A doctor has issued a warning to people who snore, urging them to stop using one product if they are at risk. According to Doctor Oscar Duke, mouth taping, while popular, can be “dangerous” for some people.
He explained on BBC Morning Live that when it comes to the popular method, “there is some small evidence for people with mild obstructive sleep apnoea that it might help a little bit.” However “for people with more severe lung problems, it’s probably something that could be quite dangerous.”
He warned that this is because you could be “restricting a large amount of oxygen and how it gets into your body. So I would say not for now”, and he urged people to stay clear of the method.
Talking to the show’s hosts, Gaby Roslin and Gethin Jones, he concluded with a final warning, stressing: “If your nose is blocked or becomes blocked, then you’re cutting off a lot of your oxygen availability, which is never a good thing.”
What is obstructive sleep apnoea?
According to the NHS: “Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a relatively common condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow or close during sleep. This interrupts normal breathing.”
The condition may lead to regularly broken sleep which can:
- impact your quality of life – mainly by making you very sleepy during the day
- increase the risk of developing certain conditions
How many types of OSA is there?
There are two different types:
- apnoea – a total blockage of the airway for 10 seconds or more
- hypopnoea – a partial blockage of the airway that causes airflow to reduce by more than 50% for 10 seconds or more
The health service warns that individuals with OSA may experience apnoea and hypopnoea repeatedly throughout the night. In severe cases, these episodes can occur as frequently as once every one to two minutes.
What are the symptoms of OSA?
- being very sleepy during the day
- breathing pauses through the night – this may be noticed by a partner, friend or relative
- loud snoring
- noisy and/or laboured breathing
- repeated periods where breathing stops or is interrupted by gasping or snorting
“Some people with OSA may also experience night sweats and may wake up often during the night to pee”, they warn adding: “During an episode, the lack of oxygen triggers your brain to pull you out of deep sleep either to a lighter sleep or to wakefulness.
“Your airway then reopens and you can breathe normally. These repeated sleep interruptions can make you feel very tired and more likely to fall asleep during the day. You’ll usually have no memory of your interrupted breathing, so you may be unaware you have a problem.”