Stop being a Mouth Breather! - Sanz Solutions Health and Longevity

Stop being a Mouth Breather!

I am sure you’ve heard the term mouth breather. But did you know it is unhealthy to be a mouth breather?

Mouth breathing precipitates snoring which affects all the other aspects of our lives. Snoring is akin to choking in your sleep; constantly waking yourself up and disrupting healthy rest. This leads to fatigue, inadequate muscle recovery, and insatiability.

Breathing through your mouth can give you the instant volume of air that you need.  As convenient as it seems, the air entering your mouth is unfiltered, which goes directly to your lungs.

According to dental experts, mouth breathing can lead to dry mouth, making you susceptible to tooth decay,  bad breath, and other dental conditions. As well as asthma, allergies (pollen), and jaw problems.

In children, mouth breathing can cause poor growth and development, facial deformities, crooked teeth, and cavities and lead to obstructive sleep apnea in adults. In adults, chronic mouth breathing can cause cavities, gum disease, bad breath, low energy levels, and many other systemic diseases.

Our noses warm and humidify the air we breathe, and they help filter out debris and micro-organisms in the air.

Benefits of breathing through your nose

  • reduce exposure to foreign substances

  • humidify and warm inhaled air

  • increase airflow to arteries, veins, and nerves

  • slow down breathing

  • improve lung capacity

  • strengthen the diaphragm

  • lower your risk of allergies and hay fever

  • reduce your risk of coughing

  • aid your immune system

  • lower your risk of snoring and sleep apnea

  • support the correct formation of teeth and mouth

Another benefit to nasal breathing is the production of nitric oxide. Our sinuses produce nitric oxide which is known to…

  • fight harmful bacteria and viruses

  • regulate blood pressure; NO is a vasodilator, which means it helps to widen blood vessels

  • improve oxygen circulation in your body

  • improve the body’s immune system

How to become a nose breather…

  • clear nasal passages; clean out nose regularly with sinus rinse, and use medications such as antihistamines and nasal steroids as needed. Avoid nasal decongestant sprays for longer than 3 days as they can cause rebound congestion and are habit-forming.

  • use nasal strips

  • use mouth tape

  • avoid alcohol close to bedtime

  • exercise and lose excess weight; studies do not show benefits to nose breathing while exercising but do show weight loss as a step toward nose breathing

  • use nose breathing exercises easily found on youtube

  • prop your head up when you sleep

  • if all else fails, do a sleep study and see if you suffer from sleep apnea. In this case, a CPAP device can be prescribed.

These tips will enhance nose breathing during sleep (and while awake). This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to address chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, constant urges to snack, and overall health. I’ve linked the products I trust below for easy reference.

 

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