Nose breathing provides more oxygen than mouth breathing and may help protect individuals from infections.
Nasal breathing has a much better chance of supplying needed oxygen to the cells of the body, whereas mouth breathing is less efficient and can decrease the level of oxygen supplied to the body's cells.
Relief-wise, mouth breathing can provide more air, especially when you're in a hot area, wearing a face mask, or running out of breath when walking or exercising. Breathing through your mouth can give you the instant volume of air that you need.
Long term mouth breathing can lead to a myriad of oral issues including crowded teeth, cracked lips, caries (or cavities), gum disease and more. But the issues don't stop at the mouth. Mouth breathers are also more likely to experience digestive issues, chronic fatigue, morning headaches and sore throat.
As an adult, the growth and development has already happened but it's not too late–there are MANY health benefits to breathing through your nose instead of your mouth at any age!
It depends on how severe your mouth breathing is, but most of the time you can still reverse its effects, especially when it's detected and corrected early, before the worst side effects have kicked in.
Nose breathing provides more oxygen than mouth breathing and may help protect individuals from infections.
Who's affected by mouth breathing? Mouth breathing affects adults and children. Healthcare providers estimate between 10% and 25% of children have mouth breathing.
Some people breathe through their mouths almost exclusively, while others may have a medical condition (like sleep apnea) where they breathe through their mouths mostly at night. Occasional mouth breathing can be due to a temporary illness like a cold or other illness that has blocked the nasal passages.
Pursed Lip Breathing
More air is able to flow in and out of your lungs so you can be more physically active. To practice it, simply breathe in through your nose and breathe out at least twice as long through your mouth, with pursed lips.
Sinus and nasal complaints are common reasons for a visit to your primary care doctor, an allergist or an otolaryngologist (ENT). If you're asking yourself, "what are the reasons why I can't breathe through my nose," two common culprits to consider are a nasal obstruction and chronic sinusitis.
When you breathe through your mouth, your lungs do not receive all of the benefits. Mouth breathing causes bad breath, poor sleep, early aging, gum disease, and high blood pressure in adults. According to Healthline, mouth breathing can lead to crooked teeth, facial deformities, or poor growth in children.
The studies from other countries report a wide range of the prevalence of mouth breathing, 4–56% [1–8]. Brazil has the highest prevalence, which exceeds 50% based on clinical assessment [1–3]. On the other hand, the lowest prevalence is in India, at 4–7% based on clinical assessment [6–8].
Researchers conclude that mouth breathing might lead to changes in the posture of the head and neck, and that chronic mouth breathing can result in an “adenoid face.” This type of facial structure involves a narrow upper dental arch, changes in incisors, an imperfect lip seal, and an increased facial height.
Hypoxia is low levels of oxygen in your body tissues. It causes symptoms like confusion, restlessness, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, and bluish skin. Many chronic heart and lung conditions can put you at risk for hypoxia.
Learning to breathe through your nose with targeted exercises can help increase your lung capacity, enhance respiratory function and relieve stress and anxiety.
An increase in nasal resistance may cause a decrease in NO delivery to the lungs and further precipitate hypoxemia.
Exercise. By exercising regularly with a regimen of a daily walk or run, you will increase your need for deep breaths; and your nose will naturally take the breathing away from your mouth.
Sleep with Your Head Elevated
Sleeping on your back with your head elevated is another position that can reduce mouth breathing.
Nose breathing allows our faces to develop normally – and there's research to support this. Breathing through your mouth may change your face shape as the jaw is constantly open, rather than closed as it naturally should be.
Apply a warm compress such as a wet towel or a warm hot water bottle to your face. It can help to open up your nasal passages. Have a warm bath or shower. The warm, wet air should help to loosen up mucus and relieve nasal congestion.
Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is a clinical syndrome, the hallmark symptom of which is a sensation of suffocation despite a clear airway. This syndrome is often referred to as a form of secondary atrophic rhinitis. ENS is a potential complication of nasal turbinate surgery or injury.