Mouth Breathing Vs Nasal Breathing:
Breathing, we can all do it with our eyes closed, but does that mean we are doing it correctly? No! It is estimated that between 30-50% of adults mouth breathe. This does not match up with our anatomy, the mouth is designed for eating and talking whereas the nose is for breathing and smelling.
What difference could this possibly make? Well, according to the research there are many negative health outcomes associated with mouth breathing and just as many positives associated with nasal breathing.
Firstly, our nose helps us survive the copious amounts of bacteria and toxins that fly through the air we breathe. This filtration is as a result of the small hairs, the adenoids, turbinates and mucous membranes of the sinuses. These allow us to warm, filter and humidify the air we breathe. Comparatively, if we breathe through our mouth we bypass all of these defences and rely solely on our tonsils, which can result in recurrent infected or inflamed tonsils. This can result in sore throats, dry mouth and even bad breath!
Everyone knows how important oxygen is for our survival, but not many know that carbon dioxide (CO2) is too! You might think of CO2 as the substance we exhale and consequently assume that it is just a waste product, but, it actually has a very important role in our body! CO2 is responsible for ‘separating’ oxygen from our red blood cells, allowing the oxygen to then reach our organs and tissues. Okay, that’s a cool fact but what does that have to do with nasal breathing?
Well, mouth breathing is commonly associated with ‘over-breathing’. This means that we are breathing so much that we are actually exhaling too much CO2, and with the knowledge of its role in our body, we know this is not a good thing at all! The organs and tissues around our body consequently receive less oxygen and this effects their function. Furthermore, CO2 plays a role in the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle, meaning if the levels of CO2 are decreased it can lead to a contraction of these muscles. Smooth muscle is found in your hollow organs including intestines and bladder, therefore mouth breathing can be a cause of frequent urination, particularly at night. Now obviously there can be many causes of frequent urination and many require diagnosis by a medical professional so be cautious if you are experiencing this symptom.
Okay I’m almost done talking about breathing but one more thing! Posture, we all know the word, we all know we could probably improve ours, but did you know mouth breathing can be detrimental to our posture? The body is constantly making changes to try and keep us a ‘neutral’ as possible, known as homeostasis. Part of this is our posture, the body always wants our eyes and ears level with the horizon. With mouth breathing, accessory respiratory muscles are used too much and in combination with our smart phones and endless hours spent at a desk our body has to work very hard to keep our eyes level. The way our body deals with this stress is by adopting a ‘forward head carriage’ and this can give rise to a myriad of issues including neck pain, headaches and jaw pain.
Whilst musculoskeletal pain can often be caused by a complex summation of many factors, the way you breathe may be playing more of a role than you first thought! Although it’s hard to change something that comes so naturally to us, start by taking 5-10 minutes a day to focus on deep nasal breathing and at the very least you’ll enjoy some quiet time to yourself.
Author: Will Morrison (5th Year Osteopathic Student)
https://www.drlewis.com.au/blog/2017/6/27/nose-breathing-for-better-health