Lip leaks

[PaulaO2]

I have never snored with my mouth open. Mouth breathing is not an issue for me and never has been. Even when I was congested, I snored with my mouth closed then would gasp awake, opening my mouth to breathe. Then fall asleep and do it all over again.

Even now, with me sleeping a lot on my back, my mouth isn't opening, but air is leaking through my lips. I wake up with it coming out one or both corners. My mouth isn't full like a chipmunk's, but air is coming out steady.

Because I am on my back, my 95% has increased from 15-17.x to 18-19.x. I think it is this increase that is causing the lip leaks. Despite the leaks, the leak rate isn't that high. It stays below 24, sometimes going to 30 for a few minutes. I get spikes each night but they're single spikes and must be where I take it off to adjust.

Is there anything I can do for this? I don't think a full face mask is possible. I've tried a hybrid in the past and my skin can't take the air flow. It was like being in a wind tunnel.

I won't tape my lips so don't go there.

Will a chin strap help with this? Hold my lips closed enough?

[retired_guy]

Chinstrap might help. It certainly does me. But not because it holds your lips tightly shut. You don't want it tightened up that much. It just gently encourages you to keep a better seal.

I tried to eliminate the chinstrap a week or so ago, and did fine for about 2 days. Then it was put it back on time.

If you don't have a chinstrap, do you have one of those nifty head band things that people wear when they run around in circles? You might be able to use that as a test.

[Sleepster]

I think a chin strap will help because I don't think the leak is at the lips. The air has to leak into your mouth before it can leak through your lips, and the chin strap will help you stop that from happening.

It's quite possible that it's these leaks that are causing those spikes.

You've probably heard me say this before. The chin strap should be loose enough that it's not uncomfortable, but it should tight enough that it's uncomfortable to chew.

I get large leaks when my chin strap is too loose, or has worn out and lost its elasticity. As it wears I have to keep tightening it. The more I wash it the faster it wears out. I found that the best way to clean it is to soak it in vinegar, and then wash it by hand in the sink with mild detergent.

I take it the higher pressure has not caused your aerophagia to return? At 12 cm I'm on the verge. I feel myself swallowing air on some nights, and am a bit too gassy some days. But most of the time I have no problems.

[MAPnea]

Actually, I've experienced the same "lip leak" as Paula. Even awake with the CPAP "doing it's thing", even with my teeth clenched and my tongue touching the roof of my mouth and back of my front teeth…. if the pressure is high enough, my lips start to flap….. er, leak.

So, Paula, I hope you get an answer!! Other than it's "age related" and my lips are flapping just like the flapping "wings" under my arms. I would be one happy "sleeper", if I could ditch my Quattro FX for my Swift FX.

[zonk]

Will a chin strap help with this? Hold my lips closed enough?

Chinstrap can definitely helps but not going prevent some determined tiny air bubbles looking for exit between the lips
I would limit the pressure range at the expense of few apneas, that is only me but I,m a compromise type of a guy

[PaulaO2]

It sounds just like the mask is off. A solid stream of air, no flapping noise.

[PaulaO2]

And no, the aerophagia has not returned. I thought it would but it hasn't. Really surprised me!

However, since I raised the max to 20, the number of central events have increased. I can look at the pressure graph and know there were a lot of CAs. If there's the usual gentle wave-like graph, then the CAs were low. But if it is high and choppy for extended periods, I will have more CAs than OAs. AHI is still below 5 so I'm not concerned, just something I've observed.

And holy crap, there's a lot of chin straps. When did that happen?

[Peter_C]

I too have this issue. So then I went on a $400+ FFM buying binge. While this 'solves' the above issue, and knocks my leak rate down to basically nothing, I quite honestly hate full face masks.

My personal favorite mask is a small nasal mask. And, if I raise my pressure (both EPAP and PS) by 1 each, my leak rate does go up, but I sleep better, my AHI is overall better (which bares the question, if my leak rate is in the 24-40 range, is my AHI number no longer valid?)

When staying with a FFM, it encourages me to start mouth-breathing (as opposed to the lip hissing) and I get the dry mouth issues.

But if I use the 'Wisp" nasal mask (which I really really like) and raise my numbers a touch, will that offset the higher leak rate? If I ignore the numbers, I sleep better with the Wisp, and the listed AHI is between 4 and 10, but the leak rate is rather ugly.

So honestly, I am not sure which way to go...

[Sleepster]

(which bares the question, if my leak rate is in the 24-40 range, is my AHI number no longer valid?)

My understanding is that it's not valid when the unintentional leak rate is that high.

Certainly the machine cannot accurately distinguish between CA's and OA's and I doubt it could even accurately distinguish them from hypopneas or even determine the length of events or even if there's an event.

[jball61]

I have had this problem for years. My solution is to tape most of my lips together using Chin-up Strips. I use the white adhesive strips
that come off easily with hot water. These are not for everyone. My buddy tried it and he did not like it, but I swear by them. I leave
some open space to breath in the event of a power failure and the machine stops working. The adhesive is not strong. You can easily
over power the tape if you need too. You can google the website using the key words Chin-up strip and I have seen them for sale
on Amazon too.