Help! I'm a Mouth Breather
Let’s talk about mouth breathing. (Come on, tell me you haven’t read a sexier opening line.)
As embarrassing as it is, I am part of the Legion of Mouth Breathers. Insert Darth Vader sound effects here. It’s not something I think much about until I happen to see a candid photo of my “resting face” with my lips apart and front teeth exposed. Sure, some people may be able to pull off the open-mouthed look, like lingerie catalogue models who have that whole come-hither, I’m-wearing-control-top-briefs thing going on, but not me. My natural expression makes me look perpetually bored or spaced-out. (Think of P. Diddy or Napoleon Dynamite, two famous mouth breathers.)
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Society seems to agree that the nose-breathing is king. I recently peeked into an online discussion of the topic “Would you ever date a mouth breather?” and several commenters listed the trait as an instant dealbreaker. Ouch.
But mouth breathing is more than just a turn-off—it can be a serious health hazard. And according to breathing practitioner Patrick McKeown, the problem doesn’t get nearly enough attention. “Nobody is telling anyone to breathe through their nose,” the Ireland-based educator says. “So we have people going around with dry mouths, more cavities, and bad breath. They’ve got post-nasal drip, irritated airwaves, disrupted sleep, and poor concentration. It’s a huge area.”
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The nose, as McKeown explains, is a protective agent. Not only does it condition, moisturize and filter incoming air, but it also produces a gas called nitric oxide that opens up airways and blood vessels. People who breathe through their noses have more oxygen delivered to their tissues and organs, including their brain, than those who breathe through their mouths, he says.
All sorts of facial contraptions, inhaler systems, nasal steroids and surgical procedures exist to help put sufferers on the path to nose-breathing freedom. (Fellow mouth breathers, ask your doctor which treatment option is best for you.) McKeown, whose book titles include Close Your Mouth and the yet-to-be-released The Oxygen Advantage, teaches the Buteyko Method, a series of exercises and guidelines developed by a Russian physician that aim to shift one’s breathing habits naturally. Having suffered from asthma, rhinitis, and sleep disorders himself, McKeown says he finally found relief when he stumbled upon the method in a newspaper in his early twenties.
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I decided to set up a Skype session with McKeown after realizing that breathing through my mouth may very well contribute to a number of ailments and annoyances I’ve always lived with. I often wake up in the middle of the night desperate for a sip of water. My dental check-ups usually end with bad news, even though I’m a prudent brusher and flosser. And I’m generally anxious—it’s very difficult for me to calm my nerves through breathing.
During our video chat, McKeown walked me through one of the basic exercises of the Buteyko Method.
“Keep your mouth closed, take a small breath in through your nose, and a small breath out through your nose,” he directed. “Now pinch your nose with your fingers. Nod your head up and down for as long as you can while holding your breath. Keep on holding your breath. When you build up a strong need to breathe, let go, breathe in through your nose, and calm your breathing.”
I followed his lead, and as dorky as I must have looked bobbing my head at my laptop screen, I instantly felt my nasal passageways open up a bit. I tried it again, and it felt even more natural.
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Of course, habitual nose breathing will take a lot of motivation and practice. Since I was a kid, people reminded me to close my mouth, and I would for a little while, but always reverted back to my old ways. McKeown recommends that adults perform the exercises for an hour a day until nose-breathing starts becoming second nature.
That’s a major commitment, for sure. Lifelong habits are tough to break. Still, breathing the proper way seems like a goal worth striving for. Can I really achieve a life filled with more restful sleep, fewer visits to the dentist and a greater sense of calm? A life where I don’t have to worry about looking like a doofus in candid photos?
Sounds like a breath of fresh air.
