Nose breathing is basic to natural health, while habitual mouth breathing (HMO) can contribute to cavities, bleeding gums, narrow jaws, crowded teeth, less attractive face, snoring, aging faster, and more — see over-breathing next.
Are the lips of your child apart when she/he is sitting quietly? Are they dry and chapped? These small signs can mean orthodontic and other problems later.
The good news: Butyeko Breathing can correct habitual mouth breathing. At Whole Health Dental Center, we offer training in Buteyko Breathing as a basic practice to promote oral and total health for children and adults.
Over-Breathing
Do you take a deep breath when confronting stress, a deadline, bottom line, long line, or the dental chair? Big deep breaths actually delivers LESS oxygen to the brain, heart, and muscles. The explanation is Bohr’s Effect.
Over-eating is not healthy, neither is over-breathing. Habitual mouth breathing is a form of over-breathing because the mouth is much bigger than two nostrils. Over-breathing deliver “super-size meals” that can burden the respiratory system.
For the natural and right way to breathe, observe a baby’s breathing: small belly movements only, and with the lips closed. Or you can take a class with us.
Oral-Systemic Effects of Over-Breathing
Over-breathing contributes to many symptoms, according to Patrick McKeownm author of Close Your Mouth:
- Respiratory: wheezing, breathlessness, coughing, chest tightness, frequent yawing, snoring, sleep apnea, frequent colds
- Neurological: light-headed feeling, brain fog, dizziness, vertigo, tingling of hands and feet, faintness, trembling, headache, sweaty palms, muscle cramps
- Heart: palpitations, fast pulse, tightness and pain in the chest
- Mood: shades of anxiety, tension, depression, apprehension, stress
- Oral-Digestive: Dry (“cotton”) mouth, burning tongue, diarrhea, constipation, chronic fatigue, frequent yawning, sighs, and sore throat
- Sleep: nightmares, bed wetting, bladder urgency without being full, racing mind, snoring, sleep apnea
The Solution
Nose breathing is basic to natural health, while mouth breathing is an acquired bad habit that can adversely affect children’s dental-facial development as well as adults’ energy level and quality of life.
The solution is simple: replace Habitual Mouth Breathing with Buteyko Breathing (BB), says Dr. Joseph Mercola. A short list of what BB is good for based on experience:
For a schedule of classes, please contact us, or call us directly at 703-385-6425.