Breathing is one of the most fundamental functions of your body. In fact, most people do not think about how to breathe or how frequently they are breathing. Naturally, you use your nose to breathe in and out, permitting the nasal passages to warm and moisten the air they take in. However, this is not usually the case. Instead, some people use their mouth for breathing, or commonly known as mouth breathing. Doctors and dentists like Dr. Meng from Chatswood’s trusted clinic, BDC advise that addressing this issue is necessary to prevent possible complications. Knowing how to stop mouth breathing can help you get better sleep and improve the quality of your life. Keep reading to learn the different ways to improve your breathing process, including the symptoms, causes, and treatment of mouth breathing.
Understanding Mouth Breathers: What To Know?
Most human beings naturally breathe through their noses almost all the time. However, some people foster mouth breathing later in life. Others are born as mouth breathers because of their body’s structural design. In any case, these two conditions can make a person unconsciously breathe through their mouth, which could cause other health problems.
Symptoms of Mouth Breathing
You may not know that you use your mouth for breathing instead of your nose, mainly while sleeping. Nevertheless, mouth breathing at night may have the following symptoms:
- dry mouth
- bad breath
- chronic fatigue
- snoring
- hoarseness
- brain fog
- waking up tired and irritable
- dark circles under the eyes
For guardians, looking for signs of mouth breathing in children is essential. This is because children may not be able to tell their symptoms. Similar to grown-ups, mouth-breathing children will open their mouths to breathe, causing snore at night. In any case, children who use their mouths for breathing for most of the day may likewise have the following manifestations:
- dry, cracked lips
- irritability
- daytime sleepiness
- large tonsils
- slower than the typical growth rate
- increased crying episodes at night
- problems concentrating at school
Causes of Mouth Breathing At Night
The main reason for most cases of mouth breathing at night is a completely or partially obstructed nasal airway. In short, something is hindering the smooth entry of air into the nose. Once your nose is blocked, the body automatically depends on the primary source of oxygen, which is your mouth. Common reasons for an obstructed nasal breathing are:
- enlarged adenoids
- enlarged turbinates
- the shape and size of the nose and jaw
- deviated septum
- nasal congestion caused by colds, sinus infections, or allergies
- enlarged tonsils
- nasal polyps, or benign growths of tissue in the lining of your nose
- tumors
Some individuals establish a habit of breathing through their mouth rather than their nose even after improving nasal obstruction. Others with sleep apnea may become this a habit to accommodate their need for oxygen.
In addition, anxiety and stress can likewise make a person breathe through their mouth rather than their nose. This is because stress triggers the sympathetic nervous system, causing shallow, quick, and abnormal breathing.
Possible Complications of Excessive Mouth Breathing
Chronic mouth breathing may associate with numerous health issues. While an individual will not really encounter these complications, they can have a few.
Common mouth breathing complications are:
- issues with their jaw joints
- enlarged tonsils and adenoids
- higher incidence of snoring and sleep apnea
- speech and swallowing difficulties
- teeth that do not fit together properly because of an affected bite
- greater risk for dental complications, such as tooth decay and gum disease
- worsening of asthma symptoms
Getting dental veneers can help treat some dental problems such as crooked teeth. Still, addressing the main problem is essential to prevent the other issues from happening. Most people can get treatment before their indications worsen and before they encounter any long-term complications.
How To Stop Mouth Breathing At Night?
If you have a blocked nose or obstructed air passageways, it is essential to do some things to improve your nose breathing. Knowing this technique can help enhance your good night’s sleep. In any case, here are the seven recommended ways to stop mouth breathing.
Practice Breathing
Practice and control your breathing process. To do breathing correctly, use your nose to breathe in and your mouth to breathe out. What has likely prevented you from adequately breathing is not 
your absence of knowledge about breathing procedures. Instead, odds are your issue revolves around putting the technique into practice. So, the best way to incorporate anything into a routine is to do precisely that practice.
Clearing Any Nose Blockage
It might appear obvious, but numerous people breathe through the mouth when they have obstructed nasal airways. You can get your nasal passage free from obstructions by using a nasal wash or simply blowing your nose.
Stress Reduction
Once you are anxious or stressed, your breathing is more rushed. You are probably going to use your mouth to take deep breaths in stressful circumstances. You might have to see a specialist or change your environment, but decreasing stress will help improve the manner you breathe.
Right Pillows
Poor sleep because of mouth breathing can intensify stress and reduce your quality of life. Changing the height of your head may help improve the way you breathe at night. In that case, support your head up with an additional pillow or use a thicker cushion.
Exercise
Regular exercise, such as a daily walk or run, will increase your need for deep breaths. In that case, your nose will naturally remove breathing from your mouth.
See a Therapist
Myofunctional therapist is the type of therapist you need to help you stop mouth breathing. They will use various exercises to retrain your facial muscles to work to better advantage your breathing.
Surgery
If nothing else works, you might have a problem with your nose structural makeup. Speak with your doctor about the applicable surgical procedures. It may mean the distinction between breathing appropriately or being a mouth breather the rest of your life.
Treatment For Mouth Breathing
To diagnose mouth breathing, your doctor or dentist will usually conduct visual tests. They will check how well your lips seal if you have dark eye circles, posture changes, a long face, a high narrow palate, an open bite, or a gum inflammation. With that being said, treatment may depend on the primary cause.
Medications such as antihistamines or over-the-counter steroid nasal spray can treat nasal congestion due to colds and allergies.
Stiff adhesive strips, also called nasal dilators, can also help you to breathe at night. You apply this across the nostrils to help decrease airflow resistance and help you breathe more effectively through your nose.
Suppose you have obstructive sleep apnea. In that case, your doctor will probably recommend you to use a face-mask appliance at night known as continuous positive air pressure therapy (CPAP). This device delivers air to your nose and mouth using a mask. The tension of the air keeps your two air passageways from falling apart and becoming hindered.
For children, surgical extraction of swollen adenoids and tonsils can fix mouth breathing issues.
Furthermore, a dentist may suggest that your kid wears an appliance intended to widen the palate and help open the sinuses and nasal airways. You can click on this link for more information. In any case, Braces and other orthodontic treatments may also help address the underlying reason for mouth breathing.
References:
Snoring.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/snoring/symptoms-causes/syc-20377694
What’s wrong with breathing through the mouth?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319487
8 secrets to a good night’s sleep.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/8-secrets-to-a-good-nights-sleep
What is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) Therapy?
https://www.aastweb.org/blog/what-is-cpap-continuous-positive-airway-pressure-therapy
What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
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