I always breathe through my mouth. Why is it easier to breathe through your nose than your mouth?

The human body is an ideal machine. Everything here is provided down to the smallest detail. If you have a nose, you need to inhale and exhale through it. In this article I would like to tell you why breathing through your mouth is harmful and how you can cope with this problem.

Reason 1: Dust

There are many different reasons why breathing through your mouth is harmful. At the very beginning, it must be said that in the human nose there are many small hairs that provide a useful service to the body. They serve as a so-called dust collector. Those. All the air that a person inhales through the nose goes through several levels of filtration. Various microbes and substances harmful to the body settle on the same hairs. If you breathe through your mouth, the air does not receive such filtration and enters the human body contaminated.

Reason 2. Warmth

The next reason why it is harmful to breathe through the mouth is that in this case cold air can enter the human body (typical for late autumn, winter and early spring). If it passes through the nose, it warms and moisturizes there. Here we can even say that normal nasal breathing is an excellent prevention of a wide variety of colds.

Reason 3. Change in skull shape

The following reason why breathing through your mouth is harmful is also very important. So, it concerns mainly children. If the baby constantly inhales air through his nose, he may gradually develop the so-called adenoid type of face. In this case, the child’s nasal sinuses narrow, the bridge of the nose becomes wide, the infraorbital region flattens, and a double chin may also appear. This can disfigure even the most beautiful baby. These changes have practically no return.

Reason 4. Speech

I would like to say a few more words about the children. Why is it so harmful for them to breathe through their mouth? And all because at an early age the baby’s dental system and speech are formed. If a child breathes through his mouth, the balance of the facial and jaw parts is disturbed, and their imbalance occurs. In this case, the child’s tongue may protrude slightly forward and rest between the teeth. And this is very ugly. In this case, a narrowing of the rows of the jaw may also occur, which will lead to greater problems and difficulties in the eruption of permanent teeth.

Reason 5. Development of the respiratory system

Is mouth breathing harmful for children? Of course! This can lead to multiple problems. So, I would like to say that if a small child cannot breathe through his nose, his nasal passages may become very narrow. The maxillary sinuses also remain underdeveloped. Further, this can lead to a narrowing of the child’s upper jaw. In this case, the front teeth crowd together in one place and creep on top of each other. Again, this is, to say the least, unsightly. In addition, it is fraught with frequent colds in the future.

Reason 6. Lips

The next reason why breathing through the mouth is harmful applies primarily to women. So, when breathing through the mouth, a person’s lips certainly dry out. Therefore, many try to lick them as often as possible. And this, in turn, leads to chapped lips; the lip border can also stand out strongly (it becomes bright red). It's not pretty. In addition, coping with the problem of dry lips is also not easy. And for the fair sex it also has a negative aesthetic effect.

Reason 7. Various diseases

Doctors say that breathing through your mouth is harmful. And that's right! After all, this condition can lead to many diseases (especially in the cold season). At the very least - colds. In addition, when breathing through the mouth, the air that enters the body is unpurified. In this condition, the supply of oxygen to the body's cells also significantly deteriorates. The brain, which is the most important coordination center of the human body, suffers from this.

Reason 8. Sleep

The next reason why you need to breathe through your nose is that only in this case can a person rest properly. Only through nasal breathing are the cells of the body fully supplied with oxygen, which gives the body the opportunity to rest normally and efficiently. Otherwise, a person’s sleep will be intermittent and restless.

What to do?

Having considered the main reasons why you cannot breathe through your mouth, I would also like to say that you need to start fighting this problem as soon as possible. Since the cause of this condition is often colds (in particular, a stuffy nose), in this case the patient should immediately go for a consultation with a doctor or ENT specialist. If it is not possible to visit a specialist, you need to deal with the runny nose on your own as quickly as possible. For this, it is good to use sinus rinses. You can also use various nasal sprays. For example, it could be a drug such as “Vibrocil” or “Nazivin”. Often a person finds it difficult to breathe through his nose due to the dry air in the room. In this case, the mucus dries out, which prevents normal breathing. Dealing with this problem is also easy:

1. You need to clear your nose.
2. It is imperative to humidify the air in the room, otherwise the problem will return. This can be done using a special humidifier. If you don’t have one, you can place a small bowl of water near you.

How to deal with the habit?

