Latest news with #mouthtaping
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Health professionals caution against viral ‘mouth taping' trend
According to new research, there is no evidence to support the claimed benefits of mouth taping. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : The idea of slipping into bed with your mouth taped up may raise a smile, but it is being taken very seriously by influencers, celebrities, and even sportspeople like Norwegian footballer The idea of slipping into bed with your mouth taped up may raise a smile, but it is being taken very seriously by influencers, celebrities, and even sportspeople like Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland This nighttime habit, which has been getting millions of views on TikTok since 2022, is known as mouth taping. It has been credited with a host of virtues, from reduced snoring to improved oxygenation and a fresher complexion. In short, it's touted as a simple, affordable miracle solution – or so it seems. The scientific community, however, is much more cautious: Canadian researchers have examined this practice to scientifically evaluate its effects. Their study, published in the journal PLOS One, compiles and analyses the results of 86 previous studies – 10 of which, representing clinical data from 213 patients, were studied in depth. Their aim? To sort online beliefs from concrete medical evidence. As it turns out, there is no evidence to support the claimed benefits of mouth taping. In fact, the practice could have harmful effects, particularly for sleep apnoea sufferers. By hindering mouth breathing, the tape can make sleep-disordered breathing worse, and cause oxygen levels in the blood to drop dangerously, especially in the event of nasal obstruction. 'Our research shows that taping the mouth shut during sleep is dangerous, especially among those who may not be aware they have sleep apnoea,' said study co-author Dr Brian Rotenberg. 'These individuals are unknowingly making their symptoms worse and putting themselves at greater risk for serious health complications like heart disease.' What worries the scientific community most is the speed at which this trend is spreading – without medical validation. While taping your mouth shut before going to sleep may be perceived as a harmless action, it actually presents real risks. The researchers are, therefore, urging caution, reminding everyone that, in the face of pseudo-wellness advice posted online, only genuine medical expertise should be relied upon. 'We need to make health decisions based on strong scientific evidence,' said researcher Jess Rhee, who contributed to the study. 'Our hope is that people stop taping their mouths during sleep and recognise it is dangerous.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Is mouth taping dangerous? An expert says the trend 'is not an appropriate therapy' for people with sleep apnea
Mouth taping has become a viral wellness trend among influencers and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Graham and Emma Roberts. However, Canadian researchers are warning that putting tape or an adhesive patch over your mouth while sleeping could be "extremely unsafe" if you have breathing issues. A study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One indicated mouth taping could be harmful when trying to treat problems like mouth breathing and sleep disordered breathing. It could also be dangerous for someone with sleep apnea, a disorder where a person's breathing stops repeatedly while they're sleeping. Dr. Brian Rotenberg, a senior author on the study, told Yahoo Canada there are two main reasons why people should likely avoid this home remedy. "If the patient is having nasal obstruction, there's usually a reason for that," the otolaryngologist at London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph's Health Care London and Western University in Ontario explained. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. "It is better to have that reason investigated by a qualified health-care practitioner — for example a primary-care physician, an ENT (ear, nose and throat) person like myself or a nurse practitioner — to actually make a diagnosis than doing a Band-Aid and treating it without knowing the cause," he added. The sleep surgeon further explained there are numerous people who are unaware they have sleep apnea. About nine per cent of men and three to four per cent of women have the disorder and remain unaware, he indicated. "We're talking millions of Canadians and way more Americans and way more globally." Mouth taping is a home remedy method that involves a person placing a tape or adhesive patch over their mouth when going to sleep. This is meant to reduce their mouth breathing at night, pushing them to use their nose to breath. In turn, nose breathing should warm and humidify the air entering the body, reducing snoring and improving sleep quality. In November 2022, Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow shared on Instagram she was using a product called MyoTape, touting it was "probably the single best wellness tool" she'd recently found: "Breathing through your nose at night apparently creates alkalinity in the body and promotes the best quality sleep." The following May, supermodel Ashley Graham posted similar reviews to the practice, saying she had "never slept better." Actress Emma Roberts also recently called it "life changing" and that she wakes up feeling "more refreshed." Influencers online have lately been echoing similar sentiments, claiming that sleeping this way has improved their asthma symptoms, increased their oral hygiene and even sharpened their jawline. But according to Rotenberg's research in collaboration with Halifax-based paediatric otolaryngologist Dr. Elise Graham and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry resident Jess Rhee, there wasn't any strong evidence of mouth taping health benefits. The team looked at 86 existing studies on the topic, and gave an in-depth review of 10 worth