Have you ever wondered about the importance of breathing through your nose vs breathing through your mouth? While searching the Internet for an answer to why the cold air seems to freeze up my chest and make breathing very difficult, I stumbled across The Science of Breath. The section on Nostril vs Mouth-breathing had this to say about cold air:
And, moreover, such incorrect breathing admits cold air to the organs, thereby injuring them. Inflammation of the respiratory organs often results from the inhalation of cold air through the mouth.
…
Not only do the nostrils serve this important purpose, but they also perform an important function in warming the air inhaled. The long narrow winding nostrils are filled with warm mucous membrane, which coming in contact with the inhaled air warms it so that it can do no damage to the delicate organs of the throat, or to the lungs.
The author says that many diseases can be attributed to the habit of mouth-breathing and says that smallpox, which killed many men-of-war in foreign countries, did not kill a single “nostril-breather”; it only affected those who breathed through their mouths (though I can’t help but wonder how he obtained nostril vs mouth-breather data).
I have observed that I breathe through my mouth most the time. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen I had asthma that was bad enough to make climbing a flight of six stairs difficult. I suppose the habit of mouth-breathing could have formed when I had asthma: Since my lungs needed to get as much air as possible, I subconsciously developed the habit of always breathing through my mouth. (The asthma disappeared when I stopped eating dairy and started exercising.)
What other implications could mouth-breathing have? Of all the organs in our body, the brain uses the most oxygen. What organ is closest to the brain? The nose! Could breathing through our nose somehow provide our brain with a little extra oxygen, thereby increasing its function? When I breathe through my nose, my head automatically feels better; my brain feels clearer and refreshed with every breath. I don’t feel any of that when I breathe through my mouth.
I’m going to start doing daily breathing exercises and make a conscious effort to breathe through my nose. The Summary of Techniques and Exercises section of the aforementioned site has some incredible breathing exercises (try a few!).
That explains why djt have problems. life of djt………. is all from growing up and breathing thru me mouth. yep… me a mouth breather when lil. Not no more tho.
I’ve been consciously breathing through my nose more frequently and I’ve noticed that I smell a lot more things. It’s weird. Places where I have never smelled anything are suddenly smelly. It’s as if my senses have suddenly become more tuned!
The proximity of the nose to the brain doesn’t matter it has to go threw your lungs. With your miss guided logic the mouth would be better because it is closer to the lungs, where all air has to go to first before it is absorbed into the blood stream….and the nose isn’t an organ
scratch that last part it is indeed an organ
I’m no doctor (and judging by your assumption that the nose isn’t an organ, I’m guessing you aren’t either), but I was merely posting interesting thoughts, not stating facts.
I had sleep apnea; not anymore since I made an effort to breath through my nose. Try this test: Inhale lots of air through your mouth, close your mouth tightly and try exhale through your nose. If at first you could not, your nose air path is clogged; you have sleep apnea!!! Practice exhaling through your nose, and when you can do it easily, you are cured!!! May God guide you towards a happy and healthy remainder of your life.
Thanks for the great tip, Erick!
I notice I breath with the nose my stomach expands and contracts. Mouth breathers breath with their chest which isn’t healthy at all since it’s shallow breathing. I suggest to do nose breathing exercises outdoor. Fresh oxygen will increase the benefits.
One trick is to keep your lips firmly pressed together and put your tongue against roof of your mouth this will force you to breath with your nose.
I agree, Mike. Thanks for the advice!
One more simple check: Let one or both the nostrils be held (in a gentle pinch by the thumb and index fingers of both the hands) on their sides outwards,downwards and away from each other. Now an improvement in the nasal breathing is probably an indication of weak nasal structure. It could be collapsed cartilages, deviated septum, muscle tone problems, nasal polyp growth in the inner recesses of the nose etc.
An initial housekeeping at persistent conscious nose breathing with effort, and regularly and frequently, will go towards improving many of the weakness in the nasal structure and help get back to normalcy. Improved diet and nasal irrigation will also aid. Moreover, conscious nasal breathing will SLOW down the entire body and mind system by alligning the thought production to the present activity, thereby helping reduce stress etc. Note the connection between nasal congestion and thought congestion.
This is not a doctor, but been through such a body mechanism and experienced the above.
Great advice! Thanks Murali! I too have noticed that nasal congestion leads thought congestion!