Sir, I read with interest the article 'How can general practitioners help in the management of sleep apnoea?' by D. Parmenter and B. J. Millar.1 It would be worth mentioning that there is an emerging trend of patients taping their mouths closed whilst sleeping, in an attempt to manage symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

'Mouth taping' involves the placement of sticky tape over the mouth whilst sleeping in order to encourage breathing through the nasal cavity and avoid open mouth breathing. The anecdotal benefits of this practice include reducing snoring, bruxism, and halitosis - as well as improving quality of sleep.

While studies do exist that support these claims,2,3 they are limited and it has been suggested that this practice is dangerous and could potentially worsen symptoms of OSA.4 It is clear that more research and guidance is needed in order to properly inform patients who intend to carry out mouth taping to reduce snoring and manage OSA.