Is Mouth Taping Dangerous? A New Study Says It Can Be

Lots of the TikTok videos selling mouth taping declare it may enhance your respiratory and oral well being and even scale back the chance of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a severe situation marked by irregular respiration throughout sleep. However medical doctors are warning that this apply is not secure when you’re naturally vulnerable to mouth respiration whereas sleeping as a result of issues like nasal congestion, undiagnosed OSA, airway obstruction, or different inflammatory circumstances.

These issues have been highlighted in a current examine in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. The nonrandomized scientific trial adopted 54 folks with OSA throughout a drug-induced sleep endoscopy. Researchers evaluated their airflow when their mouth was open versus closed. In 12 of the 54 individuals, airflow from inhalation was considerably decreased with a closed mouth. In addition they discovered an affiliation between velopharyngeal obstruction (i.e., weakened tissue between the nasal and oral cavities) and decreased airflow when the mouth was closed.

Past this discovering, the research round the advantages of mouth taping at night are restricted—particularly in relation to OSA. This is what it’s good to find out about your private threat with mouth taping, when you’re contemplating making an attempt the development.

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Is mouth taping harmful?

When you’re somebody who has a simple time respiration by means of your nostril whereas mendacity down, and you have no symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (loud loud night breathing, waking up gasping or choking, morning complications, daytime sleepiness), then you could be within the clear to attempt mouth taping. Nonetheless, it is best to get your sinuses checked by your physician first, simply to ensure you have no undiagnosed obstructions, a deviated septum, and even gentle OSA, which is related to an elevated threat of decrease oxygen ranges and growing circumstances like hypertension, coronary heart rhythm issues, and coronary heart illness, per the Mayo Clinic.

Value noting: One small 2015 study did discover that open-mouth sleepers with gentle sleep apnea might profit from utilizing porous tape (i.e., tape with holes) over their mouths whereas sleeping, to minimize the depth and frequency of loud night breathing and apneas. However extra analysis must be accomplished to totally decide whether or not mouth tape is solely efficient.

If given the “all clear” out of your doc, mouth taping may enable you breathe by means of your nostril, which some research have proven may help stop that annoying dry-mouth feeling when you wake up, in accordance with Henry Ford Health. However when you’re doing it to get a snatched jawline or lowered face wrinkles? The jury’s nonetheless out on whether or not this works.

That mentioned, when you’re somebody who snores or has hassle respiration by means of your nostril as soon as your head hits the pillow (whether or not from allergy symptoms, congestion, a deviated septum, or different well being points), speak to your physician earlier than making an attempt any form of development like mouth taping. Your physician or a sleep specialist can consider you for issues like OSA or different sleep issues and be sure you’re correctly handled with clinically-backed choices—like mouth guards, hypoglossal nerve stimulators, and even minor procedures to open your airways, per the examine.

In the end, mouth taping is just not for everybody, regardless of what TikTok touts. When you have issues about respiration points throughout sleep, the perfect factor to do is see a medical skilled.