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Newbie question on exhale
#11
RE: Newbie question on exhale
Hi and welcome.

I agree with retired guy, I always thought I couldn't breath through my nose, but after approximately a week I'd learnt to.

The way I learned was quite simple, using nasal pillows, just before going to sleep, I would consciously open my mouth and airway so I new what it felt like to have air coming out my mouth. Then I closed down the airway by closing my mouth and pushing my tongue into the roof of my mouth and told myself this felt good and to stay like this, a kind of positive mental self reinforcement.

Kept on doing this routine until it became second nature, it works so well that if I inadvertently open my mouth whilst sleeping, I notice the difference without fully waking and I automatically go back to sealing my oral airway.

The benefits of using a pillow mask against a FFM make it worth a little perseverance.

You can do it !!!!

Failure is NOT an option.
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#12
RE: Newbie question on exhale
I think I will try a nasal pillows mask and see if I can get used to it....

Last night I got out my flashlight and mirror - the "flapper" valve never closes on exhale. I would have thought it would but that is not the case. It will close if I shut off the air supply which is what it is supposed to do.

I was able to feel my "jolt" by closing my mouth just as I began to inhale through my mouth or certain tounge motions could make me feel a "jolt".
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#13
RE: Newbie question on exhale
I can cause a "jolt" by closing of my airway rapidly or the reverse and once in a while I do it unconsciously. So are you causing your own "jolts"?

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#14
RE: Newbie question on exhale
Hi PaytonA,

Yep, looks like I am causing my own jolts. I wish I could blame the equipment.

I don't mean to complain but I will be in Orange County on Turkey Day and I am not happy about the 90 degree weather forecast I see for there...... This is November!

Tom
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#15
RE: Newbie question on exhale
(11-24-2014, 06:53 PM)WantToSleep Wrote: I think I will try a nasal pillows mask and see if I can get used to it....

Last night I got out my flashlight and mirror - the "flapper" valve never closes on exhale. I would have thought it would but that is not the case. It will close if I shut off the air supply which is what it is supposed to do.

I was able to feel my "jolt" by closing my mouth just as I began to inhale through my mouth or certain tounge motions could make me feel a "jolt".
I get jolts too, but I am using Swift FX NPs, which have no flapper valve. It feels like someone slammed the flat of their hand down on the other end of the hose.

I don't think it is the equipment; I think it is my own airway reacting to the pressure. But I could never seem to make it happen by trying to reproduce the previous enhale/exhale pattern; it just happened spontaneously, usually at the beginning of an exhale. It seems to have diminished now that my pressure went from 5-20 to 8-14.

But I think it makes sense that your valve never closes completely. The pressure from PAP towards the mask must be greater than the pressure of someone exhaling against it to keep CO2 from going back down the hose the wrong way and being rebreathed. Since you then have opposing pressures (the exhale against the PAP) that CO2 has to be voided out of the system somehow, which is why there is a constant flow exiting the system.

This also allows the pressure to remain the same during exhale (with or without EPR included, which lowers it 1-3 cm) but still allows you to exhale comfortably; if the system were closed, you would be fighting against it, like trying to blow through a straw with your thumb over the other end.
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#16
RE: Newbie question on exhale
(11-25-2014, 06:18 PM)WantToSleep Wrote: I don't mean to complain but I will be in Orange County on Turkey Day and I am not happy about the 90 degree weather forecast I see for there...... This is November!

Tom

Sounds to me like you are complaining. Smile I do not think that it will be in the 90s maybe more like low 80s. Actually it has been very comfortable lately with cool mornings and not too hot during the day. Of course if you are further inland, it may be warmer. OC has a lot of micro climates. Happy Turkey Day!

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#17
RE: Newbie question on exhale
I, too, have found that nasal pillows help open up my clogged nose. I think it is a combination of the pressure and the humidifier. Keeping my nose humidified seems to help a lot in decreasing stuffiness. And it has really reduced my sinus problems. The pressure itself seems to help force my nasal passages open, sort of like it keeps the airway open further down. For me, it works best if I put my CPAP on right away, the moment I lay down, and skip the ramp feature. (I long ago quit using it anyway, once I got used to the pressure.) Since the ramp starts pressure slowly, getting that full pressure right away keeps my nose from getting even more stuffy when I lie down.

My sleep doc told me to use a good generic decongestant, like Afrin, on nights when I absolutely can't breathe through my nose. You can't use it every night, and you should use it only 3 - 4 days out of a week, or you get rebound congestion. But it is a life-saver during colds or bad allergy flare-ups. On that note, starting a nasal spray antihistamine or steroid can make a world of difference, too, and actually let you breathe better all day! It sure helps me. See what you doc and/or pharmacist thinks.

Oh, and I love my Airfit P10 nasal pillows. have been using them about a year. Hubby switched to them, too.

Good luck and good sleep!
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#18
RE: Newbie question on exhale
(05-08-2015, 01:50 PM)OperaSinger Wrote: Oh, and I love my Airfit P10 nasal pillows. have been using them about a year. Hubby switched to them, too.

Yes.. It's just a matter of time. Sooner or later everyone will use the P10's. Resistance is futile.
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