Nasal mask/pillows without chin strap?

[shewhorn]

In my "what did you wish you knew" thread AshSF said this:

1) just because you think you are a mouth breather, you should not automatically go with a full face mask. I tamed an F10 and its leaks for 4 months before I got a P10. Since day 1 of the P10, I keep my mouth shut without any effort.

I also have an F10 but when I went to ASV, it became useless. Unfortunately it's the ONLY full face mask that fits me. The rest of them leak (well... as does the F10 now... my 95% IPAP is 15 cmH2O). Didn't think I could use a nasal mask of any sort as with my allergies I'm almost always congested to some degree BUT... with a 95% pressure of 15 I found that the machine was able to push right through the congestion. I've been mostly using a Respironics Dreamware which I guess is technically a pillow type mask... haven't tried any of the other pillow types though. I probably should (the F&P Eson isn't working out nearly as well as I thought it would... leaks).

Anyhow... how many of you are using a nasal mask WITHOUT a chin strap? I always assumed it was required but AshSF is doing it so... I assumed incorrectly. I've tried the two most popular chin straps and... they make me a bit sore. I think they also may be causing me to grind my teeth.

I'm assuming that if I try using my Dreamware without a chinstrap, that it will be obvious (from SH data) if I do indeed actually need the strap. Is that a correct assumption?

[holden4th]

I use the Dreamwear. It's not a pillow but a nasal mask.

To control mouth breathing I have been using a soft cervical collar and it seems to do the job really well. While a chinstrap might keep your mouth closed to a certain extent, it won't prevent your chin dropping down (chin tuck) which will restrict your airway. If you've ever done a rescue breathing course you'll be aware of tilting the head back by lifting the chin to open the airway before commencing resuscitation. The collar does this for you and is far more comfy than many of the chinstraps on the market.

They are inexpensive (mine cost me $10 Australian).

[green wings]

I've been using CPAP therapy for about four months now.

I use the Wisp nasal mask and no chin strap at a fixed pressure of 11.0 cm. When I look at my SleepyHead breathing waveforms, I can see some that are of the shape described as "expiratory mouth breathing", usually for periods of anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours per night.

I probably should try a chin strap. I'm not getting any large leaks, though, and I don't wake up with a dry mouth, so I am still resisting the idea.

In my "what did you wish you knew" thread AshSF said this:

1) just because you think you are a mouth breather, you should not automatically go with a full face mask. I tamed an F10 and its leaks for 4 months before I got a P10. Since day 1 of the P10, I keep my mouth shut without any effort.

I also have an F10 but when I went to ASV, it became useless. Unfortunately it's the ONLY full face mask that fits me. The rest of them leak (well... as does the F10 now... my 95% IPAP is 15 cmH2O). Didn't think I could use a nasal mask of any sort as with my allergies I'm almost always congested to some degree BUT... with a 95% pressure of 15 I found that the machine was able to push right through the congestion. I've been mostly using a Respironics Dreamware which I guess is technically a pillow type mask... haven't tried any of the other pillow types though. I probably should (the F&P Eson isn't working out nearly as well as I thought it would... leaks).

Anyhow... how many of you are using a nasal mask WITHOUT a chin strap? I always assumed it was required but AshSF is doing it so... I assumed incorrectly. I've tried the two most popular chin straps and... they make me a bit sore. I think they also may be causing me to grind my teeth.

I'm assuming that if I try using my Dreamware without a chinstrap, that it will be obvious (from SH data) if I do indeed actually need the strap. Is that a correct assumption?