Are you a mouth breather?

What this means, and why we should aim to change this habit.

We all know that breathing is important. We take around 17,000 breaths a day, and we generally can’t go more than 3 minutes without breathing. But are we breathing in the right way?

Breathing inefficiently can lead to things such as a decline in cognitive function, less focus, less energy, problems with sleep, immunity problems, and a whole host of other problems.

What is the “correct way” of breathing? Just because we can breathe through the mouth, does that mean we should be? Breathing through our noses has lots of benefits to it.

Firstly, the nose is far more efficient at filtering the air as it enters the body, due to all the small hairs within the nose. This prevents so much dirt, dust, and pollution from entering the lungs.

Secondly, the nose is far more efficient at moisturizing and warming the air to the right conditions for the lungs, making the air far more easily to be used effectively.

The nose also produces Nitric Oxide, which is a natural vasodilator, meaning it acts to dilate the blood vessels, making it easier for the oxygenated blood to pass through our body.

The nose also encourages deeper diaphragmatic breathing, which is both more efficient and calming for the body.

As we can see, nose breathing has many of benefits, and that is because this is how we are supposed to be breathing. It’s the natural way to breath.

“Some people experiment by putting tape over their mouth, and train themselves to breathe more through their nose.”

Mouth breathing on the other hand is not so good for us. It’s shown to lead to an increase in allergies due to more dust and pollution entering the lungs. It also dries out the mouth and can be the cause of bad breath. But what’s most interesting, is that it can create tensions within the jaw, and can lead to fascial abnormalities, especially within children.

If a child breathes predominantly through their mouth, as they grow into an adult with their mouth open and their tongue resting in the bottom of their mouth (which is the fascial position of a mouth breather) their face will grow differently than if they grow up with their mouth closed and their tongue in the right place (the fascial position of a nose breather/natural breather).

In children, we can actually change the growth of their face – their teeth, their jaws, and their entire skull by changing their breathing habits as they grow into adults.

Mouth breathers have a far more recessed chin, and little to no jaw line, as well as a tendency for more crooked teeth due to a narrower jaw. If you google “mouth breathing vs nose breathing” and click on images, you will see so many clear examples!

But don’t worry, if you’re already an adult and mouth breather, you can still make changes, even on the physical level.

This pattern of breathing is also a key cause for snoring and sleep apnoea, which can lead to a whole load of serious health issues (as well as potential issues within relationships!). You’ll also be far more prone to chronic jaw pain and headaches, and even postural problems.

These issues all develop over time, and so it’s good to detect how you’re breathing as early as you can, before it leads to anything more serious.

Stopping mouth breathing can be tricky, especially if it’s been a life-long habit. But it definitely can be done. Starting to consciously breathe with the tounge touching the roof of the mouth will prevent mouth breathing. Some people experiment by putting tape over their mouth and train to breathe more through their nose.

Of course, there can be many underlying conditions which are causing this, such as deviated septums, or polyps in the nose which are preventing an easy flow of air. If you’re unsure, it’s good to speak to a healthcare professional for advice.

Happy breathing!

Ryan x