Snoring affects more than just your breathing. If left untreated, snoring can leave you sleep-deprived and tired throughout the day. Snoring can even begin to affect your relationship with your partner. The combination of keeping them up with your snoring and neither of you getting enough sleep can lead to irritability and eventually arguments that could have been avoided. One popular solution is lip taping.
What Is Lip Taping?
Lip taping is a treatment for snoring and mouth breathing, but many people don’t know what it entails. Lip taping can be done by the patient or by their dentist. While it may not sound like much, lip taping can be a beneficial, low-effort solution for many people. It involves placing adhesive tape on the upper lip to reposition the lower jaw and tongue. It promotes the tongue to rest against the upper palate to discourage mouth breathing.
Why Mouth Breathing Is Bad
Mouth breathing, or mouth snoring as it’s sometimes called, is unhealthy because the air that moves through your nose and throat during sleep doesn’t get filtered. Consistently breathing air that isn’t filtered through the nose means there are more irritants in the air you breathe than if you were breathing through your nose.
According to Healthline, breathing through your nose helps:
- lubricate your nostrils and prevent your sinuses from drying out
- make the air you breathe in more humid, which can help chronic lung diseases like asthma
- balance out pH levels in your mouth, preventing dental decay, dry mouth, and gingivitis
- increase your intake of nitric oxide, which is crucial for brain function, cardiovascular health, and overall blood oxygen levels
- decrease your chance of snoring
Importance of Nitric Oxide for Breathing
Nitric oxide is sometimes called the “miracle molecule” for its many health benefits. It’s produced in our paranasal sinuses, and when inhaled, it can supercharge our lung’s ability to absorb Oxygen by 10-25%. Nitric Oxide can also help dilate your blood vessels, increasing oxygen flow throughout your body and helping to prevent high blood pressure. Another crucial function of nitric oxide – which you’ll be happy to know relates very closely to snoring – is its ability to help keep your airways open and clear of any obstructions. Nitric oxide can even improve respiratory function in people with sleep apnea!
Sleep and Breathe Better With Lip Taping
Did you know that mouth breathing can lead to adverse health effects? In fact, most people don’t know how harmful it is. Mouth breathing increases the risk for sleep apnea and heart disease, as well as other chronic disorders like asthma and allergies. Dr. Marzban offers consultations so we can help you breathe better and live healthier! Schedule yours by calling 703-323-8200 today.
