Summary
Ira Flato and Science Friday tackle the viral mouth taping trend with Dr. Linda Lee, a physician and surgeon at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston who performs deviated septum and nasal breathing surgeries. Dr. Lee brings a cautious, evidence-based perspective, warning that many people cannot actually breathe through their nose due to deviated septums or allergies, and that forcing the mouth closed before addressing those issues is potentially dangerous. Dr. Lee discusses a 2022 preliminary study from Taiwan showing mouth taping reduced snoring and sleep apnea severity in mild cases, but cautions against using it as a substitute for CPAP therapy without proper evaluation. She describes drug-induced sleep endoscopy as a diagnostic tool that can reveal whether closing the mouth actually resolves a patient's airway obstruction. The conversation highlights the benefits of nasal breathing for saliva retention and oral health, while emphasizing that mouth taping should follow a medical evaluation rather than replace one. Dr. Lee notes that the social media trend has had the positive effect of making patients more aware of nasal obstruction issues worth treating.
Key Points
- Dr. Linda Lee warns that mouth taping before a medical evaluation can be dangerous for people who cannot breathe through their nose
- A 2022 preliminary study from Taiwan found mouth taping improved snoring and mild sleep apnea severity, but is not a proven CPAP alternative
- Drug-induced sleep endoscopy can reveal whether closing the mouth resolves a patient's specific airway obstruction
- Nasal breathing helps keep the mouth moist, protecting against bad breath and poor dental health
- Mouth taping should not replace CPAP for moderate-to-severe sleep apnea, as it risks deoxygenating organs
- Training nasal breathing during the day while conscious is recommended before attempting mouth taping at night
- Breathe Right strips are a more conservative alternative to the nose magnets trending on social media
- The social media trend has positively increased patient awareness of treatable nasal obstruction issues
Key Moments
ENT surgeon warns against mouth taping without evaluation
Dr. Linda Lee, an ENT surgeon at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, explains that mouth taping is generally not a good idea before a medical evaluation, since many people cannot breathe through their nose due to deviated septums or allergies.
"Any information you could share would be great. Thanks in advance. If you frequent the wellness world on social media, you have probably seen this mouth taping trend. If you avoid wellness TikTok like an unsterilized jade egg, then you probably haven't. But it's people using adhesive tape to force their mouth closed while they're sleeping to promote nose breathing. I absolutely love mouth taping. It has completely changed my life, my sleep, the way that I look. I have such a stuffy nose by nature, deviated septum, all the nose problems, and it forces your nose to kind of clear out. I've never woken up with a clearer nose."
Sleep endoscopy can identify who benefits from mouth taping
Dr. Lee describes drug-induced sleep endoscopy, where doctors put patients to sleep under anesthesia and observe where airway obstruction occurs, allowing them to determine if closing the mouth actually resolves sleep apnea for specific individuals.
"And so in these sleep endoscopies, you can actually see where is the level of obstruction. And there are some people where they close their mouth during that sleep endoscopy and they see that now they don't have sleep apnea. So then now you can actually try to train your body to close your mouth with a chin strap or a mouth tape."
Dangerous conclusion that mouth taping can replace CPAP
Dr. Lee highlights the danger of a 2022 Taiwan study concluding mouth taping could be an alternative to CPAP for mild sleep apnea, noting that people who hate their CPAP will jump at any excuse to abandon it, potentially putting their health at risk.
"Their conclusion, which I think is so dangerous, it says mouth taping could be an alternative treatment in patients with mild sleep apnea before turning to CPAP therapy or surgical intervention. And that kind of stuff is so powerful in potentially a dangerous way because nobody likes their CPAP, right?"
