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+--- Thread: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? (/Thread-Positional-Apnea-Mouth-Guard)
Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - Geer1 - 01-29-2020
I know cervical collars are the go to for positional apnea but I was wondering if any users have found luck with using a mouth guard instead?
I am still working with trying to improve my grandfathers results and still trying to understand if clustered apnea is obstructive or central in nature. If obstructive I assume it is positional so I tried to get him to use a cervical collar. The problem is that he has a short thick neck and the collar doesn't seem to do much. They have trouble getting it to stay under chin to begin with and in the little they have tried it there hasn't been significant effects on apneas.
I was wondering about trying a mouth guard style instead as I believe they are supposed to do roughly the same thing. One thing I am not sure about is how that would work with a full face mask.
Anyways just curious on others members findings if they have tried this.
RE: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - jaswilliams - 01-29-2020
I can't see how a mouth guard can prevent putting your neck/head in a position that causes airway obstruction which is the main use of a cervical collar.
I don't use either as I found the cervical collar caused me to suffer from aerophagia and was more disruptive to my sleep go figure
RE: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - Geer1 - 01-29-2020
(01-29-2020, 01:56 AM)jaswilliams Wrote: I can't see how a mouth guard can prevent putting your neck/head in a position that causes airway obstruction which is the main use of a cervical collar.
I don't use either as I found the cervical collar caused me to suffer from aerophagia and was more disruptive to my sleep go figure
Mouth guard is supposed to hold lower jaw forward which is one of the things a cervical collar does by holding chin forward.
Unfortunately I don't think a cervical collar will ever work for him, there is barely any chin for the collar to act on so his chin just slides under collar.
His issue is either obstructive or central, it isn't clear as events get flagged differently depending on what mask he uses. We are currently doing some tests with EPR off to see if that reduces events which would indicate centrals are the issue.
RE: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - sheepless - 01-29-2020
I have a short neck & can't stand ties or turtlenecks because they come right up to my chin. even so, I use a collar to reduce clusters & especially lip leaks, but I have to tighten it more than the loose fit commonly recommended here. I don't like it but can't get by without it due to those lip leaks.
if a collar won't work, try the chin strap that pulls up rather than back.
I used a jaw advancement retainer in the 90's but not with cpap. with cpap I tried a tongue advancement device but had too much drooling & leaks with my nasal pillow mask. I can only guess the MAD would work better on the assumption the user can more easily keep their lips closed than with the tongue device.
RE: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - DaveL - 01-29-2020
A thought. I have a cap with a velcro strap that goes under my chin. I wear it when other choices aren't working well.
Thanks PaulaO2 for your review.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Product-Review-PAPcap-by-Pur-Sleep
(I might build a shelf, and put all the implements of some sort I've bought to prevent mouth breathing. Let's see...a bunch of chinstraps; some stretched beyond belief; some like new, because they didn't work. Wedges; Dr Dakota and others. Inflatable neck collars. CPap Cap.) There must be more.
RE: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - Sleeprider - 01-29-2020
The other product members have recommended is the Knightsbridge dual chin strap.
RE: Positional Apnea Mouth Guard? - DaveL - 01-29-2020
(01-29-2020, 12:53 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: The other product members have recommended is the Knightsbridge dual chin strap.
Thank you. Excellent.