
Can you breathe through your nose? Try closing your mouth and breathing through your nose. Can you breathe through your nose comfortably for a prolonged period of time? The answer should be yes.
Try the Buteyko breathing techniques and the mouth taping technique at night when you sleep to allow your body the benefits of nasal breathing. For more information visit www.buteykoclinic.com or search mouth taping techniques on www.youtube.com.
The benefits of nasal breathing include:
If you cannot breathe through your nose, see an otolaryngologist, aka ENT, to be evaluated and possibly treated for a nasal obstruction.
Why is Mouth breathing bad?
Nasal breathing is preferred because with mouth breathing there is increased upper airway resistance, adverse effects on sleep quality, and dental problems. Mouth breathing in children leads to abnormal skeletal growth, bite changes (underbite, crossbite and high narrow palate), chronic inflammation of tonsils and gingiva, changes in oral pH leading to higher incidence of dental decay. Furthermore, chronic mouth breathing in children will altar the shape of children's faces affecting breathing, sleeping, eating, swallowing, etc.
Recognizing a mouth breather:
Nasal valve collapse is when you take a sharp strong inhale through your nose and the nostrils collapse so that it's difficult to breathe. Try breathe right strips to see if you can feel improvement in airway patency and for definitive treatment see an ENT.
Mouth breathing can exacerbate certain conditions, such as asthma, high blood pressure and heart disease. When you breathe through your mouth, the muscles on the sides of the nose become more weak and narrow the nasal passages, making it harder to breathe through your nose.
When mouth breathing you are more susceptible to the common cold because there is a specific mucous lining in the nasal passages designed to trap and kill bacteria.
I find it so cliche, but you don't know something until you know. And now that you know the difference between nasal breathing and mouth breathing, what will you do with that knowledge? Our goal at Sterling Ridge Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is to help our patients have healthier mouths and a better quality of life.