It often happens that with a long-term cold, the patient already develops the habit of breathing through the mouth. So, it’s worth saying that this definitely needs to be fought. First of all, you need to think about the fact that it looks very ugly from the outside. And if children can be given at least some concessions, then adults with their mouths open do not look very attractive, to put it mildly. If you cannot cope with the problem on your own, you can use auxiliary means specially designed for this (most often they are used for advanced cases of mouth breathing in children). These trainers are designed to simply retrain or re-teach a person to breathe through the nose. Operating principle: something like a false jaw is inserted into the mouth. This device forces you to inhale air through your nostrils, which subsequently develops a new habit - breathing through your nose.

The human respiratory system consists of many sections that closely communicate with each other. Any disruption in its activities has a negative impact on health. Even such a small thing as changing proper breathing can cause serious problems, and simply worsen a person’s appearance and well-being. Let's discuss how possible it is to breathe through the mouth and nose? What are the known causes of mouth breathing, is it harmful? Let's talk about this at www.rasteniya-lecarstvennie.ru, and also consider the possible consequences of mouth breathing.

As you know, the human nose performs several functions at once. It perfectly purifies the air, heats it and humidifies it. Such capabilities of the nose are due to its anatomical structure. If a runny nose or other obstruction to nasal breathing interferes with the passage of air through the nose, a person tries to compensate for this problem by mixed or completely mouth breathing. Many people who constantly experience nasal breathing problems eventually begin to breathe through their mouths all the time.

Causes of mouth breathing

Mouth breathing can develop for a variety of reasons and at different ages. Studies have shown that in children this problem is most often explained by the development of allergic rhinitis, as well as enlarged adenoids.

In general, mouth breathing can develop due to obstacles to nasal breathing, malocclusions, inadequate functioning of the orbicularis oris muscle, as well as acquired incorrect breathing techniques.

If a patient has an obstruction to nasal breathing, his nasal passages or nasopharynx may be completely or partially obstructed for a long time or even permanently. This obstacle can be explained by a number of factors: an allergic runny nose, a deviated nasal septum, an enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsil or adenoids. In addition, the role of an obstacle can be played by hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates, the formation of polyps, and the development of coanal artresia. Sometimes nasal breathing is interfered with by foreign bodies, too narrow airways (due to genetic predisposition), the presence of vasomotor runny nose, inflammatory rhinosinusitis and medicinal rhinitis.

Sometimes mouth breathing is provoked by malocclusions, however, a malocclusion can, on the contrary, cause the habit of breathing through the mouth.

As for the functional deficiency of the orbicularis oris muscles, it can be caused by premature birth, birth complications, serious somatic ailments at an early age, as well as the presence of an abnormality of the frenulum of the upper lip, etc.

Incorrect breathing technique quite often becomes a problem for people who regularly suffered from acute viral infections of the respiratory tract in childhood. Such patients continue to breathe through their nose even after the obstruction to nasal breathing has been eliminated. Habit is “second nature”, as people say...

Why is mouth breathing dangerous, and what are the consequences?

With the habit of breathing through the mouth, a person gradually faces a serious problem: the beginning of changes in the development of muscles, as well as bones, which in turn become the cause of other health problems.

Mouth breathing causes improper positioning of the tongue and leads to a decrease in its tone (the so-called “flaccid tongue” problem). With this pathology, the tongue constantly drops into the throat at night, causing breathing problems. During the daytime, the tongue is usually between the teeth, as a result of which the bite develops incorrectly.

Constant mouth breathing often causes a feeling of pressure in the face and pain in the head and face. Patients with this disorder constantly complain of sleep disturbances, and their overall quality of life decreases by an order of magnitude.

The effects of mouth breathing can affect your hearing. Of course, it is not itself, but pathological processes during oral breathing that can cause dysfunction of the auditory tube. Chronic breathing disorders lead to speech disorders over time. In patients with this problem, the shape of the face is disrupted, posture deteriorates, and the teeth become incorrectly positioned. Poor posture causes muscle tension, resulting in patients complaining of pain and fatigue.

It's clear that mouth breathing is harmful!

Mouth breathing: treatment or how to cope with the problem

If mouth breathing develops, it is worth starting therapy as early as possible to avoid the above problems. The patient should definitely seek help from an otolaryngologist (ENT). A complete diagnosis helps doctors choose effective treatments for this disorder. Establishing the correct breathing technique is possible only after removing the obstacle to nasal breathing.

