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+--- Thread: Mouth breathing (/Thread-Mouth-breathing--10505)
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Mouth breathing - mikeh99 - 08-10-2015
I have been fine with a P10 nasal pillow mask for a while now. But I recently completed a new sleep study. The result of the study was an increase to 16-20. The pressure is fine but I have started mouth breathing. I went back to a chin strap but I still wake up with Sahara mouth, a sure symptom. Does anyone know of a technique other than a chin strap to stop mouth breathing? Duct tape comes to mind:grin:. Tonight I am trying a FFM but hate the thought. I have facial hair and have not have too much luck with FFM. Suggestions?
RE: Mouth breathing - trish6hundred - 08-10-2015
Hi mikeh99,
If you just can't get a chinstrap to work for you, you might consider an FFM.
Hang in there for other ideas.
RE: Mouth breathing - pholynyk - 08-10-2015
I suspect that if you use the duct tape you won't have to worry about the facial hair for very long. Then the FFM will work just fine.
:-)
Phil
RE: Mouth breathing - surferdude2 - 08-10-2015
I suggest that you throttle the pressure back down to where you were previously able to tolerate it and then follow a regimen of slowly increasing the pressure until you get to a level that provides effective therapy. Learn how to adjust your pressure and use software to monitor your progress so you can take control of your treatment and accomplish what is needed without being subjected to radical changes that make the therapy ineffective. You may make the goal without any further change in gear but that remains to be seen. Slow change may make for tolerance as is usual with cpap treatment. Doctors often aren't able to micro-manage their patients so they give ultimate goals and bow out. You can do it better!
Dude
RE: Mouth breathing - mikeh99 - 08-10-2015
(08-10-2015, 10:09 PM)surferdude2 Wrote: I suggest that you throttle the pressure back down to where you were previously able to tolerate it and then follow a regimen of slowly increasing the pressure until you get to a level that provides effective therapy. Learn how to adjust your pressure and use software to monitor your progress so you can take control of your treatment and accomplish what is needed without being subjected to radical changes that make the therapy ineffective.Good idea (surprised I did not think of this). I'll give it a try and report back.
Dude
Thanks!
RE: Mouth breathing - Sleepster - 08-10-2015
(08-10-2015, 09:40 PM)mikeh99 Wrote: Tonight I am trying a FFM but hate the thought.
I also dreaded switching to a FFM because when I started out my nasal masked leaked so much I switched to pillows. I was delighted when I switched to a FFM though because I found it comfortable. Time must have made the difference.
RE: Mouth breathing - mikeh99 - 08-10-2015
Probably a stupid question, but why in general isn't pressure always set to start quite low and have the machine adjust it as needed.
RE: Mouth breathing - surferdude2 - 08-11-2015
The response time of the machine is a factor in achieving a pressure level adequate to suppress a perceived breathing restriction. The machines react to OA's and Hypopneas after the fact and thus are always behind the curve. That means the pressure never gets raised until after the event has already occurred, making treatment less effective than it could be. In the case of Hypopneas (think baby OA's), the idea is to have the machine respond to them quickly enough to prevent any further ones and thereby also prevent any possible resultant OA's. The real advantage of a higher minimum is when the machine detects a significant reduction in tidal volume (no Hypopnea yet), which can be a precursor to a Hypopnea or OA. In order to provide the quickest reaction to that restricted breathing, it is desirable to start with a pressure level close to the effective therapy level. Perhaps 1 cm H2o below is a nice starting point. That may work to prevent an OA that would have required a higher pressure and in doing so keep the machine from raising your pressure any higher than necessary. At least it gives the best shot at handling your therapy with minimum pressure. Starting from a higher minimum point also prevents any radical changes in pressure that are disruptive to many users.
Dude
RE: Mouth breathing - BKeeper - 08-11-2015
Dude, best concise explanation of function of autoset machines I've seen so far. Thank you. (Like your "handle")
Dick
RE: Mouth breathing - Sleepster - 08-11-2015
Actually, auto CPAP machines can also respond in advance of events and prevent them from ever happening. The shape of the flow rate graph is used to determine what they call flow limitation, which is an indication that the airway is about to collapse.
Look at flow rate graph just prior to times when the pressure went up. You will sometimes see chair-shaped peaks, and a corresponding rise in the flow limitation graph.