looking over. Out of those studies, eight showed no benefits and two suggested minimal benefits. Rotenberg used an analogy of a patient who is seeing their vision worsen. In some cases, that might simply be a case of needing new glasses. "But what if you have glaucoma? What if you have cataracts? What if you have retinal disease? All those things can present as decreases in vision that are otherwise non-specified," Rotenberg noted. "But you would never not go to your eye doctor. You wouldn't just order glasses off the internet and say, 'Let's give them a go.' You would actually do something about it and investigate it." He said the same analogy works with the nose, which is a part of the body that can have "lots of issues" that cause breathing problems. Those might include a deviated septum, nasal polyps or even a tumour. "Those things are not going to get fixed with mouth taping," he shared. When it comes to having sleep apnea, he said mouth taping can become "extremely unsafe" and can potentially make the disorder even worse: "When you have sleep apnea, the throat's collapsing in. So your throat's collapsing, now your nose is blocked and you're treating your nose blockage by covering your mouth. At that point, what's left to breathe through?" A few years ago, Rotenberg said he initially thought mouth taping was just another viral trend that wasn't worth spending time worrying about. But over time, he and his collaborators noted how it became a real thing that people were continuously doing. That pushed him to begin research on the topic about a year and a half ago. If a patient was asking about potentially using mouth taping as a remedy, Rotenberg said he'd do an assessment and then conduct an examination to see what might be happening: "More often than not, I would likely see something happening to cause the obstruction, in which case I would not offer mouth taping but I would offer them other therapies that are evidence based and science based." Still, he noted there may be the odd occasion where a patient won't have any reason why they're not breathing through their nose. "Something like that, I think [mouth taping] would be OK." However, he urged people to use more critical thinking when it comes to following viral trends they come across on social media. "Just to be clear, I don't want to portray mouth taping as the root of all evil on planet Earth — it's not like that. There for sure some people out there who would probably benefit from this," he shared. "My thesis is to have people apply a little more thought before they just initiate something because of an influencer suggesting this is a good idea. Actually look into it and think, 'What's the problem here in the first place?'"
The Independent
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Scientists warn against viral nighttime mouth-taping trend
The recent social media -driven fad of taping one's mouth shut while sleeping to prevent mouth breathing could pose a serious risk of asphyxiation, a new review of studies warns. When one's nasal passages are blocked, breathing naturally shifts from the nose to the mouth. Mouth breathing has been linked to conditions ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnea, in which breathing stops and starts frequently during sleep. A viral trend on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram promotes placing tape over the mouth to stop 'mouth breathing' and promote breathing through the nose during sleep. Many social media influencers and celebrities claim mouth taping leads to better sleep, enhanced oral health, and anti-ageing results. However, until now, the safety and effectiveness of nighttime mouth taping remain unclear. 'It was concerning to us that celebrities and influencers are endorsing mouth taping without scientific evidence,' said study co-author Brian Rotenberg. '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,' Dr Rotenberg said. The new review evaluated over 10 previous studies that assessed the potential benefits of sealing the mouth shut using techniques including tape or other devices like chin straps in a total of 213 patients. Two of the 10 studies suggest that mouth taping may be associated with slight improvement among a subset of people with mild obstructive sleep apnea. However, other studies found no evidence of the practice helping treat mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing, or sleep apnea. Four of the 10 studies warn of a potentially serious risk of asphyxiation posed by sealing the mouth shut during sleep among people with serious restriction of nasal airways. Such a serious nasal obstruction could be caused by conditions like hay fever, chronic rhinitis, deviated septum, sinonasal disease, or enlarged tonsils, scientists say. 'Many people are not appropriate for mouth taping, and in some cases it can lead to risk of serious health harm,' they wrote. 'These individuals are unknowingly making their symptoms worse and putting themselves at greater risk for serious health complications like heart disease,' Dr Rotenberg explained. Based on the findings, researchers caution against nighttime mouth taping as a treatment for sleep-disordered breathing. 'We need to make health decisions based on strong scientific evidence. Our hope is that people stop taping their mouths during sleep and recognise it is dangerous,' said Jess Rhee, another author of the study.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Warning over deadly suffocation risk of celeb health trend loved by Gwyneth Paltrow
