Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing is a learned habit that can be very detrimental to one’s health no matter what age they are. Why is mouth breathing so detrimental? It effects the muscles of the face, mouth and airway and the way they all function. Chronic hyperventilation is when we breathe in and out of our mouth, the carbon dioxide levels are disrupted. We then form more mucus in our nasal cavity, which in turn causes us to be more congested. When hyperventilation occurs, side effects could be brain fog, excessive yawning, restless sleep, tenseness, and stress. Mouth breathing can also effect chewing, swallowing and speech.
Mouth breathing can have multiple side effects. It can cause xerostomia (drying out of the mouth) which can lead to tooth decay, bad breath, choking at night, breathlessness, and tiredness.
Can you exercise with your mouth closed? Individuals who mouth breath during exercise are more prone to respiratory infections, colds and sore throats. We have 100,000 miles of blood vessels in our bodies and nasal breathing will help influence that circulation. Optimizing oxygen consumption is vital for athletic performance. What if you were able to push yourself to another level of exercise intensity?
The nose is linked to the diaphragm. The mouth is linked to the chest. When one is using their diaphragm to breathe, a bigger volume of breath is achieved. Airflow will enter the nasal passages and stimulate the maxilla, which will force the maxilla to continue growing, helping to lower and broaden the palate. It is natures way of putting force on the upper jaw. Teaching adults and children to mouth breathe is vital for optimal health. Myofunctional Therapy will help retrain you to be able to focus on breathing out of your nose and taking quality breaths using your diaphragm.