Specialists such as an ENT specialist, speech therapist, physiotherapist, orthodontist, as well as an allergist, surgeon and family doctor will help you cope with nasal breathing problems.

ENT determines the causes of mouth breathing and selects adequate methods for its correction. Physiotherapists take measures to correct posture, eliminate muscle tension, and also teach the patient proper breathing skills.

A speech therapist treats speech disorders and also selects special exercises that instill proper breathing skills.

An orthodontist is a doctor who eliminates malocclusions, and it is best to treat such a problem in childhood.

Very often, parents begin to pay attention to the fact that their children snore or simply snore in their sleep. One of the undesirable causes of this phenomenon may be mouth breathing in a child.

Why is it harmful to breathe through your mouth?

In general, the human body is thought out to the smallest detail, for example, breathing certainly occurs through the nose. This happens because cold or dry air, passing through the nasal passages, is moistened and warmed. Essentially, the nose serves as a very powerful filter that traps dust and harmful microorganisms. In addition, if you breathe directly through the mouth, then cold air entering the throat can cause inflammation.

When and why does a child begin to breathe through his mouth?

Indeed, a child should not breathe through his mouth. This can only happen when his nasal cavities are clogged and he cannot breathe through them. Children may also breathe constantly through their mouths for other reasons. For example, due to a common habit. We can say that this is a very bad habit that will greatly affect the child’s health. This is because when breathing through the mouth, the lungs do not open completely, using only the upper lobes. That is why the body will not receive the required portion of oxygen. This may result in anemia, hypoxia, physical or mental retardation. In addition, the shape of the face may change - it becomes more elongated, the bridge of the nose widens, and the upper lip is constantly turned up.

What to do when your child starts breathing through his mouth

If a child breathes through his mouth all the time at night, sleep disturbance may occur. To do this, check if your baby has a runny nose. If you notice nasal congestion, rinse it, you can even drip vasodilator drops. Typically, dry air in the apartment is considered to be to blame for this phenomenon. Therefore, the mucus in the nose dries up and breathing becomes more difficult. To get rid of this problem, clean your nose with oil and cotton swabs. And in the future, ventilate the room more often; it will be even better if you purchase an air humidifier for the room. If you do not find the above symptoms, but the child still continues to breathe through his mouth, be sure to take him to an appointment with an ENT doctor; he may have inflammation of the adenoids.

You can avoid this habit by playing “breathing” games with your child. For example, covering one nostril or the other, you need to inhale with them alternately. But do not forget during this gymnastics to monitor the correct breathing, inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. After which the baby will get used to it and you will be able to avoid such troubles.

The child breathes through his mouth

Having once noticed that their daughter or son is snoring or snoring in their sleep, parents begin to look for the reason for this. One of these reasons may be mouth breathing.

Why is it harmful to breathe through your mouth?

The human body is thought out to the smallest detail, for example, breathing should be done through the nose. And all because cold and dry air, passing through the nasal sinuses, is warmed and moistened. The nose serves as a powerful filter, trapping not only dust, but also harmful microorganisms. Mouth breathing lacks all these qualities. In addition, cool air entering directly into the throat can easily cause inflammation.

When does a newborn begin to breathe through his mouth?

In fact, children should not start breathing through their mouths. This only happens in cases where they simply cannot breathe through their nose.

Why does a child breathe through his mouth?

A child may constantly breathe through his mouth for various reasons. For example, due to nasal congestion, or simply due to habit. By the way, this is a very bad habit that has an extremely negative impact on the baby’s health. The thing is that when breathing through the mouth, the lungs do not fully open, only the upper lobes are used. Because of this, the body does not receive the necessary portion of oxygen. Hypoxia, anemia, mental and physical retardation may develop. In addition, even the shape of the face changes. It becomes more elongated, the bridge of the nose widens, and the upper lip is constantly turned up.

What to do when a child begins to breathe through his mouth?

If a child breathes through his mouth all the time at night, he may experience sleep disturbances. First, check for a runny nose and the baby. If you notice nasal congestion, rinse your nose and apply vasoconstrictor drops. Dry air in the apartment may be to blame. The natural mucus in the nose dries out, making breathing more difficult. To get rid of this problem, clean the child's nose with oil and cotton wool. And in the future, ventilate the room more often, or even better, purchase an air humidifier. If you do not find the above symptoms, but the child still cannot breathe through his nose, be sure to visit an ENT doctor; perhaps he has inflammation of the adenoids.

