Mouth Breathing
Noses are for breathing, mouths are for eating!
Breathing effects quality of life!
What Causes Mouth Breathing?
allergies and/or food sensitivities
enlarged Tonsils and/or Adenoids
tongue-tie
chronic nasal congestion
thumb/pacifier sucking
deviated septum
asthma
nasal polyps
Our bodies were designed for nasal breathing. It is completely natural to breath through our mouths at times like exercising and speaking but breathing all the time through our mouths can cause long term health problems. Mouth breathing is becoming more and more common in children and adults due to changes in our environment, diets and lifestyles. If not corrected it can become a life-long habit and lead to health problems like sleep issues, anxiety and depression, TMJ pain, sinus infections, facial development and dental health.
It is important to note that mouth breathing and having and open mouth are equally detrimental to our health.
Note - the facial changes. The first picture he is 10 years old, in the 2nd and 3rd pictures he is 17 years old. These facial changes happened due to mouth breathing.
How Mouth Breathing Affects Our Health:
Changes in facial growth and development
TMJ pain
Crooked teeth
Orthodontic relapse or longer time spent with braces
Dry mouth / bad breath
Increased risk of dental decay and gum disease
Enlarged Tonsils
Chronic fatigue / Poor concentration
ADD/ADHA
Snoring / Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Anxiety / depression
Digestive issues: acid reflux, gas, indigestion
When we mouth breath we absorb 18% less oxygen. Less oxygen absorption has been associated with high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep apnea, and other medical issues.
Mouth breathing in children has been linked to: poor grown, weak academic performance, ADD/ADHD symptoms and more.
How Can Mouth Breathing Be Treated?
It may seem like mouth breathing is an easy habit to correct - just breath through your nose. Unfortunately, people who struggle with mouth breathing have compensated the muscles of the face and mouth and have learned to use them incorrectly. New patterns must be taught to retrain the current dysfunctional patterns.
Through Myofunctional Therapy we can help you to retrain your oral and facial muscles to stop breathing through your mouth and start breathing through your nose. When you are successful at shifting your breathing pattern, the changes to your health and quality of life are amazing. Contact us and make the change to nasal breathing!