Mouth Breathing: Symptoms and Treatment

What Is Mouth Breathing?

Mouth breathing occurs when you catch yourself breathing through your mouth instead of your nose. It can happen for different reasons, like structural quirks in your nasal passages, having become a habit, or something blocking your nose from doing its job.

Sometimes, you have no choice but to breathe through your mouth, especially when dealing with a cold that has blocked your nose. But if you constantly do this without realizing it, you might get severe health issues. If you are a child, constant mouth breathing can cause facial and dental issues.

What Causes Mouth Breathing?

Most of the time, mouth breathing happens because something blocks your nasal airway entirely or partially. When something stops air from flowing smoothly through your nose, your body automatically switches to other plans, like breathing through your mouth. The factors that might be causing these blockages are as follows:

• Deviated Septum: The septum is the wall that splits your nose into two nostrils. When crooked or off-center, breathing through your nose becomes tough, so you breathe through your mouth instead.

• Enlarged Adenoids or Tonsils: When adenoids or tonsils swell up, they can block your airways and force you to breathe through your mouth.

• Enlarged Turbinates: These are like little air filters inside your nose that clean and add moisture to your air. But when allergies, infections, or irritants make them swell up, nasal breathing becomes a real challenge.

• Nasal Congestion: We have all been there; whether it is from a cold or sinus infection, that stuffed-up feeling makes mouth breathing your only option.

• Nasal Polyps: These are harmless growths present in your nasal lining. While they are not cancerous, they can make it hard to breathe through your nose.

• Sleep Apnea: During this condition, you may have disrupted sleep due to on-and-off breathing during sleep. People with this condition often develop a habit of sleeping with their mouths open because they need that extra oxygen.

• Nasal Anatomy: Sometimes your nose's unique size, shape, and structure can affect airflow.

• Other Factors: Stress and anxiety.

What Are the Symptoms of Mouth Breathing?

Mouth breathing does not only affect kids; it affects adults, too. If you are wondering whether you might be dealing with this, here are the telltale signs to watch for:

• You might notice bad breath that won't go away.

• You find yourself drooling on your pillow at night.

• You may have dryness of the mouth.

• Your partner might complain about your snoring.

• You could be exhausted.

• There can be hoarseness in your voice.

• You may be struggling with brain fog (the condition in which you cannot remember where you put your keys, feel confused about simple tasks, or just cannot focus on anything).

• There can be chronic fatigue.

Symptoms in Children:

Since your children cannot explain what is bothering them, it is up to you as a parent to spot the signs of mouth breathing. Here is what to watch for:

1. Changes in Facial Structure: When kids breathe through their mouth instead of their noses, it can affect how their faces develop. You might notice their faces looking narrower than usual or their chin and jaws seeming further back. Sometimes, their top and bottom teeth won't meet correctly, either.

2. Swollen Adenoids or Tonsils: These can make nose breathing tough, and you might also see your child's growth slowing down.

3. Crankiness.

4. Dry and cracked lips.

5. If your little one cries more at night, breathing troubles could be the reason.

6. Dental Problems: Mouth breathing can lead to issues, like slower jaw development, crowded teeth, the tongue sitting lower than it should, and swollen gums.

What Are the Risk Factors for Mouth Breathing?

While anyone can breathe through their mouth, some people are more likely to develop this habit than others. Let me share what can increase your chances:

• Asthma (a lung disorder in which your airways get inflamed, causing coughing and shortness of breath).

• Frequent sinus infections.

• Chronic and recurring allergies.

• Muscle imbalances (when the muscles around your mouth or jaw do not work correctly).

• Enlarged adenoids or tonsils.

What Are the Benefits of Breathing Through Your Nose?

The benefits of breathing through your nose are as follows:

• Your nose works like a natural filter, catching tiny particles floating in the air that make us sneeze.

• Your nose also acts like a personal humidifier, adding enough moisture to your air.

• When you breathe in cold air, your nose warms it up to match your body temperature before it reaches your lungs.

• When you breathe through your nose, you resist the airflow. This extra work helps your lungs stay elastic and actually enables you to absorb more oxygen.

How Is Mouth Breathing Diagnosed?

A simple way to check what kind of breather you are:

• The Cotton Test: Take a small piece of cotton shaped like a butterfly and place it right under your nostrils. Now breathe normally. If you are breathing through your nose, you will see the cotton move when you breathe out.

• The Mirror Trick: Grab a double-sided mirror and hold it near your nostrils. When you breathe, your nasal breath will fog up the mirror near your nose. But if you are breathing through your mouth, you will notice the fog appears on the mouth side instead.

• The Water Challenge: Fill your mouth with water and see if you can hold it there for a full minute or longer. If you can, you are definitely breathing through your nose.

• The Squat Test: Try doing a few squats while keeping your lips completely sealed. If you can do it without gasping, you are a nose breather.

How Is Mouth Breathing Treated?

If you are experiencing mouth breathing, we must first determine what is causing the problem.

• If you are mouth breathing because of allergies, a cold, or sinus infections, your doctor might prescribe nasal decongestants, antihistamines, or steroid nasal sprays.

• If sleep apnea is the cause, you will likely need something called CPAP (continuous positive air pressure therapy). During this therapy, you will wear a face mask at night that delivers air to your nose and mouth. The air pressure keeps your airways open so they won't collapse and block your breathing.

For children, there are some different approaches to consider.

• A dentist might suggest an appliance that widens your child's palate, which helps open up sinuses and nasal passages.

• Braces and other orthodontic treatments can also tackle the root cause of mouth breathing.

• And if enlarged adenoids or tonsils are the issue, your doctor might recommend having them surgically removed.

• Oral Screen: This device blocks air from entering through the mouth, training you to breathe through your nose instead. After using it for about three to six months, you may see improvements in any open bite issues.

How Can You Prevent Mouth Breathing?

The tips to prevent mouth breathing are as follows:

• First, you will want to keep your living space nice and tidy.

• When it's bedtime, try propping yourself up with two pillows. This will help open up your airways and make nose breathing much easier.

• You can train yourself to breathe through your nose.

• If stress makes you tense up and breathe through your mouth, do yoga or meditation.

Conclusion

When your nose won't cooperate, you naturally start breathing through your mouth instead. Sure, it gets the job done when you desperately need air, but this can become a stubborn habit and cause other issues like trouble sleeping and teeth problems. It can change how your face looks over time. If you are a chronic mouth breather, it is worth checking in with a doctor. They have plenty of solutions to treat it, from simple exercises to targeted treatments that can help you get back to nose breathing.

Key Takeaway/Note From iCliniq:

• Mouth breathing is usually harmless.

• But when it becomes a habit, it can cause several issues, such as teeth, sleep issues, and altered facial growth.

• If you are a mouth breather, don’t hesitate to contact our specialist doctors at icliniq.com to eliminate this condition. Our dentists at icliniq.com will help you find the cause and suggest treatment to stop mouth breathing.