In order to get rid of a bad habit, play “breathing” games with your child more often. For example, cover one or the other nostril and inhale with them alternately. When doing gymnastics, make sure you breathe correctly, inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Soon the baby will get used to it and you will be able to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Conservative treatment of adenoids without surgery in children

At its core, adenoids are lymphoid tissue that performs the protective function of the nasopharynx. In the process of growth, adenoids become a breeding ground for harmful microbes, fungi, and viruses. Therefore, the air that the sick person inhales is not moistened and is not cleansed in the nasal cavity.

The patient is forced to breathe through his mouth. Because of this, air immediately enters the lower respiratory tract, which causes frequent, long-term colds. Children most often suffer from adenoids. After approximately 12 years of age, the size of the adenoids gradually decreases, and by the age of 16–20 only small remnants of adenoid tissue remain.

In most adults they usually atrophy completely, although there are exceptions. Therefore, today let’s talk about the treatment of adenoids without surgery in children.

Adenoids have several degrees:

- 1st degree allows the child to breathe freely during the day. At night, when horizontal, their volume increases and interferes with normal breathing.

- 2nd degree characterized by the fact that children often snore in their sleep and breathe through their mouth very often.

- 3rd degree It almost completely blocks the flow of air from the nasal cavity into the windpipe; the child cannot breathe through his nose and is forced to breathe only through his mouth.

Why is it harmful to breathe through your mouth?

This almost always leads to the development of laryngitis and bronchitis. Such breathing provokes the appearance of chronic tonsillitis and pneumonia. In addition, when breathing through the mouth, the nasal mucosa swells. The outflow of mucus from the paranasal sinuses is disrupted.

Permanent hearing impairment also appears. Constant mouth breathing provokes closure of the pharyngeal mouth of the auditory tubes. As a result, the child begins to hear worse, and chronic middle ear diseases develop.

Well, due to a lack of oxygen in the blood, the supply to the brain is disrupted. Because of this, attention and perseverance are impaired, and the child does not perceive new information well. As a result - Possible mental and physical developmental delays.

Symptoms of adenoids

This disease is characterized by constant or periodic nasal congestion. Moreover, copious mucus is constantly released from its cavity. As a result, children are forced to breathe through their mouths day and night. At night, during sleep, sweating increases, and attacks of suffocation may occur. Restless sleep, accompanied by snoring or prolonged, loud snoring.

If the growth of adenoid tissue is very large, phonation disturbance occurs, the voice may become nasal, and enuresis may occur.

Treatment

In the first degree of adenoid disease, drug treatment is carried out in most cases. It is aimed at identifying, eliminating, and preventing the underlying disease. The second and third degrees are usually recommended to be treated with surgery (adenotomy). In other words, they are removed. This operation is not complicated, but it is mainly performed in childhood, so it can traumatize the child’s psyche and is remembered for life.

It happens that even after removal, the adenoid tissue begins to grow again, often doubling in size. With their growth, the number of pathogenic microbes in it increases. The shape of the nasopharynx is different for all people, so during the operation a small part of the tissue may remain. Gradually, it begins to grow again, and adenoids form. Therefore, many medical centers and clinics successfully carry out conservative treatment.

The first step is to eliminate swelling and inflammation, and also reduce the volume of purulent mucus in the nasopharynx. To do this, a phytodrainage spray is introduced into the nasal cavity, with the help of which excess fluid is eliminated, swelling is reduced, and the nose is cleared of mucus. In addition, the nerve receptors of the nose are stimulated, and local tissue immunity is increased. With proper treatment, after 6 procedures it is possible to get rid of the symptoms of the disease.

At the second stage of treatment, the doctor performs a procedure in which the adenoids and tonsils are reabsorbed, since the tonsils (tonsils) are the visible part of the adenoids. They are lubricated with Lugol's solution or a similar gel. For this purpose, a cotton swab with the drug applied to it is inserted into the nasopharynx through the mouth on a clamp. Then the doctor treats the adenoids. In addition, the treatment includes treatment of the lacunae of the tonsils, and instillation of special preparations into the nose.

Non-surgical treatment often gives 100% success, the main thing is to be patient and understand the importance of following all the recommendations of the attending physician.

Which method of treating adenoids to choose, or perhaps folk remedies, depends on you. Each ENT specialist will offer you several treatment regimens, depending on the severity of the disease. If we are talking about removal, then this is a laser. If we are talking about conservative treatment, then this is complex therapy. Be healthy!

