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Mouth breathing

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"Mouth breather" redirects here. For the album, seeMouth Breather.
Mouth breathing
Other namesChronic oral ventilation
SymptomsSnoring, dry mouth, hoarse voice, bad breath, fatigue, sleep apnea[1][2]
CausesChronicnasal congestion
TreatmentTreatment of the underlying cause of nasal congestion if present, building a habit to breathe through the nose

Mouth breathing,medically known aschronic oral ventilation,is long-termbreathingthrough the mouth. It often is caused by an obstruction tobreathing through the nose,the innate breathing organ in the human body.[3][4][5]However, by the early 20th century, the term "mouth-breather" had developed apejorativeslang meaning connoting a stupid person.

Etymology

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1911 photograph of mouth breathing child
Image 23 from the 1903 book by William F. Barry, M.D.,The Hygiene of the Schoolroom.Barry describes this child as having "the typical face of a mouth-breather".

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 lexicographerJonathon Greennotes that by 1915, the phrase "mouth-breather" had developed apejorativeconnotation within English slang, defined as a "stupid person".[6]Currently, theMacmillan Dictionarydefines the term "mouth breather" as a pejorative noun that is used to mean "a stupid person."[7][4]

Cause of inability for nasal breathing

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Jason Turowski, MD of theCleveland Clinicstates that "we are designed to breathe through our noses from birth – it's the way humans have evolved."[3][5]Infants for example in the first six to twelve months of postnatal can only use their noses to breathe unless crying is involved.[8]Thus, the impact of chronic mouth breathing on health is a research area withinorthodontics(and the related field ofmyofunctional therapy)[9]andanthropology.[10]It is classified into three types: obstructive, habitual, and anatomic.[11]: 281 

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.[12]

Nasal breathing producesnitric oxidewithin the body, while mouth breathing does not.[5][13][14]In addition, theBoston Medical Centernotes that thenosefilters out particles that enter the body, humidifies the air we breathe and warms it to body temperature.[15]In contrast, however, mouth breathing "pulls all pollution and germs directly into the lungs; dry cold air in the lungs makes the secretions thick, slows the cleaning cilia, and slows down the passage of oxygen into the bloodstream".[15]As a result, chronic mouth breathing may lead to illness.[13][16][17][18][19]In about 85% of cases, it is an adaptation tonasal congestion,[11]: 281 [17]and frequently occurs during sleep.[16]More specialized causes include:antrochoanal polyps;[20]: 350 a short upper lip which prevents the lips from meeting at rest (lip incompetence);[11]: 281 and pregnancyrhinitiswhich tends to occur in the third trimester of pregnancy.[21]: 435 

Potential effects

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Conditions associated with mouth breathing includecheilitis glandularis,[20]: 490 Down syndrome,[22]: 365 anterioropen bite,[21]: 225 tongue thrustinghabit,[21]: 225 cerebral palsy,[23]: 422 ADHD,[24][25]sleep apnea,[26]andsnoring.[26]In addition,gingivitis,[21]: 85 gingival enlargement,[21]: 85 and increased levels ofdental plaque[21]: 108 are common in persons who chronically breathe through their mouths. The usual effect on the gums is sharply confined to the anterior maxillary region, especially the incisors (the upper teeth at the front). The appearance iserythematous(red),edematous(swollen) and shiny. This region receives the greatest exposure to airflow during mouth breathing, and it is thought that the inflammation and irritation is related to surface dehydration, but in animal experimentation, repeated air drying of the gums did not create such an appearance.[21]: 85 

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.[27]

Chronic mouth breathing in children may affect dental and facial growth.[19]It may also lead to the development of a long, narrow face, sometimes termedlong face syndrome.[28]Conversely, it has been suggested that a long thin face type, with corresponding thin nasopharyngeal airway, predisposes to nasal obstruction and mouth breathing.[17]

