I use these and am very satisfied with them. There are some tricks I have figured out and since I've benefitted in the past from other well-written reviews I decided to "give back" and help some folks use these successfully. I tried the 'Mute' ones, which are more translucent "clear" and also a bit more soft or 'flimsy', and I didn't like them as well. So the yellow "Turbine" ones are it for me.
My dentist recommended this device to me. I sleep on my back and my mouth drops open, tongue falls back blocking my airway, which causes snoring and, more seriously, long periods of sleep apnea. I tried a cpap machine but didn't like it at all. The relief it gave was outweighed by the discomfort and "too much-ness" of the entire bunch of equipment I had to wear every night. I tried these little things and took time to work out how to get the most from them. It's worth taking some time with them--they took a bit of fiddling to get the fit correct. (The video they have now is very much more clear than when I first found these things).
The other thing I do is that I use paper "wound care" tape across my mouth to keep it from falling open. I apply lip balm, sort of 'roll' my lips together and apply the tape, then relax my lips. The tape stays on just fine and when I take it off in the morning it doesn't pull the sensitive skin on my lips.
Some people apply the tape vertically, some horizontally. You have to try it a few times to get the right method for yourself. And use the paper tape that's made for changing dressings often. It has the least amount of adhesive. I had to get past the weirdness of having my mouth taped shut but that wasn't too bad. And it's not like I can't just open my mouth if needed. (It's not like I'm duct taping my whole mouth shut!!! ) It just keeps the mouth closed and the tongue from falling backward the way it does if my mouth falls open in sleep, and it makes sure I'm breathing through my nose. I live in a kind of dry climate, at about 2100 ft. altitude, so I always run a humidifier while sleeping. I try to keep the humidity around 40-45% and that helps a lot. (Side-note, some folks have mentioned scabs and bleeding...I've never had that from these devices, but as I said, I live in a high, dry climate and used to get nosebleeds. I have learned that I get fewer nosebleeds when I'm well hydrated by drinking plenty of water *and* running the humidifier)
I really recommend that you try these two things together--the tape WITH the nasal dilators has made ALL the difference and I no longer use the cpap machine.
A note on care of these devices; I take the little things out every morning and clean them right away, before I brush my teeth. Don't just put it on your nightstand...I've lost about 4 of them this way! I forget about them, then they get knocked off somehow and they're hard to see... I think they just got vacuumed up. The yellow ones are easier to see if you drop them, too! To clean it, I use a very soft toothbrush (like the kind you get after having oral surgery). I wet both the device and the toothbrush, drag the wet brush across a bar of unscented soap, and scrub the entire device gently. Then I rinse it well and set it on a special tiny dish I keep on the bathroom counter for this purpose. Then at night, it's always right there, clean, dry and ready to use. Sometimes I soak it in Hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes after washing but it never foams up like it would if there were lots of bacteria left on it. I have used these for WAY longer than the recommended 10 days. They're silicone! They're quite durable and can last a good while.
Good luck!
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 6.69 x 2.76 x 0.75 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.03 Kilograms |
| Brand Name | Rhinomed |
| Model Name | Turbine Nasal Dilator |
| Color | Yellow |
| Material | Plastic |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Number of Items | 3 |
| Manufacturer | Rhinomed Limited |
| Part Number | TURB30SML |
| Style | 3 Pack Small |
| Size | 3 Pack Small |
| Sport Type | Cycling |
