What is mouth breathing?
Mouth breathing is the form of breathing in and out mainly through the mouth. Mouth breathing is considered less healthy than nasal breathing. The air flows through the mouth into the oral cavity and reaches the windpipe and lungs via the throat.
What is the difference to nasal breathing?
Unlike nasal breathing, mouth breathing does not have the advantages of breathing through the nose. The air is less humidified and conditioned when it enters the lungs through the mouth. In addition, the oral cavity lacks the filtering function that the nose has.
This means that pathogens are not combated here. In contrast, germs in cold, dry air in winter when breathing through the mouth have suitable conditions for settling and spreading in the oral cavity and throat. Thus mouth breathing favors colds rather than nasal breathing. In contrast to nasal breathing, mouth breathing does not have a positive effect on blood circulation. It has no known effect on the blood vessels.
Mouth breathing is used in the following cases
Often the causes of nasal breathing obstruction lead to mouth breathing. These include changes in the nasal structures, as well as chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which can also cause a nasal breathing obstruction and consequently lead to mouth breathing. In addition, there are certain drugs, for example blood pressure-lowering drugs and decongestant nasal sprays, which can cause long-term damage to the nasal mucous membranes.
In children, foreign bodies in the nose can lead to a switch to oral breathing. Another possible but rare cause of obstructed nasal breathing and resulting breathing through the mouth is tumors in the nasopharynx.
- A curvature of the nasal septum,
- An enlargement of the nasal conchae,
- Nasal polyps or
- Other shape defects of the nasal skeleton.
Advantages of oral respiration
A significant advantage of oral breathing is the continuous breathing volume. The mouth can be opened much wider than the nose. As a result, the volume of air to be inhaled can be regulated via the mouth opening. Athletes often switch automatically from nasal breathing to mouth breathing. Enormous sporting activity requires an increased amount of oxygen, which can be made available at short notice through mouth breathing.
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