Additional approaches to mouth breathing

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George Catlin

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George Catlinwas a 19th-century American painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in theOld West.Travelling to theAmerican Westfive times during the 1830s, he wrote about, and painted portraits that depicted, the life of thePlains Indians.[29]He was also the author of several books, includingThe Breath of Life[30](later retitled asShut Your Mouth and Save Your Life) in 1862.[31][32]It was based on his experiences traveling through the West, where he observed a consistent lifestyle habit among the Native American communities he encountered: a preference fornose breathingover mouth breathing. He also observed that they had perfectly straight teeth.[33]He repeatedly heard that this was because they believed that mouth breathing made an individual weak and caused disease, while nasal breathing made the body strong and prevented disease.[33]He also observed that mothers repeatedly closed the mouth of their infants while they were sleeping, to instill nasal breathing as a habit.[34]

Yoga

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Yogis such asB. K. S. Iyengaradvocated both inhaling and exhaling through the nose in the practice ofyoga,rather than inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth,[35][36][37]using the phrase, "the nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating."[35][36][38][39]

Mouth taping

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Mouth tapingis 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.[40]

In non-human animals

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Lambs are noted to only switch to mouth breathing when the nasal passages are completely obstructed, withhypoxaemiahaving developed also as a result.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Suzuki, Masaaki (2022). "Obstructive sleep apnea -consideration of its pathogenesis".Auris Nasus Larynx.49(3). Elsevier BV: 313–321.doi:10.1016/j.anl.2021.10.007.ISSN0385-8146.PMID34763987.S2CID243976270.
  2. ^Kotecha, B. (1 August 2011)."The nose, snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea".Rhinology Journal.49(3). Stichting Nase: 259–263.doi:10.4193/rhino10.165.ISSN0300-0729.PMID21858254.
  3. ^abTurowski, Jason (29 April 2016)."Should You Breathe Through Your Mouth or Your Nose?".Cleveland Clinic.Retrieved28 June2020.
  4. ^abWollan, Malia (23 April 2019)."How to Be a Nose Breather".New York Times.Retrieved31 May2020.
  5. ^abcGlazier, Eve (November 2019)."Nose breathing has more benefits than mouth breathing".The Times and Democrat.Retrieved9 July2020.
  6. ^Kelly, John (23 August 2016)."How '80s Is the Slang in Stranger Things?".Slate.Retrieved2 July2020.
  7. ^"Macmillan Dictionary: Mouthbreather".The Macmillan Dictionary.Retrieved31 May2020.
  8. ^abR, Harding (1986)."Nasal obstruction in infancy".Australian Paediatric Journal.22(Suppl 1): 59–61.ISSN0004-993X.PMID3539080.Retrieved19 January2023.
  9. ^Frey, Lorraine (November 2014)."The Essential Role of the Com in the Management of Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A Literature Review and Discussion".The International Journal of Orofacial Myology.40.Int J Orofacial Myology: 42–55.doi:10.52010/ijom.2014.40.1.4.PMID27295847.
  10. ^Gross, Terry (27 May 2020)."How The 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience".National Public Radio (NPR)/Fresh Air.Retrieved23 June2020.
  11. ^abcPhulari BS, ed. (2011).Orthodontics: principles and practice.New Delhi: Jaypee Bros. Medical Publishers.ISBN9789350252420.
  12. ^Stupak, Howard D.; Park, Steven Y. (2018). "Gravitational forces, negative pressure and facial structure in the genesis of airway dysfunction during sleep: a review of the paradigm".Sleep Medicine.51.Elsevier BV: 125–132.doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2018.06.016.ISSN1389-9457.PMID30165336.S2CID52134548.
  13. ^abDahl, Melissa (11 January 2011)."'Mouth-breathing' gross, harmful to your health ".NBC News.Retrieved28 June2020.
  14. ^Berman, Joe (29 January 2019)."Could nasal breathing improve athletic performance?".Washington Post.Retrieved31 May2020.
  15. ^ab"Your Nose, the Guardian of Your Lungs".Boston Medical Center.7 August 2017.Retrieved29 June2020.
