CPAP and canker sores

by Paul

I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea for over 6 years. I use the full face mask with oxygen. My problem is that I constantly get these mouth sores (like canker sores) in my mouth. I seem to keep one all the time.

They are very painful. I have tried all sorts of medicines - canker, Sea Buckthorne Fruit Oil, peroxide, assortments of mouth wash, to name a few. Nothing works.

I have put a shield in my mask to direct the direct flow of air from going straight into my mouth - I sleep with my mouth open because I can't breathe through my nose. I have not found anyone to help me solve my problem.

Please, please tell me you know the answer.

Answer

Paul, do you have a history of canker sores or thrush before CPAP therapy? Because we have to consider all the causes of having canker sores, which can be any agent, condition, or other stimulus that causes stress, fungal infection, dry mouth, etc.

I don't know if you'll be happy or not, to tell you that dry mouth can cause this painful sores. Happy, because you now know a very probable cause for your problem (your doctor has to confirm this), but unhappy because is not so easy to find a solution.

Dry mouth comes from breathing with your mouth open, or when the air that is recirculating in through the nose and out through the mouth.


You can find solutions for this problem on the page about CPAP dry mouth.

However, the tip when you could use the chin strap to prevent the opening of the mouth during sleep is not recommended for you at this stage. That's because you can't breathe through the nose.

So I would advise you to fix this problem first - breathing normally through your nose. Then, if you still can't sleep with your mouth closed, you should use the chin strap.


Bottom line...Go to your doctor and find why you can't breathe through the nose. Maybe you have deviated septum or enlarged turbinates... Your doctor knows better.

Fix the nose problem, and then use the CPAP chin strap together with your mask, only if you can't sleep with the mouth closed.

It's imperative to breathe through the nose! All the medications for canker sores fix the symptoms. But you have to fix the cause. If the cause is dry mouth, then breathing through a healthy nose is your solution.


I hope it helps. Don't be afraid to comment back.

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Remy
www.sleep-apnea-guide.com

Please remember...what is posted on these forums are our experiences, thoughts and opinions...it is not always 100% accurate.