Mouth breathing

Etymology

In the early 20th century, "mouth-breather" was a technical term used by doctors to describe children who were breathing through their mouths due to an underlying medical condition. English lexicographer Jonathon Green notes that by 1915, the phrase "mouth-breather" had developed a pejorative connotation within English slang, defined as a "stupid person".{{cite web |access-date=2 July 2020

Causes

In about 85% of cases, it is an adaptation to nasal congestion, and frequently occurs during sleep. More specialized causes include: antrochoanal polyps; a short upper lip which prevents the lips from meeting at rest (lip incompetence); and pregnancy rhinitis, which tends to occur in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Potential effects

Chronic mouth breathing may trigger a localized immune response in the upper airway. The nasal passage regulates airflow, temperature, humidity, and microbial filtration. Mouth breathing increases direct exposure of the nasopharyngeal mucosa to irritants and pathogens. This results in additional mechanical and immunological stress on the tissue. The increased stress may promote Inflammation and hypertrophy of adenoid tissue, secondary lymphoid organs central to mucosal immunity, which are rich in T cells and IgA - producing B cells. As the Adenoids enlarge, they can obstruct airflow and worsen sleep quality by contributing to snoring or sleep-disordered breathing, while the reduced efficiency of nasal filtration continues to increase pathogen exposure. Repeated stimulation from unconditioned airflow can sustain adenoid activation and enlargement, potentially creating a cycle of immune-driven chronic mouthbreathing.

The impact of chronic mouth breathing on health is a research area within orthodontics (and the related field of myofunctional therapy){{cite journal |doi-access=free |access-date=23 June 2020

There is a noted order of cause and effect leading to airway dysfunction related to mouth breathing. This first starts with an inflammatory reaction then leading to tissue growth in the area which leads to airway obstruction and mouth breathing and then finally an altered face structure.

Nasal breathing produces nitric oxide within the body, while mouth breathing does not.{{cite news |access-date=31 May 2020 |access-date=29 June 2020 |access-date=28 June 2020 | doi-access= free

Conditions associated with mouth breathing include cheilitis glandularis, Down syndrome, anterior open bite, tongue thrusting habit, cerebral palsy, ADHD,{{cite journal

Breathing through the mouth decreases saliva flow. Saliva has minerals to help neutralize bacteria, clean off the teeth, and rehydrate the tissues. Without it, the risk of gum disease and cavities increases.

Chronic mouth breathing in children may affect dental and facial growth. It may also lead to the development of a long, narrow face, sometimes termed long face syndrome.{{cite journal

Additional approaches to mouth breathing

George Catlin

George Catlin was a 19th-century American painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. Travelling to the American West five times during the 1830s, he wrote about, and painted portraits that depicted, the life of the Plains Indians. He was also the author of several books, including The Breath of Life{{cite book |access-date=28 June 2020 |access-date=2 July 2020

Yoga

Yogis such as B. K. S. Iyengar advocated both inhaling and exhaling through the nose in the practice of yoga, rather than inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth,{{cite web |access-date=26 June 2020 |access-date=26 June 2020 |access-date=26 June 2020 |access-date=31 May 2020 |access-date=31 May 2020

Mouth taping

Mouth taping is the practice of keeping the lips shut while sleeping with a strip of surgical tape. This is intended to prevent mouth breathing during sleep. The health effects of mouth taping have been little researched.

In non-human animals

Lambs are noted to only switch to mouth breathing when the nasal passages are completely obstructed, with hypoxaemia having developed also as a result.

References

References

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16. Graves, Elizabeth. (4 September 2022). "Mouth Breather vs Nose Breather: Understanding the Differences and Why it Matters".
17. "Catlin Virtual Exhibition". Smithsonian American Art Museum.
18. Nestor, James. (2020). "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art". Riverhead Books.
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21. Blum, Dani. (2022-11-17). "Can a Piece of Tape Help You Sleep?". The New York Times.
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