sleepylora wrote:
I have had my c pap machine for about a week. I am waking up with air coming out of my lips and my mouth is shut. Is the only way to prevent this is to tape my mouth ? Or should i look into a full face mask ?
I've not had that problem, but I'm told that taping the mouth shut does help, quite a bit, for many people. There are also chin straps that can be purchased for your mask which will do the same thing. And while not everyone experiences the same, I am told that some people inprove with eliminating their mouth breathing after using it. Again, nothing is certain.
I would recommend trying the taping and maybe chin straps before getting a full face mask. It's a cheaper method and worth trying first.
If that doesn't work or it bothers you do do it, there is always the full face mask. The nose-only method is often preferable because full face masks can be kind of leaky, although some are better than others, I understand. You might try some makeshift experiment of taping, maybe using ace bandages or something, to see if that seems to work. It's worth a shot, and has helped a lot of people.
Here is a quote from a post made here by one of our members
Rested Gal. (this was easier than posting the link to it). She talks about her use of the tape and her feeling about chin straps. She's had experience with this, so maybe this might help. Also, if you have further questions about the taping, you might send her a PM (private message) asking about how to do the taping for best results.
Quote:
... I used a full face mask my first 6 months or more of treatment. Finally I began taping my lips shut with adhesive tape, in order to wear much more comfortable masks like the nasal pillows interfaces (Puritan Bennett's Breeze, ResMed's Swift, and Aeiomed's "Headrest" - that last one was formerly known as the "Aura", and is my favorite of all.)
Taping the lips shut to stop mouth air leaks sounds like a drastic thing. A lot of us on the message boards do that, however, when we find that chin straps cannot stop treatment air from puffing out between closed lips, even with teeth clenched tight shut. The tongue not being in a position to maintain an airtight seal within the mouth is the real culprit leading to mouth air leaks...not the position of the jaw. Some have reported that a chin strap to keep their jaw up better makes their tongue get a good seal. Chin straps don't do that for me, however.
Air gushing out the mouth can really wreck getting effective treatment. We do what we gotta do, sometimes! Tape works great for me. Otherwise, I'd have to wear a full face mask every night.
Good luck.
Linda
