getting rid of air in my mouth
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Hi - in my second week as CPAP user and I know not being as patient as I should and I'm pretty sure I screwed up my stats last night by trying to force my chipmunk cheek air out of the 3M micropore tape over my mouth - I didn't want to swallow it as I am having issues with unpleasant bloating and burping. Hence the 2 first time CSR events last night I think.
Background:
Sleep study: ambulatory nocturnal polysomnogram (no eeg), AHI 22, min O2 sat 84%, mean 92.1%, time with O2 sat <90 %=16 min/ 514 min, minimal snoring, 5 OA, 176 HA, 11 CA
First week - nasal mask had average AHI about 3 (yay) but massive leaks (even with chin strap), parched mouth, APAP 8-16, 95% pressure was about 13
Second week - now on full dreamwear mask with constant pressure at 14 (starting from ramp of 10). My average AHI is up to about 6-7 so not as good as the first week surprisingly. But leak rate is minuscule with no large leaks.
I have been experimenting with the chin strap and tape. The chin strap I have doesn't fit as it should without touching the bottom of the mask and I was still getting a bit of dry mouth and bloating.
Last night I taped my mouth and my cheeks annoyingly puffed out off and on a few times and as I said, I didn't want to swallow it so I tryed to blow it out which didn't really work so I think I ended up either taking some deep nose breaths or swallowing it (I was half asleep).
I think this is the cause of the CSR events. What should I do with air in my mouth when I am trying to breath through my nose and prevent bloating?
I am practicing the tongue in mouth roof during the day when I notice I am mouth breathing during the day. I hope that I can become a successful nose breather one day. I also just bought some "Somnifix" mouth strips which are supposed to be the mercedes of mouth tape. Has anyone else had any experience with them?
Impatient for a good night's sleep - howeyb
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
I know it’s going to sound funny, but really you won’t have to do much. Consider when you’re not wearing your mask. Blow out your cheeks to inflate then let go of the pressure. How did you get rid of that pressurized air? As far as I know the air just flows back to your throat and moves on with the rest of the air. Should be the same whether mask is on or off, it’s just that we all sometimes overthink things when it’s a new situation.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
Welcome to the forum, howeyb. Your profile lists a full face mask. If that is the case, there is no need for chin straps or tape.
Does anyone know if the ResMed 10 for her is a APAP? If so, a range of pressures will allow you to spend more time at lower pressures, easing the air-swallowing (aerophagia) problem. Raising the EPR to its maximum value of 3 will also help.
Sleepster
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
08-01-2019, 04:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-01-2019, 04:43 PM by SarcasticDave94.
Edit Reason: Typo
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RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
(08-01-2019, 04:33 PM)Sleepster Wrote: Welcome to the forum, howeyb. Your profile lists a full face mask. If that is the case, there is no need for chin straps or tape.
Does anyone know if the ResMed 10 for her is a APAP? If so, a range of pressures will allow you to spend more time at lower pressures, easing the air-swallowing (aerophagia) problem. Raising the EPR to its maximum value of 3 will also help.
I see For Her at ResMed’s website listed under APAP machines as an AirSense 10 AutoSet For Her.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
(08-01-2019, 04:33 PM)Sleepster Wrote: Your profile lists a full face mask. If that is the case, there is no need for chin straps or tape.
Thanks for your reply and advice. In general though isn't nose breathing much better and so I should try to teach myself how to nose breath or get my brain to get used to nose breathing so that it becomes automatic? It seems that others have been able to do this.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
(08-01-2019, 04:33 PM)Sleepster Wrote: Welcome to the forum, howeyb. Your profile lists a full face mask. If that is the case, there is no need for chin straps or tape.
Does anyone know if the ResMed 10 for her is a APAP? If so, a range of pressures will allow you to spend more time at lower pressures, easing the air-swallowing (aerophagia) problem. Raising the EPR to its maximum value of 3 will also help.
IAW Ontario (Canada) Health Services (OHS) the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset for Her is a CPAP, Please do NOT tell them but they are wrong . , it is an APAP everywhere else.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
I use Somnifix tape, and I think it’s great. Stays stuck but is gentle on the skin. In fact, I’d suggest you try going back to the nasal mask and use the Somnifix strips. If your cheeks balloon, you can easily pull off a little bit on one corner of the tape to let the air out. Sometimes I also use my finger to part my lips where I untaped. Then just restick the tape.
Please do also post another chart so you can get some more advice about setting a pressure range. It’ll also be good to check whether you continue to have clustered events. You might be tucking you chin and causing some OAs that way.
I think you’re off to a very good start, with an experimental approach that will serve you well. It’ll get better by and by, especially with the help of the people here.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
(08-01-2019, 04:56 PM)howeyb Wrote: Thanks for your reply and advice. In general though isn't nose breathing much better
Well, yeah, it's better, but with a CPAP humidifier supplying adequate moisture it's not such a big deal.
Quote: and so I should try to teach myself how to nose breath or get my brain to get used to nose breathing so that it becomes automatic?
I think that's the kind of thing that just happens on its own. We tend to breathe mostly through the nose except when we have congestion. By the way, the little bit of extra pressure can open up a congested nose.
Sleepster
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
Hope this information will help, I was a mouth breather that didn’t think it was possible to stop that mouth breathing. I also thought I would be stuck with a full face mask. I wish I could explain exactly how, but it seems that the more I’ve used my machine the less mouth breathing I’ve been doing. I’ve even transitioned to a nasal mask this week with the receipt of a ResMed N30i. Best wishes with your success.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: getting rid of air in my mouth
If you are a daytime mouth breather, you should consult a ENT. They may recommend surgery to straighten your septum and/or trim your turbinates or perhaps something else. Or they may confirm that your nasal passages are just fine as they are. I had that done and it greatly improved my daytime breathing as well as my night time on CPAP.
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