  16. ^abMartel, Jan; Ko, Yun-Fei; Young, John D.; Ojcius, David (6 May 2020)."Could nasal nitric oxide help to mitigate the severity of COVID-19?".Microbes and Infection.22(4–5): 168–171.doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2020.05.002.PMC7200356.PMID32387333.
  17. ^abcRao A, ed. (2012).Principles and Practice of Pedodontics(3rd ed.). New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Pub. pp. 169, 170.ISBN9789350258910.
  18. ^Nall, Rachel (22 September 2017)."What's wrong with breathing through the mouth?".Medical News Today.Retrieved31 May2020.
  19. ^abValcheva, Zornitsa (January 2018)."THE ROLE OF MOUTH BREATHING ON DENTITION DEVELOPMENT AND FORMATION"(PDF).Journal of IMAB.Retrieved31 May2020.
  20. ^abBarnes L, ed. (2009).Surgical pathology of the head and neck(3rd ed.). New York: Informa healthcare.ISBN978-1-4200-9163-2.
  21. ^abcdefgNewman MG, Takei HH, Klokkevold PR, Carranza FA, eds. (2012).Carranza's clinical periodontology(11th ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Saunders.ISBN978-1-4377-0416-7.
  22. ^Regezi JA, Sciubba JJ, Jordan RK (2011).Oral pathology: clinical pathologic correlations(6th ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Saunders.ISBN978-1-4557-0262-6.
  23. ^Cawson RA, Odell EW (2008).Cawson's essentials of oral pathology and oral medicine(8th ed.). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.ISBN978-0-7020-4001-6.
  24. ^Won, Dana (February 2017)."It Is Just Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder…or Is It?".Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.38(2). J Dev Behav Pediatr.: 169–172.doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000386.PMC5401711.PMID28079611.
  25. ^Sano, Masahiro (October 2013)."Increased oxygen load in the prefrontal cortex from mouth breathing: a vector-based near-infrared spectroscopy study".NeuroReport.24(17): 935–940.doi:10.1097/WNR.0000000000000008.PMC4047298.PMID24169579.
  26. ^abPacheco, Maria Christina Thome (July–August 2015)."Guidelines proposal for clinical recognition of mouth breathing children".Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics.20(4): 39–44.doi:10.1590/2176-9451.20.4.039-044.oar.PMC4593528.PMID26352843.
  27. ^Graves, Elizabeth (4 September 2022)."Mouth Breather vs Nose Breather: Understanding the Differences and Why it Matters".Take Home Smile.
  28. ^Basheer, Bahija (November 2014)."Influence of Mouth Breathing on the Dentofacial Growth of Children: A Cephalometric Study".Journal of International Oral Health.6(6): 50–55.PMC4295456.PMID25628484.
  29. ^"Catlin Virtual Exhibition".Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 25 September 2014.Retrieved28 October2014.
  30. ^The breath of life, or mal-respiration, and its effects upon the enjoyments & life of man.HathiTrust.1862.Retrieved28 June2020.
  31. ^Nestor, James(2020).Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.Riverhead Books. p. 48.ISBN978-0735213616.
  32. ^"George Catlin on Mouth Breathing".PubMed.Retrieved2 July2020.
  33. ^abNestor, James(2020).Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.Riverhead Books. p. 49.ISBN978-0735213616.
  34. ^Nestor, James(2020).Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.Riverhead Books. p. 50.ISBN978-0735213616.
  35. ^ab"Q&A: Is Mouth Breathing OK in Yoga?".Yoga Journal.12 April 2017.Retrieved26 June2020.
  36. ^abPayne, Larry."Yogic Breathing: Tips for Breathing through Your Nose (Most of the Time)".Yoga For Dummies, 3rd Edition.Retrieved26 June2020.
  37. ^Himalayan Institute Core Faculty, Himalayan Institute Core Faculty (13 July 2017)."Yogic Breathing: A Study Guide".Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy.Retrieved26 June2020.
  38. ^Krucoff, Carol (2013).Yoga Sparks.New Harbinger Publications.ISBN9781608827022.Retrieved31 May2020.
  39. ^Jurek, Scott (2012).Eat and Run.Houghton Mifflin.ISBN978-0547569659.Retrieved31 May2020.
  40. ^Blum, Dani (17 November 2022)."Can a Piece of Tape Help You Sleep?".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved29 September2023.

Further reading

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Look upmouth breatherin Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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