March cat's benefit

Yuri Folin

The respiratory mechanism of a person allows him to breathe through both his nose and mouth, but for him it is a matter of true vital importance - which of these two ways he breathes, for one gives health and strength, and the other leads to illness and weakness.

Of course, there should be no need to explain to the reader that the normal way to breathe is through the nose, but the ignorance of civilized mankind in relation to some simple things is truly astonishing. We constantly meet people who breathe through their mouths while walking and allow their children to follow the same terrible and harmful breathing pattern.

Many of the diseases to which civilized man is subject are caused by this general habit of breathing through the mouth. Children who are allowed to breathe like this grow up weak and with little vitality, as if they are torn in both their masculinity and their femininity, and are susceptible to chronic diseases. Mothers of savage tribes do the wrong thing, apparently driven by insight. They recognize, as if by instinct, that the nostrils are real channels for conducting air into the lungs, and they teach their children to close their mouths and breathe through the nose. They raise their head forward during sleep, which involuntarily forces them to purse their lips and breathe through their nostrils. If the mothers of civilized nations would do the same, they would bring great benefit to their people.

Many contagious diseases are spread by this unfortunate habit of mouth breathing, and many cases of colds and catarrhal diseases must be attributed to the same cause. Many of those who, obeying the evidence, breathe through their nose during the day, breathe through their mouth at night and are exposed to diseases from this.

Carefully done studies have shown that those soldiers and sailors who sleep with their mouths open are more susceptible to infectious diseases than those who breathe through their nostrils. In one case, on a warship, a smallpox epidemic appeared among sailors and soldiers, and only those sick who breathed through their mouths died from it, while not a single person died from those who breathed through their noses.

The respiratory organ has its own safety device - a filter and a dust absorber - in the nostrils of the nose. If breathing is done through the mouth, then there is nothing on the path between the lips and lungs that would filter the air and clean it of dust and other foreign impurities. From the mouth to the lungs the path is completely open, and on this side our breathing apparatus is not protected by anything. In addition, such improper breathing leads to the fact that the air enters the lungs completely unheated, which is very harmful. Pneumonia is often caused by inhaling cold air through an open mouth. A person who sleeps at night with his mouth open always wakes up with a feeling of dry mouth and larynx. This disregard for the direct demands of nature is punished by disease

Elena Glukhikh

because the nose is the best filter of harmful bacteria

Why is it harmful to breathe through your mouth?

because the nose is intended for these purposes, since there is a certain structure and coating and means of combating harmful microbes and bacteria entering the body through the lungs, but in the mouth there are no such means and the air, possibly even with dust and foreign particles, directly enters the lungs

Natalya I

Why is it harmful to breathe through your mouth? Firstly, much less air enters the lungs; only their upper sections will work, which means the body will receive less oxygen. Secondly, the voice changes, speech is disrupted, we begin to nasal and speak monotonously. Improper breathing also affects the teeth: they gradually become curved and caries can develop. And that's not all. The fluid that washes the brain stagnates, and substances harmful to the nervous system accumulate in it.

Is lard harmful? Is sleeping on the floor harmful or beneficial?

The human respiratory system is designed in such a way that inhalation and exhalation occurs through the nose, sometimes through the mouth. But, as it turned out, mouth breathing is harmful, and, moreover, not aesthetically pleasing - walking with your mouth open.
Many reasons influence such improper breathing.

External environment. The nose is essentially a filter. The nose has small hairs that serve as a barrier to germs, dust and bacteria. The air, passing through the nasal filtration, enters the lungs purified. By inhaling through the mouth, microorganisms that cause various diseases enter the body.

Heating. The air passing through the nose is warmed and enters the lungs. This prevents from various colds and lung diseases. Cold air with various pathogens is inhaled through the mouth.

Baby's breath. Children often breathe through their mouths, and the skull does not form correctly in their still developing bodies. The face changes: the nasal sinuses narrow, the orbital region thickens, the nasal septum becomes wider, and over time a double chin appears.

Also, when breathing through the mouth, children develop a speech defect due to an imbalance in the facial and jaw parts of the skull. When the child's permanent teeth erupt, problems may arise due to the narrowing of the rows of the jaw. Teeth will grow crowded.

