The Internet is full of gurus who use the loudspeaker of social networks to give tips to his followers. On platforms like TikTok or Instagram, the important thing is to get followers and many likes. That is why not all the advice that we usually see on these social networks is true. The last viral that has become fashionable in the Chinese network not only does not work, but some doctors think that it can be a lot more dangerous than meets the eye.
Covering your mouth to sleep: a trend that you should not replicate
The new trend on TikTok is a bit strange. It consists of using adhesive strips to keep the mouth closed while sleeping. You might think that something like this could benefit you, since it is difficult to snore in that state. However, there are doctors who have raised their hands to their heads as soon as they have discovered this new and irresponsible practice that is becoming more and more viral every day.
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In a recent interview on the CNNthe Doctor Raj Dasguptaa sleep specialist, has called for stop this crazy viral practice.
«The purpose of covering the mouth is to prevent breathing through the mouth at night. However, this can be highly dangerous for someone who has obstructive sleep apnea.»
This doctor knows very well what he is talking about. He also works as an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. As he comments in the interview, in a study carried out in 2019, they determined that more than 1,000 million adults around the world suffer from this disease. This generally affects people between the ages of 30 and 69. As might be expected, millions of individuals have this disease, but are completely unaware of it.
Basically, obstructive sleep apnea is a breathing condition that occurs when the muscles in the throat relax while sleeping. Intermittently, the airways become blocked, thus preventing the passage of air to the lungs. According to many experts, a sign that invites us to think that we are affected by this disease is the snore. Therefore, blocking one of the airways while sleeping does not seem like a good idea. In fact, obstructive sleep apnea can lead to various complicationssuch as fatigue, daytime sleepiness, eye problems such as glaucoma, and even cardiovascular imbalances.
Many follow the viral for pure fashion
At this point, the interesting thing would be to ask what hypothetical benefits He has this thing about covering his mouth while he sleeps. However, many of the users who have uploaded videos to the network practicing this do not remember the reason why they started doing it.
@laurynbosstick @Andrew Huberman & @clairegrieve27 raved about this on @tscpod so i had to try it & OMIGOD YES (but do ur own research obv) #mouthtape #mouthtapingforsleep #mouthtape #mouthtapesleeping #sleephacking
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Dr. Raj Dasgupta does say that it is much more beneficial to breathe through the nose than through the mouth while we sleep. However, he considers that there are many safe ways to avoid mouth breathing at nightsuch as nasal dilators, nose strips, and even throat and tongue exercises.
The moral of this is that we should never believe the viral videos we see on the Internet. And much less when its origin is unknown.
