THE SURPRISING IMPACT OF MOUTH BREATHING ON YOUR HEALTH: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
FOR DR.ROZE BIOHEALTH CLINICS | 03.04.2023
As an expert in the field of dental health and wellness, Dr. Roze Biohealth Clinic Dubai has seen firsthand the surprising impact that mouth breathing can have on your health. While many people assume that mouth breathing is simply a harmless habit, the truth is that it can have a wide range of negative effects on your body and overall well being. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most important things you need to know about mouth breathing and its impact on your health.
The Basics of Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing is exactly what it sounds like: breathing through your mouth rather than your nose. While most people breathe through their noses most of the time, mouth breathing is actually quite common, particularly during exercise or periods of heavy physical activity. However, for some people, mouth breathing is a chronic issue that occurs even when they’re at rest or sleeping.
There are many reasons why people might be prone to mouth breathing. For example, some people may have a structural issue with their nasal passages that makes it difficult to breathe through their nose. Others may have allergies or other respiratory issues that make it easier to breathe through their mouth. Additionally, some people simply develop a habit of breathing through their mouth that can be difficult to break.
The Surprising Impact of Mouth Breathing on Your Health
While many people assume that mouth breathing is a harmless habit, the truth is that it can have a significant impact on your health. Here are just a few of the ways that mouth breathing can affect your body:
- Reduced Oxygen Intake
When you breathe through your mouth, you’re taking in less oxygen than you would if you were breathing through your nose. This is because your nasal passages are designed to filter and warm the air as it enters your body, making it easier for your lungs to absorb oxygen. When you breathe through your mouth, you’re bypassing this natural filtration system, which means that your body may not be getting the oxygen it needs to function properly. - Increased Risk of Infection
Your nasal passages are also designed to help protect your body against infection. When you breathe through your nose, tiny hairs called cilia help to trap bacteria and other harmful particles before they can enter your body.Additionally, your nose produces mucus that helps to flush out any foreign invaders that do manage to make it past the cilia. When you breathe through your mouth, you’re bypassing these protective mechanisms, which means that you may be more susceptible to infections. - Dental Issues
Mouth breathing can also have a significant impact on your dental health. When you breathe through your mouth, you’re exposing your teeth and gums to a constant flow of air, which can dry them out and lead to a range of issues, including cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. Additionally, mouth breathing can cause your mouth to become acidic, which can erode your tooth enamel and lead to further dental problems. - Sleep Issues
Mouth breathing can also have a significant impact on your sleep quality. When you breathe through your mouth while sleeping, you’re more likely to snore and experience sleep apnea, which can leave you feeling tired and groggy during the day. Additionally, mouth breathing can cause you to wake up with a dry mouth and throat, which can be uncomfortable and disrupt your sleep. - Postural Issues
Believe it or not, mouth breathing can even affect your posture. When you breathe through your mouth, your body tends to adopt a more slouched posture, which can lead to a range of musculoskeletal issues, including neck and back pain.
With children, mouth breathing has many consequences in their development :
- Speech: When children have an open mouth, they are more likely to struggle with certain speech sounds. The most commonly associated speech problem is a lisp, or the inability to say “S” sounds correctly. Speech is affected because when you have an open mouth, you also have what we refer to as a “tongue thrust swallowing pattern.” This type of swallowing pattern causes the tongue to protrude, or push forward during speaking and swallowing.
- Facial growth and development: It’s important to realize that growth is a very powerful force. A child with an open mouth will very likely grow into an adult with flatter facial features, less prominent cheekbones, a longer face, droopier eyes and lower facial muscle tone, a narrower palate, and even a smaller lower jaw in most cases. By closing the mouth and breathing through the nose, these negative growth patterns can be prevented.
- Teeth and braces: If your mouth is open, your braces will take longer and your treatment will be much more challenging for your orthodontist. The spaces between your teeth will be more difficult to close and the stability of the alignment of your teeth will be compromised once your braces are removed. This means you are likely to experience orthodontic relapse and you may need braces again in the future.
Treatment and Solutions
- Nasal Breathing Exercises: One way to improve your ability to breathe through your nose is to practice nasal breathing exercises. This can involve things like inhaling and exhaling through your nose while walking or jogging, or doing specific exercises to strengthen the muscles in your nose and throat.
- Nasal Strips: Another option is to use nasal strips, which are adhesive strips that you place over your nose to help open up your nasal passages. These can be particularly useful for people who have issues with snoring or sleep apnea.
- Orthodontic Treatment: In some cases, orthodontic treatment may be necessary to correct structural issues with the mouth or jaw that are contributing to mouth breathing. This can involve things like braces, retainers, or other devices that help to reposition the teeth and jaw.
- Myofunctional therapy: it is a program involving exercises to strengthen weak muscles around the airway, including the tongue, face, and mouth. By teaching people how to properly engage their tongue and orofacial muscles, myofunctional therapy helps correct problems with talking, eating, or breathing, especially when used in children.
- Surgery: In rare cases, surgery may be necessary to correct severe issues with the nasal passages or airways. This can involve procedures like septoplasty (which corrects a deviated septum) or turbinate reduction (which reduces the size of the turbinates, which are structures inside the nose that help to warm and humidify the air).
In conclusion, mouth breathing may seem like a harmless habit, but it can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing. From reduced oxygen intake to increased risk of infection, dental issues, sleep problems, and postural issues, there are a range of negative effects associated with mouth breathing.
However, with the right treatment and solutions, it’s possible to overcome these issues and breathe more easily through your nose. Whether you’re practicing nasal breathing exercises, using nasal strips, undergoing orthodontic treatment, or considering surgery, there are many options available to help you improve your respiratory health and enjoy a better quality of life.
So if you’re struggling with mouth breathing, don’t hesitate to contact us at Dr Roze BioHealth clinic where we can help you assess your breathing pattern and guide you to restore functional nasal breathing .
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
You have undeniably aware of the importance of preserving your health and the essence of a body and mind balance. The growing emphasis on well-being, organic foods and our energies are hot topics in today’s health field. Let us help you keep up-to-date with news from doctors, patients, nurses and nutrition, sports and lifestyle specialists.
