The breath of life
Breathing is an automatic process. For most of us it just is. We don’t often think about whether the way we are breathing is impacting our health and wellbeing however the body is impacted differently when we breathe through the nose than when we breathe through the mouth. Mouth breathing negatively impacts our health in many ways and can even change the shape of our face.
Each breath we take is not in response to the need for oxygen but due to the build up of carbon dioxide in the blood. Short term carbon dioxide build-up such as when we briefly hold our nose can lead to improved oxygen utilisation by the body. As the carbon dioxide level increases, the ph of the blood lowers causing the red blood cells to release oxygen into the tissues. Chronic mouth breathing leads to hyperventilation (breathing too much air), reducing levels of blood carbon dioxide below normal and poor oxygen utilisation.
Mouth breathing during sleep can lead to sleep problems and resulting fatigue, snoring and even tooth decay as the saliva in the mouth dries up drying out the teeth. If you breathe through your mouth during sleep you will wake up with a dry mouth, saliva on the pillow and bad breath. Mouth taping is one way to address this. Mouth tape can be purchased but I just use good ol Micropore tape from the chemist. Taping the mouth each night will help train your mouth to stay closed. I talk a lot in my sleep, so mouth taping also meant I stopped asking my husband to ‘pass me the cheese ‘😊.
When comparing nasal and mouth breathing it is easy to see how attention to this one factor can positively impact our health and wellbeing.
Breathwork has been practiced for thousands of years as part of many Ayurvedic, yogic and Chinese medicine traditions. These techniques are used to calm the body and mind. Newer techniques are focusing on improved oxygen utilisation in the body, increased exercise endurance and improved posture and sleep.
Oxygen Advantage is a company founded by Patrick McKeown. The two pillars of Oxygen Advantage are; functional breathing exercises and breathing exercises to stimulate altitude training to help people improve their health and fitness. The exercises focus on nasal breathing that is low and slow so that you experience a level of air hunger and resistance that benefits lung volume and improves oxygen utilisation.
Interestingly it has been known since 1905 that men and women breathe differently. Throughout the menstrual cycle a woman’s breathing changes which can affect the pain response. Check out this video with Patrick McKeown for more information on how breathing techniques can help with PMS symptoms.
The Oxygen Advantage Youtube channel has instruction videos on some of the breathing exercises but if you want more the online breathing course with Patrick McKeown is excellent. I have done this course myself and it is loaded with information and exercises.
Summary
Paying attention to how you breathe and using techniques to control your breath can improve your health, improve exercise endurance and calm the mind. Mouth breathing is now understood to have a negative impact on dental health, face shape, posture and stress responses. Being aware of how you breathe and prioritising nasal breathing is a simple tool to improved health.
The information provided on this website is for information purposes only and is not meant to be nor should be considered medical advice.