Women's problem. Mouth breathing should be of concern primarily to women. When breathing through your mouth, your lips are constantly dry and you have to either lick them or use chapstick. It is very unattractive and not aesthetically pleasing to walk around with a white coating on your lips.

Dreams. Only when breathing through the nose is a person able to sleep peacefully and see good dreams, the body can relax completely and be saturated with pure oxygen.

Sports activities. Often, athletes breathe through their mouths during exercise, disrupting the rhythm and causing oxygen starvation in the body.

Physical injury. A deviated nasal septum makes breathing difficult. The nose is constantly clogged, breathing is difficult, and you need to take medications to dilate your sinuses in order to breathe properly. Surgery is required to correct the nasal septum.

How to deal with the reasons? Why can't you breathe through your mouth?

ENT doctors, orthodontists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, allergists, and psychologists will help you cope with this problem. First of all, you need to consult an ENT doctor. The doctor will diagnose the disease, prescribe the correct treatment and select a more effective remedy for the breathing problem.

Elimination and treatment of mouth breathing can only be done after correcting the obstruction to nasal breathing. Treatment can be prescribed in two types: surgical and medicinal.

• Surgical is the removal of polyps or adenoids. It is advisable to remove adenoids in childhood.
• Drug treatment - used in combination with physiotherapy.
• Along with medical procedures, it is necessary to carry out breathing exercises. For 4-6 seconds, inhale alternately, first through the left nostril, closing the right nostril with your finger, then through the right nostril, closing the left nostril.

Another exercise to turn off mouth breathing: place the tip of the tongue to the upper palate, take a calm and slow breath, exhaling, tapping the wings of the nose with your fingers, pronounce the syllables: ba-bo-bu.

It is necessary to pay attention to improper breathing through the nose from childhood. It is important to teach him to keep his mouth closed and breathe through his nose. If the child does not have problems with nasal breathing, then it is necessary to explain to him that it is not beautiful to walk with his mouth open.

Do not delay visiting a doctor if abnormal breathing is detected. Health depends on it. And health, as they say, cannot be bought for any price. Take care of your health!

People who are accustomed to breathing through their mouth instead of their nose can experience many unpleasant consequences. Let's talk about why breathing should occur naturally, the way it was intended by nature.

Why do people breathe through their mouths?

Mouth breathing in adults and children can occur for various reasons. However, the number 1 culprit is nasal congestion. When breathing occurs in the usual way, through the nose, the air is warmed and moistened before entering the lungs. If you have chronic rhinitis or seasonal runny nose, you have no choice but to breathe through your mouth. Thus, the air instantly ends up in your lungs. If it's cold outside, you risk getting a cold or sore throat. In addition, any particles of dust and other unwanted contaminants enter the body, bypassing the natural filters located in the nasal sinuses.

Other Causes of Improper Breathing

There are other causes of improper breathing. For example, small children often do this out of habit because it is convenient for them to breathe through their mouth. Often babies fall asleep with their mouths half open, since the jaws and teeth are not yet sufficiently formed (they are not located close enough to the lips). Another reason that prevents natural breathing in children is abnormally large tonsils.

Birth defects and pathologies

According to Dr. Harry Gudiño, president of the Ontario Dental Association, one of the causes of mouth breathing in children is birth defects. For example, a deviated nasal septum makes it difficult to breathe through the nose. It could also be a bone deformity that has gone unnoticed. With such an anomaly, it is quite difficult to breathe through the nose, so the child looks for a more preferable position of the face when breathing: he slightly tilts his head down and begins to inhale air through his mouth. If congenital pathologies are not corrected surgically with age, a person is doomed to breathe through the mouth for the rest of his life.

Xerostomia

Every time you inhale air through your mouth, you prevent your mouth from getting enough moisture. Saliva dries out quickly enough, as a result of which you have other unpleasant symptoms: difficulties associated with eating, impaired taste, irritated gums, hard tongue, caries, burning in the mouth, stomatitis and an unpleasant odor. In the scientific world, this phenomenon has received a succinct name - xerostomia. With age, the symptoms of the disease become so painful and unpleasant that the patient at the dental clinic cannot do without special medications. In Harry Gudinho's practice, there were cases when people complained of a real “fire in their mouth.”

Why is mouth breathing a problem?

We already know that one of the most common side effects of poor breathing is excessive dry mouth. Under normal breathing conditions, saliva remains in the closed mouth and continuously washes away bacteria. A dry environment, on the contrary, is more preferable for the development of pathogens. This is why people with difficulty breathing through their nose are more likely to develop tooth decay and gum inflammation.