Experts have raised the alarm over the viral sleep trend of taping the mouth shut in a bid to encourage deeper breathing and, as a result, a better night's rest. While the fad may have gained popularity among celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Tess Daly, it deprives wearers of life-giving oxygen overnight, experts from Canada have found. By analysing 10 studies on the practise, scientists at the Lawson Research Institute discovered an alarming risk of potentially fatal suffocation for millions who naturally breathe more easily through their mouth. This is common in those with allergies and even a cold or runny nose, whereby the nasal passages are blocked. Four of the studies the researchers looked at found evidence of the life-threatening risk of suffocation, also called asphyxiation, which means the body is deprived of oxygen. What's more, the analysis showed the trend was useless in relieving snoring or sleep apnoea. 'Mouth taping is a contemporary practice that is often celebrity-endorsed, but is not necessarily scientifically accurate,' Dr Brian Rotenberg, an ENT specialist and author of the study, explained. 'Many people are not appropriate for mouth taping, and in some cases it can lead to risk of serious health harm.' Mouth taping involves securing the mouth shut with adhesive tape, across the lips, before going to sleep, forcing the wearer to breathe through their nose. This, proponents of the practice believe, is what leads to benefits, as snoring is typically caused by tongue vibrations that happen when people breathe through their mouth. Advocates also say breathing through the nose can help protect against bugs, as it triggers the production of a compound called nitric oxide, which acts as a defense mechanism against pathogens we inhale. Nitric oxide has also been shown to relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure and even support kidney function. However, researchers found that in 80 per cent of the studies, there was no evidence that mouth taping helped treat mouth breathing or snoring overnight. Just two of the studies suggested that people with mild obstructive sleep apnoea may benefit slightly from the practice. This common condition, which affects around 1.5million people in the UK, occurs when the walls of the throat relax and narrow or close during sleep, blocking the upper airway. This can interrupt breathing, causing sufferers to wake suddenly throughout the night and has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and dementia. Most concerning was the risk of asphyxiation, the researchers said. People who suffer from rhinitis—which occurs when the inside of the nose becomes irritated, causing a blocked or runny nose—allergies, or have a deviated septum, are more likely to experience breathing difficulties when using mouth tape, they warned. On the basis of these findings, Dr Rotenberg and his colleagues are confident that existing evidence does not support mouth taping as an effective treatment for snoring or sleep apnea. However, the researchers note, further research is needed to ascertain whether mouth-taping provides other health benefits.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
‘Miracle' sleep hack loved by Erling Haaland and Gwyneth Paltrow poses ‘serious health harm', scientists warn
A POPULAR sleep trend that's taken social media by storm and loved by celebs "could suffocate and kill you", scientists warn. Mouth taping is an increasingly popular home treatment used to encourage nose breathing during sleep. 3 And a whole bunch of celebs can't get enough of it. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland includes mouth taping as part of his sleep and training routine. In a chat with Logan Paul on the 'Impaulsive' podcast, he explained: "I think sleep is the most important thing in the world. You should try and tape your mouth shut close at night." Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, known for her unique approach to health and wellness, has also jumped on the mouth taping band wagon. In November 2022, she took to her Instagram to recommend the mouth taping brand she uses, saying: "This is probably the single best wellness tool I have found recently. Breathing through your nose at night apparently creates alkalinity in the body and promotes best quality sleep." Model Ashley Graham, US talk show host Jimmy Fallon, and Virgin Radio host Chris Evans are also fans of the sleep hack. But an evaluation of 10 previously published studies suggests the recent fad may have little benefit and could pose serious asphyxiation risks. As the safety and effectiveness of nighttime mouth taping has actually been unclear up until this point, Dr Brian Rotenberg of Western University in London, Ontario, Canada and colleagues at St Joseph's Health Care London and London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute reviewed studies that have explored the practice. Their analysis included 10 studies that employed different research methods to evaluate the potential benefits of sealing the mouth shut - using tape or other devices, such as chin straps - for a total of 213 patients. I want to freeze ageing at 27 but trolls ask who'd go to bed with me Out of the 10 studies, two suggested mouth taping may be associated with a slight improvement in apnea-hyopopnea index - a measure of sleep apnoea severity. But other studies found no evidence mouth taping might help treat mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing, or sleep apnoea. Four of the 10 studies discussed the potential serious risk of asphyxiation posed by sealing the mouth shut during sleep, particularly for those with serious restriction or blockage of nasal airways. Serious nasal obstruction could result from conditions such as hay fever, chronic rhinitis, deviated septum, sinonasal disease, or englarged tonsils. The authors concluded existing evidence doesn't support nighttime mouth taping as a treatment for sleep-disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnoea. But they did note further research is needed. 3 They wrote: "Mouth taping is a contemporary practice that is often celebrity-endorsed, but is not necessarily scientifically accurate. "Many people are not appropriate for mouth taping, and in some cases it can lead to risk of serious health harm.' Alternatives to mouth taping for encouraging nasal breathing during sleep include nasal strips, decongestants, saline flushes, and CPAP machines. But consulting your GP about encouraging nasal breathing is wise.
