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Was plagued by leaks when first started CPAP. Although not recommended by docs (or my spouse), I taped my mouth for one night, and the leak rate was zero. This ruled out mask leak.
It is difficult to adequately treat OSA with CPAP using a nasal mask when there’s frequent mouth leaks.
I was able to conquer mouth breathing by using a soft cervical collar (SCC). Chinstraps were hardly effective. And I cannot tolerate full face masks (and will not help if you don’t have exact fit).
I use a SCC from Walgreens but it needs to be modified for comfort. This involves cutting off the thick ends and bridging with a piece of cloth and sewing the Velcro piece onto to it.
On a few nights, actually had zero leaks wearing the SCC!
I was initially diagnosed with OSA four years ago (age 60) based on a home sleep test. The overall AHI was 21.7 with a supine index of 30.2. Started CPAP but had difficulty with the nasal mask. Then switched to an EMA MAD, and after titration the AHI (home sleep test) was 5.
I’m thinking that a new baseline sleep test (ie, without treatment) would be prudent to determine if OSA severity has changed with age. Also willing to give CPAP another go around.
I use an EMA brand MAD for OSA, and my bed partner says that I occasionally snore while wearing the appliance. Indeed, the duration of snoring is 50-60% of total sleep time according to the SnoreLab app.
Since snoring occurs due to limited airflow, is this an indication that the MAD is not adequately counteracting the positive pressure on the airway?
The MAD I’m using now is a replacement for one that broke about one month ago.
I have fatigue and low energy, and feel less motivation to do daily activities.
