Breathing is something most of us take for granted. It's an automatic process that we do without thinking. It's just something our body does, and we don't give it a second thought. But here's the deal, it really is important how we breathe. Whether we breathe through our nose or mouth can make a HUGE difference in our health.
Mouth breathing, in particular, can cause a host of problems that most people are unaware of. When you breathe through your mouth, you bypass your nasal passages, which are designed to filter out allergens, dust, and other harmful particles. This puts you at risk for respiratory infections, allergies, and even asthma.
Research also has shown that nose breathing is 22% more efficient compared to mouth breathing. That means, that in addition to respiratory concerns, mouth breathing results in less oxygen being delivered to the rest of your body. This can have undesirable impacts in every system of our body!
Mouth breathing can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, such as dry mouth, bad breath, and snoring. These symptoms can not only impact your physical health but can also affect your mental well-being.
Imagine waking up every morning with a parched mouth, feeling embarrassed about your bad breath, and feeling tired from snoring all night because you were not able to get into the deep sleep cycle your body needs. These symptoms can leave you feeling exhausted, frustrated, and self-conscious.
All of the sudden, it makes us realize why how we breathe is so important.
Are you breathing through your nose yet?
Not paying attention to how we breathe is no longer an option. We realize that breathing correctly is about being as healthy as we can. It is about being able to optimally function at work, joyfully interact with your friends and family, and confidently thrive in your everyday life!
A great place to start is to simply begin to be conscious during the day of whether or not you are mouth breathing or nasal breathing. If you find yourself with your mouth open and breathing through it, gently close your lips and begin breathing through you nose. Most likely, you'll immediately notice a difference. You'll feel more calm and peaceful. Over time, as you begin to train your body to nasal breathe out of habit rather than mouth breathe, you'll see other drastic changes like fresh breath, better sleep, and less dry mouth (which means less tooth decay!).
Need help keeping your mouth closed while breathing? Try our Dryft Mouth Strips!