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Global News
22-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Should you be mouth taping? What's driving the viral trend
Mouth taping, the practice of sealing the lips shut during sleep to encourage nasal breathing, has gained traction online, promoted as a helpful solution for snoring, dry mouth and poor sleep. While some people tout it as a simple way to get better sleep, medical experts warn the practice may be ineffective at best and potentially risky for those with undiagnosed sleep disorders. The trend has exploded on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where influencers and wellness enthusiasts claim that taping the mouth shut at night can lead to deeper sleep, reduced snoring and even improved focus and immunity. At first glance, it sounds like a harmless (if slightly odd) sleep hack. But experts are pushing back, saying the trend oversimplifies a complex issue. While nasal breathing can be beneficial, they warn that mouth taping isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Story continues below advertisement Search for 'mouth taping' on social media and you'll find sharply divided opinions. Countless videos tout health benefits from promoting nasal breathing and reducing snoring, while others warn the practice could be dangerous, particularly for those with undiagnosed conditions like sleep apnea, where restricting airflow could pose serious health risks. @doctorgracechung This Mouth Tape Trend Needs to Stop Now! 🚫🙅🏽♀️ Our bodies know how to get the oxygen they need. If you're struggling with mouth breathing at night, it's crucial to address any underlying medical conditions properly. Forcing your mouth shut with tape can lower oxygen levels and cause serious harm. Let's prioritize our health and get the right treatment! #mouthtape #drymouth #WellnessTips #oralhealth #dentaltips ♬ original sound – Now, those warnings have scientific backing. A Canadian study published Wednesday in PLOS One confirms this danger, finding that mouth taping could be particularly risky for people with sleep apnea — a condition that often goes undiagnosed as breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. The researchers from the London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute in London, Ont., took a closer look at the science behind mouth taping. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy They combed through existing medical literature and found 10 studies they considered high enough quality to include in their final review. These studies looked at different ways people try to keep their mouths closed during sleep — from tape to chin straps — and included data from a total of 213 participants. Two studies showed a slight improvement in sleep apnea symptoms for a small group of people with mild cases. But most of the research showed no meaningful benefits for things like mouth breathing, snoring or sleep-disordered breathing, the researchers said. Story continues below advertisement Four of the studies flagged a potential safety issue: for people whose noses are blocked or narrowed, due to allergies, chronic nasal inflammation, a deviated septum or other conditions, sealing the mouth shut could pose a real risk of asphyxiation. 2:23 Several treatment options for those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea 'Eighty per cent of the papers published did not show any benefit to this practice. Twenty per cent did show a slight benefit … likely statistically beneficial, but not really clinically beneficial,' said lead author Dr. Brian Rotenberg, who is an otolaryngology specialist at London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph's Health Care London and Western University. Rotenberg said that until about three years ago, he'd never heard of mouth taping. But then patients started showing up at his clinic asking about it after seeing the trend online. As more people began mentioning it, he decided that if patients were trying this themselves, researchers should look into what actual evidence exists to support or refute the practice. Story continues below advertisement 'Our nose is a very vital structure … it humidifies the air we breathe in, it warms the air we breathe in … so breathing through the nose in all honesty just kind of feels better. And so people want to breathe through their noses,' he explained. 'The issue is that many, many people out there, for many numbers of reasons, they just can't breathe through the nose. So why can't we breathe through our nose is the real question. And there are many reasons … could be allergies, could be a deviated septum, could be nasal polyps, or even in some rare cases, you can have a nasal tumour there, and these things happen as well,' Rotenberg added. 0:29 Good sleep leads to a healthier heart But if you don't know you have these underlying problems, mouth taping isn't going to treat them, he said, and could even pose real health risks, especially for those with sleep apnea. Story continues below advertisement He acknowledged that some people do report positive experiences with mouth taping, saying it helps them breathe more easily through their nose and wake up feeling more rested. Rotenberg doesn't dismiss those accounts outright — but he emphasized that one person's success doesn't necessarily mean the method is safe or effective for everyone. If you're having trouble breathing through your nose, he recommends speaking with your doctor to check for any underlying nasal obstructions or sleep-related issues. — With files from Global News' Katherine Ward
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors expose TikTok's mouth taping fad as unproven, risky, and medically unsafe
Mouth taping, a viral trend gaining momentum on TikTok and other social media platforms, is under scrutiny after a new Canadian study revealed it poses serious health risks, especially for people with undiagnosed sleep apnea or other breathing disorders. Popular among self-styled 'looksmaxxing' communities and wellness influencers, the practice involves sealing the lips shut during sleep to encourage nasal breathing. Claims range from improved sleep and better oral health to enhanced jawline definition and anti-aging effects. But researchers from the Lawson Research Institute, London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI), and Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry say these claims have no strong scientific basis. They reviewed 86 studies on the subject and performed an in-depth analysis of 10 that included 213 patient experiences. The conclusion: mouth taping does not deliver the health benefits influencers promise, and may actually worsen sleep-related breathing issues. While social media content promotes mouth taping as a simple solution for a variety of sleep and cosmetic issues, the researchers found no robust evidence supporting any of these benefits. The trend is being driven largely by non-experts, many of whom lack medical training. Dr. Brian Rotenberg, a researcher at Lawson, LHSCRI, and Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, noted that it was concerning to see celebrities and influencers endorsing mouth taping without scientific evidence. He said, 'In the language of social media influencers, it seemed a bit 'sus,' so we examined what science is telling us about this trend and whether or not it is safe.' The review found no meaningful improvements in sleep quality, oral hygiene, or physical appearance that could be directly linked to mouth taping. In fact, most studies either showed no impact or highlighted potential complications. The biggest concern from the researchers is the risk posed to people with undiagnosed sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Taping the mouth can block a crucial airway route, especially if the nose becomes congested. Rotenberg, who is also an otolaryngologist and sleep surgeon, emphasized that taping the mouth shut during sleep is dangerous, especially among those who may not be aware they have sleep apnea. He said these individuals are unknowingly making their symptoms worse and putting themselves at greater risk for serious health complications like heart disease. The rise of mouth taping is closely tied to online beauty and 'optimization' trends, where users chase physical perfection through extreme or unproven techniques. Within the looksmaxxing community, a space focused on enhancing perceived attractiveness, mouth taping has been promoted as a way to fix the so-called 'mouth breather face' and sculpt a more defined jawline. It's often discussed alongside practices like 'mewing,' which involves tongue posture exercises, and 'mogging,' which describes outshining others in looks or dominance. These aesthetic claims have spread rapidly across platforms like TikTok and Reddit, even though they lack credible scientific validation. The influence of viral trends often outpaces scientific scrutiny, creating a gap that misinformation easily fills. People trying these hacks are often unaware of the physiological dangers involved, particularly when they interfere with something as critical as breathing. The study's authors stressed the importance of making health decisions based on scientific research rather than social media fads. The message from the medical community is clear: wellness trends should not come at the cost of breathing safely through the night. The study is published in the journal PLOS One.