Jaw deformity

Children who practice mouth breathing (regardless of the reasons) experience jaw deformation as they age. When the upper jaw grows faster than the lower jaw, malocclusion and a gummy smile develop.

Sleep problems

According to the expert, improper breathing is one of the causes of sleep problems. A person who constantly breathes through his mouth does not supply his body with enough oxygen. In addition, constant dry mouth forces people to wake up and go to the kitchen for a glass of life-saving water. Difficulty sleeping in childhood leads to problems such as lack of attention and memory concentration. In this regard, sometimes children with learning problems are mistakenly diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Adults also face regular performance problems. Mouth breathing causes you to have trouble sleeping and feel tired and exhausted the next day.

Signs of mouth breathing

When you breathe through your mouth all night, your soft tissues dry out, your gums become inflamed and begin to bleed more. This picture can be observed even if you have perfectly healthy teeth. When you wake up in the morning, you may experience a burning sensation in your mouth and a dry, itchy throat. Do the following test: pinch one nostril with your finger, close your mouth and try to breathe through your nose. Then switch sides. Any difficulty breathing in may indicate a problem with nasal passages being blocked.

How to fix the problem?

First, determine the reason that makes you breathe through your mouth. Thus, enlarged tonsils must be removed, and malocclusion can be treated with orthodontic treatment. If mouth breathing does not cause dental problems, you can rub a small amount of vitamin E (in oil) into your gums before bed. This will keep your mouth from drying out.

Any disruption of the human respiratory system can cause health problems. Even improper breathing affects your health and appearance. The human nose performs several functions: it cleans the incoming air from small particles and pathogenic organisms, humidifies it and produces heat. Due to any violations of nasal breathing, a person has to breathe through the mouth.

Why do some people breathe through their mouths?

This type of breathing can develop at any age. There are several reasons why we start breathing through our mouths. The first is associated with the presence of obstacles caused by a runny nose, a deviated nasal septum, foreign bodies, inflammatory processes, and genetically determined narrow channels. The second is with an incorrect bite, which makes the nasal passages difficult. The third reason is damaged or poorly developed orbicularis oris muscles.

One of the most common reasons is improper breathing technique. It is typical for people who suffered from infectious respiratory diseases in childhood. It is difficult for them to get rid of the habit of breathing through the mouth, even if there are no longer any obstacles to normal breathing.

What are the dangers of mouth breathing?

Scientists have found that mouth breathing affects the development of human bone and muscle tissue. In addition, the tone of the tongue decreases, which in a relaxed state (during sleep) sinks into the pharynx and complicates breathing. During wakefulness, the tongue is located between the teeth, having a negative impact on the bite.

If you have to breathe frequently through your mouth, you may experience a feeling of pressure in your head and face. As a result, sleep is disturbed, and a feeling of fatigue and weakness quickly arises.

The hearing organs are also negatively affected by non-nasal breathing. This influence is indirect and is associated with negative processes that occur during mouth breathing. In addition, in people with breathing problems, their posture deteriorates, the shape of their face changes, and their back muscles are in constant tension, causing rapid fatigue.

Deterioration of dental condition

A recent experiment conducted by researchers at the University of Otago (New Zealand) showed that mouth breathing leads to the development of dental caries. The reason is an increase in the acidity of saliva. Low pH negatively affects the composition of tooth enamel.

As part of the experiment, scientists installed a special clip on subjects before going to bed, allowing them to breathe only through their mouths. In just a few days, the pH level of saliva dropped sharply and settled at a value that was 1.9 units less than the permissible limit. This caused active demineralization of the enamel and contributed to the development of caries.

According to scientists, those people who constantly breathe through their mouths are more susceptible to negative influences.

Proper physiological breathing of a person should pass through the nose. Passing through the cavity and sinuses of the nose, the air flow is cleared of dust and large particles of contaminants, warmed or cooled to a comfortable temperature, and humidified. This process promotes complete gas exchange in the lungs and saturation of the blood with oxygen.

When air enters through the mouth, stagnation occurs in the nasal cavity, drying out the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which increases the risk of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory organs.

Constant mouth breathing is accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Constantly open mouth.
2. Long face.
3. Narrowed nostrils.
4. Dry and chapped lips.
5. Changing the timbre of the voice.
6. Loss of appetite.
7. Headaches.
8. Insomnia, snoring, frequent awakenings during the night.
9. Impaired memory and attention.
10. Rare dry cough.

