How Are You Affected by Chin Tucking?

[BoxcarPete]

We have our little community here that has figured out a little bit about positional obstructive events being caused by physical "kinks" to the airway rather than the more macroscopic view about how our bodies are laying. The most common one is chin tucking, and out of curiosity I'd like to know how the members here are affected by it. 

The curiosity itself comes from earlier today when I wondered if I was some kind of freak of nature when I chin tucked at my desk, blocked off all air even against my full waking inspiration effort, and then blew some air out my nose with the same ease as if I were lounging in an easy chair. So, am I alone in having complete blockage in one direction and an undetectable amount of resistance in the other? Try it out and answer the poll!

[paulag1955]

I have no blockage at all either inhaling or exhaling. I had to do some weird stuff at the back of my throat to get some blockage. But just dropping my chin down to my chest...nothing.

But that doesn't mean that I don't snore like a buzzsaw when sleeping on my back.

[Jay51]

I experimented with naps using my S9 Adapt ASV and OSCAR (I used a collar and then didn't use the collar).  AHI with collar was 0.  AHI without collar was 20.  And this is using an ASV (a ventilator IMO - PS can be up to 10, 15, etc. or more).  

I also tried sleeping without a pap machine or ventilator both with and without a collar.  Results much better with a collar confirmed by my oximetry data.  

Having seen numerous OSCAR charts here in the past few years, some people are different though.  It seems to affect some people more than others.  A hypothesis I that is that it may be due to the weight (or even possibly the muscular tone and/or strength) of a person's chin/face/neck anatomy. 

During my PSG, the RT said that just as I was about to fall asleep, my jaw totally relaxed and dropped wide open and I completely stopped breathing (so maybe muscle tone has something to do with it?)

If you see clusters of events in your charts, a fairly cheap, easy experiment is to try a soft cervical collar.  The right measurement is essential I have found though for success.  

I hope everyone does well if they need a collar or not.

[BoxcarPete]

Thanks for the feedback. I was expecting all or nothing to be more common, but hey, you never know, maybe it's actually normal to have air blocked in only one direction with the chin tucked to the chest.

[BoxcarPete]

Thread is a little older, but I was just considering my own positional problems that have persisted post-surgery, and I am happy to state that chin-tucking is NOT among them. I was able to change my vote from "blockage in, open out" to "not at all bothered" in the poll.

It's a single anecdotal data point, but for me personally, removal of the adenoid tissue that was occupying 50-70% of my nasopharynx (along with a submucosal turbinate resection and septoplasty) has completely eliminated the significant airway restricting effects of tucking my chin to my chest, without totally resolving pressure-independent positional apnea clusters (particularly during REM cycles in my case). The clusters post surgery are much less likely to be all OA events, and much more likely to be a series of hypopnea and RERA.

[DaveL]

Thanks Pete. good post.

Good signature too. (Engineer. Recent graduate; 1971.)

[Dodies]

I have this issue, complete blockage for me, sleeping with a travel pillow rotated 90 degrees (and no other pillow) has helped me reduce my snoring loads.