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By Karen McConnaughey

I have been having lots and lots of allergy problems for quite some time, and this last bout had gone on for about a month. I couldn’t get over my coughing. The only good thing I knew was that it hadn’t gone down into my chest. Having chronic bronchitis as well as walking pneumonia three times has made me very aware of when the coughs start originating from the lungs. So I wasn’t too worried about it, because it was just a cold and would go away in seven days no matter what I did…right? Well, in this instance, no, I was wrong!

Our Focus Program Director, Ana Kabande, finally decided to take matters into her own hands and made an appointment for both of us with Dr Luis Mario Gaytan Michel in Guadalajara, based on a recommendation from a friend of hers. Dr. Gaytan Michel is an Otorrinolaringologo. Otolaryngology or ENT (ear, nose and throat) is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders.

Dr. Gaytan Michel had no time available the week Ana called him, but as only Ana Kabande can, she talked his assistant into ‘working us in!’ We got there before our ‘work-in time’ of 4:00 p.m., and even though shortly thereafter two young men showed up, the doctor took us into his office first. That was when I discovered that he had very limited English and thought, “oh great, this is not going to work!” And, seriously, I just resigned myself to this visit being a wasted opportunity. When I’m wrong, I’m really wrong.

Dr. Gaytan Michel is probably one of the most caring, patient, involved doctors I’ve ever been to. He worked with me an hour (there were six patients waiting when we left his office. Including those two young men!), and explained what was wrong with me using scopes and a computer to show me my airways and ears. He made a DVD for me to take home with me so I could remember what the problem was. He also explained that I was a ‘mouth-breather’ and that was the reason I was having so many infections. The nose contains tiny hair-like structures called cilia that function like miniature brooms, sweeping up and capturing fine particles so they do not enter our airways and cause irritation and infection. The mouth? Sorry, no cilia. I just kept agreeing with him about the mouth-breather thing, because I don’t want to argue with anyone who has a light scope up my nose! However, I found it impossible to believe.

He was very comforting, explaining he would ‘treat me as if I were his own baby” and wouldn’t hurt me with any of the scopes he was using. He explained everything he was doing and everything I was seeing on the screen. For the most part I could understand what he was telling me. But when I got confused, Ana would help out.

I felt for the first time someone was really listening to me and feeling my pain of constant allergies and sinus infections. I had chosen to live in a tropical country where it never freezes, and while my allergies haven’t gotten much worse, they certainly hadn’t gotten better. I find it amusing that the one doctor who I feel hears me, believes me, and is committed to working with me, doesn’t speak much English, but, in the end, we communicated the best of all!

And, all of this for only $500 pesos…less than $40 USD!

He wrote me a prescription for a strong antibiotic specifically for respiratory infections, and I took it for almost three weeks. It started working its magic almost immediately, but the cough took a little longer to get rid of. After I finished the antibiotic, I started on two allergy medications a day. And, I made sure not to drink anything ice-cold or with ice in it. I stuck to room-temperature liquids, hot liquids and soups. Every time I drank something ice-cold, my coughing would start up again with a vengeance.

Now let’s talk about the mouth-breathing thing. I have learned an awful lot about that over the past few weeks. First of all, I still couldn’t believe I was a mouth breather. As I settled down for sleep that evening, I went through a ritual most of us go through as we get ourselves positioned comfortably for optimum sleep but never really think about. I always start off in my most comfortable, albeit wrong, position…on my stomach, right leg straight out and left leg akimbo, right arm wrapped around my two pillows and left hand ending in a fist resting up against my forehead (yeah…I know…what’s that about??). However, as I settled in, in my favorite position, one more thing happened that was obviously something I was so used to doing, I wasn’t even aware of it anymore. As I settled in, I automatically opened my mouth! I sat straight up in bed realizing that I was breathing through my mouth when I slept without even thinking about it anymore. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least, and now I know I need to train myself not to do that.
I always think if there’s something I don’t know that maybe there are others who don’t know it either…I’m talking about how bad mouth breathing is for you! I’ve done a lot of research over the past four weeks that I would like to share with you.

Mouth Breathing Is Not Harmless!

Mouth breathing appears to be a harmless, unassuming, benign and unsuspecting form of breathing. For many of us, breathing is breathing and we don’t care about the path it’s taking…we’re just happy we’re doing it! In fact, I’m sure you will agree that one can get more air from the mouth than through the nose and therefore, it is more efficient.

However, did you know that mouth breathers are often prone to nasal congestion, watery and itchy eyes, runny nose, allergies, dry cough, snoring, tongue thrust, abnormal swallowing habits, crooked teeth, low energy level, and asthma?

Why nasal breathing is important

If you’re a chronic mouth breather because of a stuffy nose, you’re not alone. As the weather chills and allergies and colds abound, and nasal congestion becomes a common trend, mouth breathing inevitably follows—especially when you’re sleeping. I’m sure you’ve seen many passengers asleep on public transportation, head pitched back, mouth wide open, and snoring louder than a diesel engine. Mouth breathing can surely ruin your social image, but that’s nothing compared to the havoc it can wreak on your health.

Five Potent Benefits of Breathing through Your nose

Breathing through the nose has many benefits. Breathing through the mouth, many negatives. There are some researchers who believe that mouth breathing and associated hyperventilation causes or exacerbates asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other medical problems.
The function of the nose is to warm, humidify and filter the air we breathe, preparing it to enter the lungs and bronchi.

