Mouth Breathing
It is perfectly natural to breathe through your mouth at certain times, the mouth is in fact, an emergency back up system for to get oxygen.It is perfectly natural to breathe through your mouth at certain times. The mouth, in fact, is an emergency backup system used to get oxygen when the nose cannot be used. However, breathing through the mouth as the primary source of breathing can cause health problems. Mouth breathing can be especially detrimental for children because it can affect the long-term development of the face.
Primarily, our bodies are designed to bring air in through the nose. The nose is meant to act as a natural humidifier and filtering system for the air we breathe. Ideal breathing consists of inhaling and exhaling only through the nose. When we can't get enough air through our nose, however, the mouth takes over. Breathing through the mouth most of the time was not nature's intent. When this happens, problems can occur.. Breathing through the mouth as the primary source of breathing can cause health problems. These problems can be especially severe for children because it can affect the long-term development of the face. Primitively, our bodies are designed to bring air in through our nose. The nose is designed to act as a natural humidifier and filtering system for the air we breathe. Ideal breathing consists of breathing in and out only through the nose. When we can’t get enough air through our nose, however, the mouth takes over. Breathing through the mouth most of the time was not nature’s intent. When this happens, problems can occur.
Facial Development
A common facial characteristic in children who are habitual mouth breathers is a long, narrow face with a high, vaulted palate. The shape of the palate is largely influenced by the position of the tongue. When the tongue rests against the roof of the mouth, as it should, it helps guide the development of the teeth and palate by exerting gentle pressure outward and sideways. In mouth breathers, the contact time between the tongue and the hard palate is reduced because opening the mouth causes the tongue to sit low.
People who habitually breathe through their mouths often adapt their posture to help open the airway. This can cause the head to tip slightly backward and/or shift forward, which in turn affects the muscles in the neck, chest, and shoulders. These postural changes can have a cascading impact on the rest of the body.
Additionally, mouth breathing puts tension on the muscles in the face. This tension can pull the facial structures inward, resulting in a narrower face and a constricted airway. In children, there is still an opportunity to reverse this narrowing because their cranial sutures have not yet fused. As a result, their facial structure and airway can still be shaped and expanded. However, once the cranial sutures fuse in adulthood, these changes become much more difficult to achieve. For adults, widening the palate and airway typically requires more extensive procedures, such as orthodontic treatments or surgery.
What else you should know:
Mouth breathing is a habit that develops over time. It alters the tone of the facial muscles, affecting the area from the shoulders up to the eyes. While it’s possible to stop mouth breathing without therapy, restoring proper muscle tone in the face and surrounding areas requires targeted treatment. Below are the most common reasons for the establishment of mouth breathing:
Allergies
Thumb or finger sucking habit
Low tongue posture
A physical restriction in the tongue
Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
Chronic nasal congestion
Respiratory infection
Each of these factors or a history of any one of them make it physically difficult for a person to nasal breathe. If nasal breathing is not possible, the body’s only choice is to mouth breathe. In less than 4 minutes, permanent damage occurs without oxygen. The body begins utilizing the emergency access hole (the mouth) when needed to allow you to continue to live, but without all the other benefits of nasal breathing.
Over time, mouth breathing weakens the muscles of the tongue, which can lead to low tongue posture or an abnormal swallowing pattern. This can affect speech, swallowing, breathing, and chewing—yep, chewing! This means your digestive system is affected too!
Nasal Breathing
Breathing through your nose is a primitive function of the body. This means that we were born doing it, naturally, unless an abnormality has occurred. Nasal breathing allows for filtering, humidifying, and warming of the air. While it is true that nasal breathing doesn’t allow for a large in take of air, like mouth breathing, slowing down the volume of air that enters the lungs is a mechanism that allows more time for oxygen exchange. This results in a 10 to 20 percent increase of oxygen uptake.
There are many benefits to nasal breathing:
Air is filtered in order to remove: dust, dirt, pollen, dander and other allergens.
Nitric oxide is produced in the nose that kills bacteria and viruses, increases blood flow, allows for better oxygen absorption in the lungs.
Moisture is added to the air before it reaches the lungs.
Temperature and speed is adjusted to make it easier for the lungs to utilize the air.
Improves lung volume.
Allows for diaphragmatic breathing.
Activates parasympathetic (calming) nervous system.
Decreases anxiety.
Makes you less likely to cough
Improves athletic performance
