Can something as simple – albeit bizarre – as taping your mouth shut while you sleep really solve a host of common health problems, from bad breath to snoring?
In fact, the claims flooding social media platform TikTok because of the new viral health boom don’t end there: Mouth taping is said to help eliminate double chins, tighten sagging jawlines — and even help you run faster .
All summer long, TikTok users have been posting videos raving about the benefits of mouth taping, which involves placing tape either vertically (across the lips) or diagonally across the mouth (in a St. Andrew’s Cross-style cross). The videos have received more than 25 million views.
Typical posts include one from @Semlerrr saying she had “the best sleep in years” after having her mouth taped, while @countydownunder, a teacher, remembers “being so focused.” [the] next day” after taping the mouth, even recommending that nasal breathing be taught in schools.
Last week, TV presenter Julia Bradbury revealed she had tried it, as did Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
Can something as simple – albeit bizarre – as taping your mouth shut while you sleep really solve a host of common health problems, from bad breath to snoring? (file image)
TikTokers have been posting videos raving about the benefits of mouth taping
Mouth taping is based on the principle that nasal breathing – breathing in and out through the nose – is better for you because it promotes the release of nitric oxide, a chemical that opens the airways and is also believed to cause It helps the body fight off infections (nitric oxide is not produced when you breathe in through your mouth).
But is there any scientific basis for this new trend?
There is no doubt that nitric oxide itself has many health benefits. For example, it relaxes the inner muscles of blood vessels, increasing blood flow, which can help lower blood pressure – and experts agree that nasal breathing helps store more nitric oxide.
“When you breathe out through the nose, 75 percent of the nitric oxide produced is deposited and recycled in the nose – but when you breathe out through the mouth, more than 75 percent of the nitric oxide is lost,” says Robin McNelis, a specialist NHS pulmonary physiotherapist in London .
But it’s not just about nitric oxide, he adds: “When breathing through the nose, air flows through the structures of the nose and absorbs a lot of heat and moisture – this is an advantage because oxygen needs to be at a temperature of 37°C and with humidity be saturated so that it can be absorbed into lung tissue.’
The nose also filters bacteria, pollen and pollutants.
“But when you breathe through your mouth, the air is drier and colder, meaning it has to travel further into the bronchial tubes before it can be absorbed – which can promote hyperventilation and overbreathing,” says Robin McNelis.
Some athletes use nighttime mouth taping to improve their speed and endurance.
Mouth taping is said to help prevent double chins, tighten sagging jawlines – and even help you run faster (stock image)
Tennis player Iga Swiatek even trained on the court with her mouth taped shut at the recent Omnium Banque National tournament in Canada to improve her performance. (The world number two lost in the semifinals.)
This appears to be supported by research, including a study by George Dallam, a professor of human health and exercise at the University of Colorado, which found that runners who had their mouths taped shut during treadmill tests performed on them after six years of training Technique performed better months than those who wore nose clips and breathed through their mouth.
Mouth cones delivered more oxygen to the bloodstream and therefore to the muscles, potentially giving them a competitive advantage.
Additionally, at their 5K race pace, they used less oxygen overall through nasal breathing, as they breathed about 23 percent less.
“This could provide a small performance benefit during exercise,” Professor Dallam told Good Health.
This is because it makes the body work more efficiently (oxygen is a bit like gasoline for your body).
He says athletes need to practice breathing this way so it becomes second nature.
“Anecdotally, we also see that nasal breathing reduces ‘stings,'” he adds.
Mouth breathing can lead to oral problems
Mouth breathing has been linked to some oral health problems, says dentist Sam Jethwa, vice-president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, who runs the Bespoke Smile Academy.
This is because mouth breathing causes your mouth to dry out, so your teeth don’t get covered in saliva – and less saliva means more bacteria build up. “A dry mouth can then lead to bad breath and you can also develop more tooth decay and gum disease,” he explains.
“But I don’t know of any dentist who would recommend mouth tape when treating oral health problems.” If you have a problem like teeth grinding, taping your mouth shut could potentially make your problem worse, as you’re more likely to grind your teeth. when your mouth is closed.”
Jasmine Piran, a dentist at the Smiles by Jasmine clinic in London, is dismissive when it comes to tackling a sagging jaw: “Taping your mouth doesn’t change the shape of your face.”
“There’s no evidence that it helps get rid of a double chin or tighten the jaw—and it doesn’t make any physiological sense,” she says.
According to Robin McNelis, mouth taping can work for people without underlying medical problems who are simply unwell [breathing] Habits,” but adds, “One should always try to figure out the underlying cause of mouth breathing and treat it first. “It would be the treatment you should consider once you have everything else figured out.”
But if nasal breathing is better for overall health and possibly athletic performance when it comes to sleep problems or snoring, experts say taping your mouth may not be the solution people are hoping for.
“I don’t think many people in the sleep industry would support this,” says Guy Leschziner, professor of neurology and sleep medicine and consultant neurologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. “It would be better to figure out why you don’t sleep well and why you snore, rather than using these techniques that could lead you to miss underlying medical conditions.”
Mouth breathing can be caused by a number of problems, including a deviated nasal septum (curved cartilage in the nose that narrows a nasal passage); inflammation associated with allergic rhinitis; or a narrowing of the throat – as well as sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition in which you temporarily stop breathing while you sleep.
And Professor Leschziner fears that mouth taping could inadvertently lead to people “only partially coping with conditions like sleep apnea” and warns that it could even make it harder for someone with a stuffy nose to breathe, leading to “poorer sleep quality.” .
Pavol Surda, consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and the private London Bridge Hospital, agrees and warns that a stuffy or stuffy nose can sometimes lead to difficulty breathing and an increased risk of suffocation or aspiration”.
He recommends consulting a doctor before attempting to tape your mouth, “especially if someone already has breathing problems or sleep apnea.”
The idea that taping might help with sleep disorders may be based on a misunderstanding of breathing pattern disorders—”where you either breathe too much, too fast, or a combination of both, or inefficient breathing where you use your chest and shoulders instead” of your diaphragm says Robin McNelis.
He explains that while these can disrupt sleep – overstimulating nerves and signals to the brain, causing a stress response and the release of the stress hormone adrenaline, and keeping you awake – mouth taping wouldn’t work as a treatment.
Rather, patients need to learn breathing exercises.
There is also a risk in using a type of tape that itself causes problems.
Robin McNelis warns that any tape used should be easily removed by simply blowing through your lips.
He says: “I’ve seen people on social media using really strong tape and that’s definitely not a good idea.”