Mouth breathing is often the result of a busy lifestyle, poor posture, or even just how we’ve learned to breathe over time. But did you know that mouth breathing can seriously affect your overall well-being? From increasing your risk of chronic conditions to affecting your sleep quality, mouth breathing can silently impact your health in ways you may not even realize. Let’s explore the effects of mouth breathing, particularly its impact on adults and children, and eye-opening insights from specialists in the field.
Breathing through your mouth might seem harmless, but it introduces a cascade of problems for your body. While your nose is designed to filter, humidify, and warm the air before it reaches your lungs, the mouth does none of these things. Here’s how mouth breathing can affect your body:
Mouth breathing exposes your airways to dry, unfiltered air, which can irritate the throat, lungs, and respiratory system. This leads to increased inflammation and a weakened immune response.
Mouth breathing leads to shallow chest breathing, which triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, making it difficult for the body to relax during rest or sleep.
When you breathe through your mouth, your airways are more likely to collapse during sleep, leading to snoring or even obstructive sleep apnea.
Nasal breathing increases the production of nitric oxide, a gas that helps open up your airways and improve oxygen absorption. Without this, your oxygen intake can be compromised, affecting everything from energy levels to cognitive function.
Chronic mouth breathing can lead to dry mouth, gum disease, and even malocclusion (misaligned teeth) due to the tongue’s inability to rest properly in the mouth.
The tongue also plays an essential role in guiding the proper formation of the teeth and face. When breathing through the nose, the tongue rests naturally on the roof of the mouth. But with mouth breathing, this positioning is disrupted, leading to potential issues with tooth alignment and facial structure.
These children exhibited fewer health issues and had well-developed facial structures compared to their peers. In contrast, mid-19th-century urban populations suffered higher infant mortality rates—about 50% dying before the age of five—due to stressors such as poor air quality, cramped living conditions, and mouth breathing.
Mouth breathing can develop from a variety of factors, including nasal congestion, poor posture, stress, or simply not being conscious of how we breathe. For many people, it becomes a default pattern over time, especially during exercise or when the body is under strain. Ander Olsson emphasizes the importance of how we breathe during physical activity. He shares: “When you breathe through your mouth, you’re not just harming your body during exercise, you’re also carrying these habits into your daily life. Mouth breathing lead you to long term health issues.
Reach out to the Yoga experts at Holistic Harmony Heaven for more guidance and support on your wellness journey.