Breathing is something that your body does unconsciously, constantly and without any second thought. It is also the first thing that is affected when one gets sick with the flu, forcing you to actively
breathe from the mouth. While this is something that is done due to necessity, mouth breathing is actually not the best method of breathing. Breathing from the mouth, especially when you inhale and exhale through parted lips, can have extensive health consequences.
Nowadays, social media influencers and health-conscious creators online have started a new trend – mouth taping. They share how this can help correct their way of breathing, forcing the body to breathe from the nose and not the mouth. But is that the correct way to go about fixing this habit? Not really, if studies are to be believed.
To understand the risks and learn how to breathe properly, Dr Harihara Murthy, ENT, head and neck surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Bangalore, spoke to HT Lifestyle, who shared that mouth breathing can lead to serious illnesses.
Common problems related to mouth breathing
- Disturbed sleep: Mouth breathing can cause enlarged tonsils, which lead to snoring and result in poor sleep.
- Gum problems: Dries out the gums and tissues of the mouth, disrupting the normal balance of bacteria in the mouth and leading to gum disease and tooth decay.
- Lung problems: Reduced oxygen concentration in the blood affects the lungs’ functioning, and it worsens for people who have asthma.
- Droopy eyes: Veins around the eyes dilate due to mouth breathing, leading to droopy eyes and dark circles or dark spots around the eyes.
- Flu and cold: The nose filters germs with tiny cilia, but mouth breathing bypasses this defence, letting bacteria reach the throat and increasing the risks of colds, sinus infections, etc.
- Sore throat: Because of mouth breathing, the tissues of the mouth and the throat become dry, which leaves a chronic dry and sore throat in the morning.
Mouth Breathing in Kids
The ENT surgeon cautioned that the growth and development of kids who practise mouth breathing can be affected. It may cause downward jaw growth, crooked teeth, long face syndrome, a protruding upper lip, and flared nostrils.
In fact, a 2025 study found that mouth breathing in children can cause snoring, restless sleep, and even pauses in breathing at night. It is essential that caregivers pay close attention to children when they are sleeping to prevent this habit from developing.
Signs You are mouth breathing
- Dry mouth at all times
- Bad breath throughout the day
- Mental fatigue or brain fog
- Constantly snoring, drooling
- Wakes up feeling tired and irritable
How to prevent mouth breathing
To prevent mouth breathing, Dr Murthy shared that people should practice diaphragm breathing: “This enables the engagement of the right diaphragmatic muscles to breathe through the nose.” Further, people with sleep apnea or chronic sleeping should use supportive pillows and maintain good posture when sleeping to reduce mouth breathing.
Does Mouth Taping Work?
A study suggests that taping your mouth shut while you sleep offers limited benefits. In fact, it can pose more risks than cures. The research studied people who are known mouth breathers or suffer from breathing-related sleeping problems like sleep apnoea to understand the potential benefits and harms of mouth taping for this group.
The researchers found ten eligible studies published between 1999 and 2024, with a total of 213 participants. Eight studies looked at mouth taping, and two studies involved using a chin strap to keep the mouth shut.
Only two studies identified any benefits of mouth taping for mild obstructive sleep apnoea. The improvements they observed were also modest but not clinically significant, so they wouldn’t make much difference to symptoms or treatment decisions. The remainder of the studies found no evidence that mouth taping helps to treat mouth breathing or related conditions.
