Nasal strips and mouth taping: do they help you breathe through your nose?

What are nasal strips?

Nasal strips are adhesive bands that are placed over the bridge of the nose with the aim of helping to improve your breathing. Nasal strips are very fashionable at the moment and commonly seen on TikTok to help people breathe through the nose.

What is mouth taping?

Mouth taping involves placing an adhesive strip over the mouth while sleeping to keep it closed and encourage nasal breathing. Mouth taping is also quite popular on social media for helping people breathe with the mouth closed, i.e. through the nose.

Why is it important to breathe through your nose?

Nasal breathing is critical for comfort and overall health. Most people feel more calm and energised and restful in their breathing if they can breathe through their nose. It is not natural or normal to be reliant on your mouth to breathe. Nasal breathing is thought to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, or the “rest and digest” part of the nervous system, which slows your heartbeat after exercise, helps you digest food and produces salvia and mucus, among other functions. This potential association explains why nasal breathing is linked with producing a more restful and calm state.

What are the problems associated with mouth breathing?

Mouth breathing can lead to health issues because it bypasses the natural filtration and humidification that occurs when air comes in via the nose. These issues include dry mouth, bad breath and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Mouth breathing often results in poorer sleep quality and can exacerbate snoring and sleep apnoea. Chronic mouth breathing can also contribute to dental problems such as gum disease and tooth decay, due to reduced saliva production, and it may lead to facial development issues in children.

How do nasal strips work?

Nasal strips use a spring-like mechanism to physically widen the nasal passages from the outside. The adhesive strip contains a flexible band that, when applied across the bridge of the nose, gently pulls the nostrils outward and lifts the nasal walls. This external lifting action helps open the nasal valve area – the narrowest part of the nasal airway – which can reduce nasal resistance and make breathing feel easier.

Can nasal strips improve breathing?

Nasal strips can offer minor, temporary improvements to breathing, particularly for people with mild nasal congestion or structural narrowing, but they only address external nasal valve issues. Nasal strips can’t help with internal obstructions like a deviated septum or swollen turbinates, so the relief they offer is nothing compared to what surgery can achieve if there are structural blockages in the nose.

Can nasal strips prevent snoring and/or help you sleep?

Nasal strips alone are very rarely adequate to treat snoring. Some people find they sleep a little better with nasal strips as they have an increased sense of ease when breathing. Nasal dilators or nasal cones worn on the inside of the nostrils are much more effective than strips worn on top of the nose to assist with breathing while sleeping, including to prevent snoring. In both cases, if you have insufficient nasal airflow, it is important to seek medical care and have an internal examination of your nose to determine what is actually causing your blockage.

How does mouth taping work?

Taping your mouth closed during sleep physically prevents mouth breathing, with the idea that this will encourage nasal breathing – however, this can be risky.

Does mouth taping help you breathe through your nose?

It is not normal to breathe through your mouth if your nose is working properly. If you are breathing through your mouth, it’s very likely you are doing so due to significant nasal blockage. If you close the most effective pathway for your body to breathe, you will experience low oxygen levels and poor-quality breathing. If you feel like you need mouth tape, it is best to be referred to an ENT like Dr McKenzie so she can comprehensively assess the problem and determine whether it can be treated at its root cause.

What if nasal strips or mouth taping don’t work?

If you think you need help breathing through your nose, please ask your GP for a referral to an ENT like Dr McKenzie so they can help you with your problem. It is best to have medical assessment prior to using any treatment. If medical management fails, nose or sinus surgery is an option to correct your breathing issue.

What are the risks of surgery versus the risk of not having an operation?
While all surgeries carry some risks, these are well understood and carefully managed by specialist doctors and nurses. It’s important to remember that leaving a chronic condition untreated can lead to worsening health problems that may become more difficult to treat over time. Dr McKenzie will only recommend surgery when the expected benefits – such as improved nasal breathing – clearly outweigh the potential risks.

Where does Dr McKenzie operate?

Dr McKenzie operates at Brisbane Private Hospital in Spring Hill, Mater Children's Private Hospital/Mater Private Hospital in South Brisbane, and Greenslopes Private Hospital in Greenslopes for both paediatric and adult patients.

These hospitals all offer excellent paediatric nursing care support, and Dr McKenzie only uses specialist paediatric anaesthetists for your child’s procedure. This means that you can be assured that your child is in the safest possible hands as it takes a dedicated and comprehensive team of specialist nurses and doctors to safely provide paediatric ear, nose and throat surgery. Dr McKenzie has chosen these hospitals based on their ability to provide the highest level of care to your child.

For adult patients, Dr McKenzie selected these hospitals due to their access to intensive care units and the most modern facilities and resources to ensure the best experience for your procedure.

What should I do now?

If you are experiencing decreased nasal airflow and/or your nose blockage is causing you problems with your sleep quality or your exercise, then you should ask your GP for a referral to an ENT like Dr McKenzie for a full ear, nose and throat assessment so they can treat any underlying nasal conditions and determine if there is anatomical change in your nose that requires surgery.