Mouth breathing has become one of the most serious challenges that most people face today. Breathing is such an involuntary action that people ever notice that they are doing it and to what depth.
A person’s breathing habits are so ingrained in him or her that they will hardly think about it, especially how they do it at night. It is essential that breathing is an easy exercise both when the body is at rest and awake.
Furthermore, it is important for people to use the nose and mouth properly to breath, or else they could suffer severe complications and risks.
Mouth Breathing
For a majority of people, normal breathing is using the mouth and nose. On the other hand, mouth breathing is just breathing via the mouth. It is often a challenge when the nasal passages are experiencing an issue.
It is possible for mouth breathing to happen both when one is asleep and during the day. It can be a problem, especially during sleep because we have absolutely no control over it. Although we do not always control it, mouth breathing is bad for our health.
Breathing via the nose is beneficial to the sinuses and is also good for general health. This is because air that enters the lungs via the nose is moistened and filtered, thus it lacks germs and pollutants. It is for this reason that mouth breathing is discouraged.
Degenerative mouth breathing that occurs during the day and night is associated with a myriad of symptoms. The Health Line claims that mouth breathing can cause poor oral health, brain fog, chronic fatigue, hoarseness, bad breath, dry mouth, and snoring.
Causes
There are several causes of mouth breathing. The most notable ones include the following:
- Allergies
- Sinus congestion. Normal and periodic congestion is no cause for alarm, but chronic sinus congestion is what causes mouth breathing to become a problem.
- Structural abnormalities that affect nasal airflow. Such abnormalities are comprised of deformities of the nasal septum and nose. In children, enlargement of the adenoids is a cause of nasal obstruction.
- Nasal tumors
- Foreign bodies
- Shape and size of the jaw significantly impacts nasal breathing.
- Deviated septum that causes nasal blockage, and in turn leads to mouth breathing.
- Habit
Health Line believes that the most common underlying cause is a nasal airway that is experiencing some obstruction. This is because the body is programmed in such a way that it automatically turns to mouth breathing if there is something that is blocking air passage into the nose.
The symptoms associated with mouth breathing will appear and get worse in due time if it goes on for a long period of time. The immune system will become weak and the patient will be attacked by frequent colds, have a chronic dry mouth, and experience constant exhaustion.
Health Ramifications
Mouth breathing is associated with a good number of negative health effects, and the main ones are as follows:
- The Oral Health Group claims that mouth breathing in adults can lead to poorer quality of life, decreased productivity, fatigue, and sleep disorders related to breathing.
- Poor oral health. Mouth breathing can lead to the oral cavity drying out. In addition, a dry mouth is vulnerable to a myriad of dental problems. This is because lack of saliva production that needs to be produced periodically for the neutralization of harmful acids on teeth. Saliva also helps to rinse away food particles and bacteria. This is why people who breathe through the mouth are likely to have bad breath, as well as suffer gum disease and tooth decay. Gum disease is a bad oral health condition, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, and many other kinds of complications if left untreated.
- Mouth breathing has a detrimental effect on the quality of sleep. According to Reader’s Digest Best Health, mouth breathing makes individuals get up in the course of the night due to an insufficient supply of oxygen. Waking up many times in the night in order for the body to get adequate oxygen can negatively affect sleep in the long run, thus resulting in poor mental and physical health.
- Dry mouth associated with mouth breathing can cause excessive thirst. This is what makes people wake up at night to drink water.
- Snoring is yet another health ramification of mouth breathing and this may wake up both the person who is snoring and anyone one who is sleeping next to them.
- Facial deformities are a negative impact of mouth breathing, particularly when it begins from a young age. This is because the muscle groups located on the jaw and face are pulled in a manner that is abnormal and that is what causes bone deformities.
- It irritates gum tissue, which causes gingivitis and inflammation.
- Mouth breathing can result in developmental problems in the face if not addressed in children. These include thin upper lips, small nostrils, and long or narrow face.
- It causes changes in posture as the victim attempts to overcompensate to keep airways open.
- It irritates nostrils and adenoids.
How To Stop It
The following are some of the ways to stop mouth breathing:
- Add black cumin oil to your daily routine. This helps with respiratory issues of the sinus and allergies. This is a natural solution that is easy to use.
- Maintain head elevation and proper sleep positions, such as avoiding lying on the back.
- Mouth guards
- Surgery
Mouth Breather Conclusion
It is important for anybody who is suspecting that they are suffering from any anatomical nasal issue to see a doctor to correct the bad breathing habit early.
