Do I Need to Use a Chin Strap for my CPAP Therapy?

Suppose you’re having trouble using your Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device because your mouth keeps opening. In that case, you might be wondering, “should I wear a CPAP chinstrap for my CPAP therapy?”.

Chinstraps for sleep apnea can assist some CPAP therapy patients with skin irritation, mouth breathing, dry mouth, CPAP mask leakage and more!

A CPAP chin strap is a cloth cup with straps that run up on the sides of the face and over the top of the head to support the chin. The use of a chin strap for CPAP has the advantage of keeping the mouth closed when sleeping and reducing dry mouth symptoms the following day.

When Chin Straps Help Sleep Apnea

CPAP chin straps help keep the air from the CPAP machine escaping via the open lips. Some people may benefit from snoring chin straps, but not everyone. Patients who snore with their mouths open can use them, while those who snore via their noses should avoid them, as suffering from nasal congestion means you will not receive enough oxygen with a closed mouth.

There are three primary signs that you could benefit from a CPAP chin strap for your CPAP treatment:

According to the data from your CPAP or BiPAP equipment, you have a high leak rate.

A chin strap for sleep apnea can assist in minimising mouth leakages. It’s generally a high-grade piece of healthcare fabric that may be wrapped around your lower jaw and top of your head and fastened with Velcro. It might feature a chin cup, similar to rugby headgear, to keep your mouth closed and helps you to get the most out of your CPAP machine.

When wearing a full CPAP face mask, you may suffer a “jaw drop,” which causes your mouth to open and disrupt the seal.

Based on other people’s input, you’ll probably know if you need a CPAP chin strap. If you observe mouth breathing during your sleep study, you can start using it right away. Alternatively, if your significant other observes air escaping from your lips at sleep or perhaps snoring, a chinstrap for sleep apnea may be required. Also, if you wake up with a dry mouth or a sore throat, it might be because you’re using your CPAP machine with mouth breathing.

You have a dry tongue, mouth, or throat every morning.

If you use a CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea, you may experience mouth breathing issues that require the use of a CPAP chin strap to fix. Extremely dry mouths and throats can be unpleasant or painful, and long-term dryness can harm your gums and teeth. When air escapes via the lips, it may undermine the therapy’s efficacy, leading to the persistence of sleep apnea.

When You Shouldn’t Use a Chin Strap for Sleep Apnea

You might not want to wear a CPAP chin strap in some situations. You may not be getting enough air supplied through a nasal mask if you have a stuffy nose, a deviated septum, or if your CPAP pressure isn’t set correctly. It’s also conceivable that a high CPAP pressure will blast the mouth open, in which case the pressure will need to be reduced.

A full-face mask that enables breathing via both the nose and mouth is another option, in addition to wearing a chinstrap for sleep apnea. These masks may create more leakage and markings on the face, making sure they’re correctly placed to achieve the best results.

If you’re having trouble breathing through your mouth while using a CPAP machine, get assistance. Before attempting to use a chinstrap on your own, consult with your durable medical equipment supplier or a board-certified sleep doctor.

Fortunately, most people can overcome mouth breathing with or without using a chinstrap for sleep apnea after minor modifications. Seek assistance if necessary to return to a regular breathing pattern.

Which Chin Strap for Sleep Apnea is Right for Me?

CPAP chin straps come in various styles, each with its own function, look, and comfort. It’s critical to choose the proper snoring chin strap if you want to have a good night’s sleep.

Chinstraps for sleep apnea should be able to stay in place all night and apply the least amount of effort necessary to keep the lips shut. They should enable the mouth to expand readily while keeping the jaw closed when relaxed.

Regardless of whatever chin strap is utilised, the pressure applied by the strap should only be enough to keep the mouth shut. It is always best to see your doctor to know entirely that a chin strap is suitable for you.

How to Use a CPAP Chin Strap?

Here’s how to locate the ideal match:

Grab a grip of the slack strap.
Make sure the strip is snug but not too tight around your head, and don’t get your hair stuck in the process.
Experiment with the tightness until you find a comfortable level. It should hug your head softly. It’s fine if you can open your lips when awake because the strap is meant to keep your jaw firmly shut when you’re sleeping, not to clamp it tight.

Stay Safe with BioMed

At Biomed, our mission as professional fabric manufacturers is to create high-quality healthcare fabrics and produce superior fabric manufacturing, which is why we ensure that our business operations always align with our ISO 9001 certification for quality management.

Our dedication to strict Australian fabric manufacturing standards for our CPAP chin straps demonstrates the reliability of our products and our commitment to providing our customers with superior CPAP products. Our chinstraps for sleep apnea offer a high comfort level by minimising skin irritations, alongside anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic properties for safety and comfort.

Through the prevention of germs and bacteria, the life of medical products – such as CPAP masks, CPAP Chin Straps, Back Support Braces and many more CPAP Accessories – can be prolonged. As the build-up of bacteria and germs can cause fabrics that are not of a medical-grade, to deteriorate over time and become unsanitary and uncomfortable to wear.

At Biomed, we have a longstanding partnership with ResMed CPAP Supplies to supply medical grade healthcare fabrics for their products, which have offered superior patient comfort for decades. To find out more information on our full range of CPAP Accessories, CPAP Chin Straps Face Masks, and Medical-Grade Healthcare Fabrics, please contact our team of Biomed medical fabrics and materials experts on (02) 9758 3855. BioMed