As a rule, people develop the habit of breathing through their mouth from an early age. The main role in this is played by obstruction of the nasal passages. Subsequently, because of this, children may develop an abnormal bite, underdevelopment of the upper and lower jaws, crooked dentition, and narrowing of the passages of the nasal cavity.

Causes

The reason for the appearance of persistent breathing through the mouth can be both natural and pathological processes in the body. Natural causes include:

• shortened frenulum of the tongue;
• long-term use of pacifiers and feeding bottles;
• thumb sucking in childhood;
• formed habit.

In some cases, short-term cases of mouth breathing may occur when running or intense physical work, due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, or while lying down.

Pathological reasons:

• swelling of the mucous membrane due to colds and inflammatory diseases of the nose;
• proliferation of adenoids;
• foreign objects in the upper respiratory tract;
• allergic diseases;
• congenital pathologies that impair the patency of the nasal passages;
• polyps or growths in the nose.

All these conditions disrupt the proper movement of air in the passages and sinuses of the nose, making it difficult to breathe normally and causing a deterioration in overall health. Even if a person is freed from provoking factors, the habit of breathing through the mouth is very strong, and getting rid of it is quite problematic.

Diagnostics

Problems with the upper respiratory system are dealt with by an otolaryngologist (ENT). If there are complaints about the inability to breathe through the nose, the doctor determines what other clinical signs are present in the patient. After a survey and collection of all data on the general state of health, the presence of allergic reactions, the doctor conducts a visual examination of the nasal passages and cartilaginous septum, palpating the maxillary and frontal sinuses.

To clarify the diagnosis, instrumental examination methods are used:

1. X-ray of the nasal cavity in 2 projections.
2. Endoscopy using a probe with a camera and monitor.
3. Computed and magnetic resonance imaging.
4. Acoustic rhinometry (a method based on the reflection of a sound wave from the walls of the nasal cavity, indicating the degree of airway patency).
5. Rhinomanometry (a method that allows you to estimate the volume and speed of passing air).

Based on the results of the examination, a refined diagnosis is made and the tactics of medical action are chosen.

Treatment

All therapeutic measures should be taken only after a full examination and clarification of the reasons for breathing through the mouth. Depending on the disease, treatment tactics are chosen:

• for inflammatory diseases of the nasal cavity, rinsing and irrigation with antiseptic and saline solutions, inhalations, and antimicrobial therapy are prescribed;
• proliferation of adenoid tissue, deviated nasal septum, and neoplasms most often require surgical intervention;
• in case of allergic processes, antihistamines and vasoconstrictor drops are prescribed; it is necessary to limit contact with the allergen.

Frequent and uncontrolled use of remedies for the common cold can only aggravate the situation, drying out and thinning the nasal mucosa.

In addition to medications, correcting habitual breathing through the mouth requires performing certain breathing exercises and exercises to strengthen the muscles of the face and jaws. They are selected together by an otolaryngologist and an orthodontist, who must teach the correct technique for performing gymnastics. Monitoring of children's implementation should be carried out by adults to obtain the desired effect.

Complex for maintaining nasal breathing:

• exercises for the muscles of the upper jaw;
• exercises for the muscles of the lower jaw;
• exercises for the circular muscle (sphincter) of the mouth;
• exercises to strengthen the tongue.

As a result of this exercise, muscles weakened by breathing through the mouth are strengthened, the nasal passages are expanded, and aeration and gas exchange in the lung tissue are improved. Obtaining results from the exercises performed depends on the age of the patient, the degree of tissue weakening, and the correctness of their implementation. A good muscle strengthening effect is also obtained by chewing raw, hard vegetables and fruits.

In some cases, determined by doctors, the use of a special vestibular plate is prescribed. This device maintains the correct position of the tongue and lower jaw, and trains the orbicularis oris muscle. It is used in children during sleep or when performing prescribed exercises.

Prevention

It is always easier to prevent any disease than to cure it later. Therefore, you should not wait for mouth breathing to become a stable habit.

1. Children should not be allowed to sleep with a pacifier in their mouth.
2. Breastfeeding is the best way to develop proper oral muscles.
3. Timely diagnosis and treatment of nasal diseases.
4. Self-control in case of difficulty in nasal breathing.

Slanko Anna Yurievna