now I've been using a chin strap that I purchased online from the US (it's actually called the Ultimate Chin Strap) and it's lasted incredibly well and does a good job but it's not the perfect design, and it was very expensive (shipping to Oz was partly to blame for that). 

It uses velcro instead of elastic which means it can easily shift when turning in bed, and then just limply drops off your head. It also frays a lot which get's stuck in the velcro (along with your hair) so you're forever pulling material out of the velcro to make it stick again.

Having said all that, I've never found anything better which really surprises me. I imagine that air escaping from the mouth when using a nasal mask or pillows is a huge problem - I mean it wrecks the CPAP effect. I'm really stunned that none of the big names in CPAP equipment have come up with a really great chin/mouth strap.

Or have they... does anyone know of any great products that:

• are reasonably priced,
  
  
• are comfortable even in fairly hot climates,
  
  
• hold your chin up and, most importantly, 
  
  
• cover you mouth and prevent air escaping.
  

Would love to hear any suggestions.

[mesenteria]

I am not aware that any of the manufacturers of PAP devices also market the accessories such as chin straps.  I dealt with a DME for my PAP machine, and they did not offer to supply me with a strap when I called the first morning after and complained of mouth leaking.  But I wouldn't be surprised to see that many of them do sell accessories.  I just don't have exposure to what is out there for sale.

Are you saying that your chin strap frays, or that the Velcro stretches and your strap comes off your head often...not sure?  Sorry. Velcro should not stretch much, maybe by 5%-ish with about 5 kg of force.

It isn't a popular solution, understandably, but have you at least tried taping?  It works quite well for some, a few, of us, myself included. 

Comfort is huge in the treatment of PAP and related sleep disorders.  My wife agreed to start wearing a soft foam cervical collar just over two years ago.  It was that or I moved to another room.  She has finally stopped complaining about how hot it made her, and she still wears it...thank God.  But, it was a rough go for many months for her.  Gotta admire and love a gal who would go through that for me.  Maybe a soft cervical collar is in your future.

[Sleepster]

I am not aware that any of the manufacturers of PAP devices also market the accessories such as chin straps. 

ResMed, for example, makes both CPAP machines and chin straps (as well as masks and tubing, of course).

[Sleepster]

I'm really stunned that none of the big names in CPAP equipment have come up with a really great chin/mouth strap.

Perhaps chin straps can only be so effective. The best solution is a full face mask. Even if your past experiences with
one didn't go well, it's worth trying again because designs have improved and you are now better-adapted to CPAP therapy than you were in the past.

[sleepyp]

The nature of a chin strap is not well suited to CPAP treatment.
Chin straps do not prevent mouth leaks (it may help reduce them a little), and they are quite likely to force the jaw back blocking the airway.
I'm surprised that CPAP manufacturers haven't locked on to making custom cervical collars and mouth tape as they actually do work.
A standard drug store collar could be modified to make it more suitable for CPAP.

[vrapche031]

I am not aware that any of the manufacturers of PAP devices also market the accessories such as chin straps.  I dealt with a DME for my PAP machine, and they did not offer to supply me with a strap when I called the first morning after and complained of mouth leaking.  But I wouldn't be surprised to see that many of them do sell accessories.  I just don't have exposure to what is out there for sale.

Are you saying that your chin strap frays, or that the Velcro stretches and your strap comes off your head often...not sure?  Sorry. Velcro should not stretch much, maybe by 5%-ish with about 5 kg of force.

It isn't a popular solution, understandably, but have you at least tried taping?  It works quite well for some, a few, of us, myself included. 

Comfort is huge in the treatment of PAP and related sleep disorders.  My wife agreed to start wearing a soft foam cervical collar just over two years ago.  It was that or I moved to another room.  She has finally stopped complaining about how hot it made her, and she still wears it...thank God.  But, it was a rough go for many months for her.  Gotta admire and love a gal who would go through that for me.  Maybe a soft cervical collar is in your future.

What bothered your wife about the collar ? I am considering giving it a go but it sounds so abstract to me to wear something like that, that I cant even imagine how uncomfortable it would be or what issues it could cause

[mesenteria]

Sleepster, thanks for putting me right.  I'll go to their site and take a better look.

vrapche031, the annoyance was the heat around her neck.  It bothered her a lot the first couple of months, maybe longer and she just stopped complaining to me.  It has been two years, and my magnificent lady has worn it consistently from the start.  Her gasping, snorting herself awake, and general snoring have greatly reduced because of the collar, the only change we have made over time.

Note that they do come in girth sizes and in tallness sizes for larger and taller necks.  You may have to do some fact-finding about your own neck's girth and the height from your shoulder tops and clavicles' medial joints to your chin before you commit to a purchase.

[holden4th]

The basic collar sizes from the pharmacy vary in height.

[kevyokey]

I have eliminated mouth leaks by taping my mouth at night.  This is not my idea, I got it from hearing in an interview with James Nestor who wrote the book "Breathe". I  have found 3M Transpore surgical tape to be perfect for this.  You take a short piece of tape, I use a one inch piece each night, and place the tape vertically under nose over both the upper and lower lip. It would be like Charlie Chaplin's mustache, except you continue the tape about a quarter of an inch beyond the lower lip. You may need to use a longer piece of tape depending on the size of your face.  Using the tape his way means that your mouth can open at the edges in the event that you might need to vomit, or cough something up.  I don't think it would be safe to seal the entire length of you mouth closed.

This has worked very well for me.  I no longer wake up with a dry mouth in the morning.  In fact this is the reason that I started doing it.  Long before I started using a CPAP machine.  It has also, trained me to keep my mouth shut at night.  I rarely forget to tape my mouth, but if I do, I wake up with moisture in my mouth indicating that my mouth has remained closed without the tape.

I could not find this discussed previously in this forum. If I missed it please ignore this discussion.

[ArcherNeedsSleep]

I'm now a mouth-taping advocate, too. My results improved dramatically when I worked up the nerve to tape my mouth, and the couple of nights I've opted to skip taping have reminded me that open-mouth PAPing is ineffective and uncomfortable.

I use cover roll stretch - 2". The adhesive is strong enough to last the night, but doesn't irritate my usually-sensitive skin at all.
I actually tape across my mouth instead of up and down, and don't leave any openings. If there's any gap in the tape, the air finds a way out of my mouth. I'm still pretty new to CPAP, so I may eventually become conditioned to keep my mouth closed, but so far I'm fully reliant on the tape. And it's worth it for the results I'm seeing.