1. One of the most important reasons to breathe through your nose is because of a gas called nitric oxide that’s made by your nose and sinus mucous membranes. This gas is produced in small amounts, but when inhaled into the lungs, it significantly enhances your lung’s capacity to absorb oxygen, increasing oxygen absorption in your lungs by 10-25%. Nitric oxide also can kill bacteria, viruses and other germs. This is why you often hear fitness and yoga instructors emphasize inhaling and exhaling through your nose during workouts.
   
   Dr. Jon Lundberg, a physician at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute in Stockholm discovered the paranasal sinuses are powerful producers of nitric oxide (NO). Although this gas is considered a pollutant in the atmosphere, in small doses, it is lethal to bacteria and viruses. The sinuses are moist, warm, and bacteria-friendly. They should be perfect places for bacteria to live. He believes it is the nitric oxide that keeps the sinuses sterile.
2. Also, if you can’t breathe well through your nose, your sense of smell will suffer and therefore your sense of taste, since your smell and taste buds are connected. This can lead to disturbances in your appetite and satiation levels, wreaking havoc on those struggling with weight issues.
3. Your nose also has vital nervous system connections to your lungs and heart. Not breathing well through your nose can alter your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increase your stress responses. Breathing through the nose limits air intake and forces one to SLOW down. Proper nose breathing reduces hypertension and stress for most people. Kind of like a cruise control in a car.
4. Your nose makes about two pints of mucous every day. If your nose isn’t working properly and mucous isn’t cleared, the stagnant mucous can lead to infections such as sinusitis or ear infections, not to mention bad breath. That’s why when you wake up, you feel as if someone’s been running around in your mouth with dirty socks on!
5. Lastly, not breathing well through your nose can aggravate snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. Nasal congestion alone doesn’t cause obstructive sleep apnea, but it can definitely aggravate it. If your palate and tongue structures are predisposed to falling back easily due to sleeping on your back and muscle relaxation in deep sleep, then having a stuffy nose can aggravate further collapse downstream. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Mouth breathing is closely linked to the development of sleep disorders, and sleep disorders are linked to cardiovascular problems, mood disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and a host of other problems. It's not something to ignore.

Lessening of the common cold is another good reason for nose breathing. The mucous (white blood cells that kill germs) membrane lining the nose extends all the way from the inner linings of the nostrils down the trachea to the bronchi the directly enters the lungs. Germs get caught and die in the mucous.

How do you find out if you’re a mouth breather?

The best test is to completely cover the mouth with your hand and see what happens. People who can breathe normally through the nose will have no problem, but if they are using both the nose and mouth, or just the mouth, they will quickly feel unable to breathe and not be able to keep the hand in place. In more advanced cases, patients quickly stop the test. In milder cases, they start to compensate by taking deeper breaths and flaring their nostrils. If you can't breathe through your nose indefinitely, there is something wrong, but a good rule of thumb is 30 seconds to a minute of enforced nose breathing, without evidence of breathing changes, indicates you’re normal.

Retraining Yourself to Breathe Through the Nose.

Everyone can and should breathe through the nose; it's just more difficult for some people to retrain their bodies.

Here are some ways that may help you.

Step 1

Check to make sure that you can breathe through your nose comfortably. A good way to do this is simply to cover your mouth with your hand, or with someone else's hand. If normal breathing continues through your nose, then there is no physical abnormality or condition preventing nose breathing. If you're unable to breathe normally through your nose, you may have some form of nasal congestion or blockage.

Step 2

Eliminate any problems that may be contributing to mouth breathing. For example, nasal congestion can be caused by a number of things including colds, respiratory infections, allergies, air pollution and a hot or dry climate. For colds and respiratory infections, use a nasal decongestant to clear the sinuses, treat sinus problems with appropriate prescription and/or over-the-counter medications and consider filtering and humidifying the air in your house if air pollution or dryness in the air is a problem. One other solution is for people with chronic sinus conditions to use a sinus rinse (Neti pot) daily because it promotes drainage of the sinuses and speeds healing of inflamed tissues.

Step 3

Train yourself to breathe through your nose while you're awake. Consciously think about keeping your mouth shut and forcing yourself to breathe in through your nose. Eventually it will become a habit, and you'll be able to breathe through your nose as you sleep. Taking long, deep breaths through your nose can be beneficial, allowing the alveoli in your lungs to relax and absorb more oxygen. According to nosebreath.com, the Nose Breathe Mouthpiece website, the need for medication for asthmatic patients is reduced because of the greater efficiency of the naturally relaxed alveoli.

Step 4

Practice lip exercises. You can practice breathing in and out through your nose by pursing your lips, according to the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease International Library. Do this naturally and without pushing air out forcefully. You can also stick your tongue out as far as it can reach several times a day (maybe while brushing your teeth). This will help train your tongue to stay at the front of your mouth and prevent airway blockage-induced snoring as you sleep.

Step 5

Try one of the various products designed to help control airflow in and out of your nose. Nasal strips work by freeing and opening the nasal cavity, simply making it easier to breathe through your nose. A chin-up strap, similar to a football helmet strap without the helmet, or a chin-up strip can help as well. Both of these products make it more difficult for you to open your mouth, thereby promoting nose breathing in the process.

If you take care of your nose, your nose will take care of you by massively reducing the amount of dust, pollens, bacteria, virus, or anything else that is floating in the air. As one article put it: Your Nose Is For Breathing; Your Mouth Is For Eating. Good luck!