Does nose breathing lower blood pressure? What the studies show

Nose breathing may lower your blood pressure a little in the moment, mostly the bottom number. One small 2023 study found that, and a larger body of research shows that slow, controlled breathing has a modest effect over weeks. Neither is a replacement for treatment, but both are easy, free habits that fit alongside it.

Does nasal breathing lower blood pressure?

Nasal breathing lowered diastolic blood pressure slightly in the one study that tested it directly. In 2023, researchers at Florida State University had 20 healthy young adults breathe only through the nose and only through the mouth for five minutes each, in random order. Diastolic pressure was lower during nose breathing, while systolic pressure didn't change.

The numbers were small. Median diastolic pressure was 68 mmHg while breathing through the nose and 72 mmHg through the mouth. Mean arterial pressure was 84 versus 86 mmHg. Systolic pressure was 116 versus 117 mmHg, which wasn't a real difference, and heart rate was the same.

The researchers also found a higher share of high-frequency heart rate variability during nose breathing. That's a marker linked with the "rest and digest" side of the nervous system, and our article on nasal breathing and stress covers what it does and doesn't mean.

This study is encouraging, but it's worth keeping in proportion. The participants had a median age of 18, their blood pressure was normal, and each test lasted five minutes. It tells us what happens in the moment for young, healthy people. No study has yet tested whether breathing through your nose day and night lowers blood pressure over months, or whether it helps people who already have high blood pressure.

Does slow breathing lower blood pressure?

Slow breathing lowers blood pressure modestly, and this is where most of the research sits. A 2019 meta-analysis pooled 17 randomized trials in people with high or borderline-high blood pressure who practiced breathing at 10 breaths a minute or fewer, for at least five minutes on three or more days a week, for four weeks or longer.

On average, systolic pressure fell by about 5.6 mmHg and diastolic by about 3 mmHg. The authors called this a modest reduction and noted that results varied widely between studies. The trials included both breathing devices and pranayama, the breathing practices of yoga.

A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 newer trials, covering techniques such as alternate nostril breathing, deep breathing and slow breathing, found a similar pattern. Systolic pressure fell by about 7 mmHg, diastolic by about 3.4 mmHg and heart rate by about 2.4 beats a minute. The authors noted that the studies were not free of bias.

Not every analysis agrees. A 2014 review in JAMA Internal Medicine looked only at blinded trials of device-guided breathing that compared it with an active control, such as a sham device or music. Across those stricter trials, device-guided breathing did not lower office blood pressure more than the controls did. All of the trials had short follow-up.

Most slow-breathing practices are done through the nose, which is one reason the two topics get mixed together. The studies above tested breathing pace, though, not whether air went through the nose or mouth. If you want to try a pace that's been studied, our guide to slow breathing for sleep walks through it, and alternate nostril breathing is one of the techniques the 2024 review included.

What about nitric oxide?

Nitric oxide is the reason nose breathing gets linked to blood pressure so often online. A 1995 study in Nature Medicine found that the paranasal sinuses produce nitric oxide in very high concentrations, which is why air coming from the nose carries it and air from the mouth carries much less.

Cleveland Clinic describes nitric oxide as a vasodilator, meaning it opens up blood vessels, and links that effect to lower blood pressure and better oxygen circulation. That's a reasonable description of what nitric oxide does in the body. The gap is in the next step. We couldn't find any study showing that breathing in nasal nitric oxide lowers blood pressure in people over time, and the 1995 researchers suggested its main job in the sinuses is keeping them free of bacteria.

So nitric oxide is a real and interesting part of nose breathing, and it may help explain results like the 2023 study, but it hasn't been shown to work as a blood pressure treatment. Our article on nitric oxide and nasal breathing covers what the research does support.

Can nose breathing replace blood pressure treatment?

Nose breathing can't replace blood pressure treatment. The American Heart Association's 2013 scientific statement on alternative approaches gave device-guided breathing more support than several other options, but it framed all of these methods as adjuvant, meaning extras added to proven care, for people with readings above 120/80 mmHg.

The same statement gave aerobic exercise the strongest rating of the non-drug options it reviewed. Medication, diet and exercise have far more evidence behind them than any breathing technique.

If you have high blood pressure, keep taking any medication you've been prescribed and talk to your doctor before you change anything. Breathing practice is a reasonable thing to add, and it's worth mentioning to your doctor so they know what you're doing.

How are sleep apnea and blood pressure linked?

Sleep apnea and high blood pressure are closely linked. In a 2000 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers followed 709 adults from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort. Those with 15 or more breathing pauses or shallow breaths per hour of sleep were about 2.9 times as likely to have hypertension four years later as those with none.

Cleveland Clinic calls the relationship a two-way street. Repeated drops in oxygen during the night trigger a stress response that tightens blood vessels, and poorly controlled blood pressure can cause fluid to shift toward the neck when you lie down, narrowing the airway. Cleveland Clinic also notes that CPAP, used consistently, can lower systolic pressure.

This matters if you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp in your sleep, or wake up exhausted. Those are reasons to see a doctor and get tested, especially if your blood pressure is high. Our article on sleep apnea and high blood pressure explains the connection in more detail.

Does mouth tape lower blood pressure?

No study has tested whether mouth tape lowers blood pressure, so we can't say it does. What mouth tape can do is keep your lips together at night, so you stay with the nasal breathing you already do comfortably during the day.

It isn't a treatment for high blood pressure or for sleep apnea. If you're thinking about trying it, Sleep Foundation suggests testing it during the day first to make sure you can breathe easily through your nose, and avoiding it if your nose is blocked by allergies, a cold or a structural problem. Our guide on whether mouth taping is safe covers who should skip it. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

How can you practice nose breathing for your heart?

Practicing nose breathing for your heart is mostly about making it your default and adding a few minutes of slow breathing. The research supports slow breathing practiced regularly, at 10 breaths a minute or fewer, for several weeks. Breathing through your nose while you do it is easy and adds the warming and filtering the nose provides.

A simple routine looks like this:

• Sit comfortably and breathe in through your nose for about four seconds.
• Breathe out gently through your nose for about six seconds. That's six breaths a minute.
• Keep it up for five to ten minutes, once or twice a day.
• If you own a home blood pressure monitor, measure at the same time of day so the readings are comparable, and share them with your doctor.

During the rest of the day, notice whether your mouth hangs open while you read, drive or watch TV, and close it if your nose is clear. If your nose often feels blocked, that's worth sorting out first. See how to unblock your nose before bed for practical steps.

Our pick (paid partner): Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape

If you already breathe well through your nose and want to keep that going overnight, our pick is Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape. It's a sleep comfort product, not a blood pressure treatment, and we haven't tested or ranked mouth tapes ourselves.

Titan says the strip is bamboo silk rather than kinesiology tape, and describes it as soft, breathable and moisture-wicking. It's a single oval size, 76 by 38 mm, worn horizontally across the lips, with no printed logo or ink on the side that touches skin. Titan suggests 20 to 30 minutes of daytime practice before the first night, and says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free. Its 30-night guarantee refunds you if your sleep isn't better after 30 nights.

Read next

• Nitric oxide and nasal breathing
• Sleep apnea and high blood pressure
• Nasal breathing benefits

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.