How to Breathe (Properly)

You’ll take many thousands of breaths today without giving a single one a thought. But are you breathing the right way? Are your children? It’s an easily overlooked question, yet how we breathe can influence more of our health than most people realise.

Why breathing well matters

Breathing poorly, particularly habitual mouth breathing, can affect your sleep, your mood and even digestion, and over time it may influence the development of the jaw, teeth and facial structure, especially in children. It sounds surprising, but the way air enters the body has knock-on effects throughout it.

The principle to aim for is simple: unless you’re exerting yourself, breaths should ideally come in and out through the nose.

What your nose does for you

Your nose and sinuses do important preparatory work, filtering, refining, warming and humidifying the air before it reaches your lungs, and screening out dust and germs along the way. Breathing through the mouth bypasses all of that.

Mouth breathing can place extra strain on the body and tends to deliver air less efficiently. It can also encourage an improper tongue position, which may in turn affect the growth and development of the face and jaw. It’s also worth noting that people who experience sleep apnoea often breathe through their mouth at night.

How to breathe through your nose

Retraining toward nasal breathing is straightforward. Close your mouth to form a gentle seal, rest your tongue comfortably in your mouth, avoid clenching your teeth or tightening your jaw, and breathe in and out through your nose.

A blocked nose from a head cold is a perfectly normal reason to mouth-breathe for a day or two. But if you regularly breathe through your mouth, it may signal an obstruction or simply an unhelpful habit. Often a couple of days of conscious nasal breathing helps things open up; if not, it’s worth a professional look.

A note for parents

It’s well worth being mindful of how your children breathe, too. Addressing mouth breathing early can sometimes help avoid issues with crooked teeth and jaw development down the track. If you have concerns or questions, get in touch with TMJ Therapy Centre via our contact page.