Mouth breathers tend to take in too much air and often suffer from symptoms related to hyperventilation or over-breathing. The result of mouth breathing is poor oxygenation of all the body’s organs and tissues. Mouth breathing can cause the nose to be chronically blocked. Other outcomes of mouth breathing may include: snoring, sleep apnea, headaches, bed-wetting, chronic ear or sinus infections, jaw joint pain and even dark patches under the eyes.
As babies, we knew just how to breathe – gently and quietly through the nose. This is the natural way the body breathes. Our nose is special, it’s design warms, cleans, filters and humidifies the air we breathe. Our nose filters out particles of pollen, pet dander, pollutants and dirt thanks to the hairs and mucous membranes within our nose. The mouth is large and when breath moves from the mouth, the air goes directly into the lungs along with all particles – they may stay there for weeks.
For infants and young children, nose breathing is crucial to the optimal development of the bones of the cranium, in particular the upper and lower jaws. Developmentally, a child who mouth breathes will not develop the upper arch size and the vault of the palate which contribute to development of nasal passages of the head.
“Over the years I have noticed an increasing tendency for children to show evidence of chronic mouth breathing. This has a negative effect not only on the development of the jaws and the shape of the developing cranium and occlusion but also on the general health of the child.” According to Dr. John Flutter, BDS(British), Dental Surgeon, Brisbane, Queensland.
With the Buteyko Breathing method, chronic mouth breathers can learn to unblock their noses and become nose-breathers again. Even those with rhinitis and allergies – the cycle can be broken. We can give you tools you need to unblock your chronically congested nose and begin to use nose breathing.
