Mouth breathing
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Mouth breathing | |
---|---|
Other names | Chronic oral ventilation |
Symptoms | Snoring, dry mouth, hoarse voice, bad breath, fatigue, sleep apnea[1][2] |
Causes | Chronic nasal congestion |
Treatment | Treatment of the underlying cause of nasal congestion if present, building a habit to breathe through the nose |
Mouth breathing, medically known as chronic oral ventilation, is long-term breathing through the mouth. It often is caused by an obstruction to breathing through the nose, the innate breathing organ in the human body.[3][4][5] However, by the early 20th century, the term "mouth-breather" had developed a pejorative slang meaning connoting a stupid person.
Etymology
In the early 20th century, "mouth-breather" was a technical term used by doctors to describe children who were breathing through their mouths due to an underlying medical condition. English lexicographer Jonathon Green notes that by 1915, the phrase "mouth-breather" had developed a pejorative connotation within English slang, defined as a "stupid person".[6] Currently, the Macmillan Dictionary defines the term "mouth breather" as a pejorative noun that is used to mean "a stupid person."[7][4]
Cause of inability for nasal breathing
Jason Turowski, MD of the Cleveland Clinic states that "we are designed to breathe through our noses from birth – it's the way humans have evolved."[3][5] Infants for example in the first six to twelve months of postnatal can only use their noses to breathe unless crying is involved.[8] Thus, the impact of chronic mouth breathing on health is a research area within orthodontics (and the related field of myofunctional therapy)[9] and anthropology.[10] It is classified into three types: obstructive, habitual, and anatomic.[11]: 281
There is a noted order of cause and effect leading to airway dysfunction related to mouth breathing. This first starts with an inflammatory reaction then leading to tissue growth in the area which leads to airway obstruction and mouth breathing and then finally an altered face structure.[12]
Nasal breathing produces nitric oxide within the body, while mouth breathing does not.[5][13][14] In addition, the Boston Medical Center notes that the nose filters out particles that enter the body, humidifies the air we breathe and warms it to body temperature.[15] In contrast, however, mouth breathing "pulls all pollution and germs directly into the lungs; dry cold air in the lungs makes the secretions thick, slows the cleaning cilia, and slows down the passage of oxygen into the bloodstream".[15] As a result, chronic mouth breathing may lead to illness.[13][16][17][18][19] In about 85% of cases, it is an adaptation to nasal congestion,[11]: 281 [17] and frequently occurs during sleep.[16] More specialized causes include: antrochoanal polyps;[20]: 350 a short upper lip which prevents the lips from meeting at rest (lip incompetence);[11]: 281 and pregnancy rhinitis which tends to occur in the third trimester of pregnancy.[21]: 435
Potential effects
Conditions associated with mouth breathing include
Breathing through the mouth decreases saliva flow. Saliva has minerals to help neutralize bacteria, clean off the teeth, and rehydrate the tissues. Without it, the risk of gum disease and cavities increases.[27]
Chronic mouth breathing in children may affect dental and facial growth.[19] It may also lead to the development of a long, narrow face, sometimes termed long face syndrome.[28] Conversely, it has been suggested that a long thin face type, with corresponding thin nasopharyngeal airway, predisposes to nasal obstruction and mouth breathing.[17]
Additional approaches to mouth breathing
George Catlin
Yoga
Yogis such as B. K. S. Iyengar advocated both inhaling and exhaling through the nose in the practice of yoga, rather than inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth,[35][36][37] using the phrase, "the nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating."[35][36][38][39]
Mouth taping
Mouth taping is the practice of keeping the lips shut while sleeping with a strip of surgical tape. This is intended to prevent mouth breathing during sleep. The health effects of mouth taping have been little researched.[40]
In non-human animals
Lambs are noted to only switch to mouth breathing when the nasal passages are completely obstructed, with
See also
- Control of ventilation – Breathing control
- Nasal congestion – Partial or complete blockage of nasal passages
- Nasal septum deviation – Disorder of the nose
- Obligate nasal breathing – physiological necessity to breathe through the nose rather than the mouth
- Rhinoplasty – Surgical procedure to enhance or reconstruct a human nose
References
- S2CID 243976270.
- PMID 21858254.
- ^ a b Turowski, Jason (29 April 2016). "Should You Breathe Through Your Mouth or Your Nose?". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ a b c Glazier, Eve (November 2019). "Nose breathing has more benefits than mouth breathing". The Times and Democrat. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ Kelly, John (23 August 2016). "How '80s Is the Slang in Stranger Things?". Slate. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "Macmillan Dictionary: Mouthbreather". The Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ PMID 3539080. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- PMID 27295847.
- ^ Gross, Terry (27 May 2020). "How The 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience". National Public Radio (NPR)/Fresh Air. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ ISBN 9789350252420.
- S2CID 52134548.
- ^ a b Dahl, Melissa (11 January 2011). "'Mouth-breathing' gross, harmful to your health". NBC News. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- Washington Post. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Your Nose, the Guardian of Your Lungs". Boston Medical Center. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ PMID 32387333.
- ^ ISBN 9789350258910.
- ^ Nall, Rachel (22 September 2017). "What's wrong with breathing through the mouth?". Medical News Today. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ a b Valcheva, Zornitsa (January 2018). "THE ROLE OF MOUTH BREATHING ON DENTITION DEVELOPMENT AND FORMATION" (PDF). Journal of IMAB. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4200-9163-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4377-0416-7.
- ISBN 978-1-4557-0262-6.
- ISBN 978-0-7020-4001-6.
- PMID 28079611.
- PMID 24169579.
- ^ PMID 26352843.
- ^ Graves, Elizabeth (4 September 2022). "Mouth Breather vs Nose Breather: Understanding the Differences and Why it Matters". Take Home Smile.
- PMID 25628484.
- ^ "Catlin Virtual Exhibition". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ The breath of life, or mal-respiration, and its effects upon the enjoyments & life of man. HathiTrust. 1862. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ISBN 978-0735213616.
- ^ "George Catlin on Mouth Breathing". PubMed. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-0735213616.
- ISBN 978-0735213616.
- ^ a b Yoga Journal Editors (12 April 2017). "Q&A: Is Mouth Breathing OK in Yoga?". Yoga Journal. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ a b Payne, Larry. "Yogic Breathing: Tips for Breathing through Your Nose (Most of the Time)". Yoga For Dummies, 3rd Edition. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Himalayan Institute Core Faculty, Himalayan Institute Core Faculty (13 July 2017). "Yogic Breathing: A Study Guide". Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ISBN 9781608827022. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-0547569659. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
Further reading
- Nestor, James (2020). ISBN 978-0735213616.
External links
- Effects of Mouth Breathing - WebMD (video clip)