This one habit might be making it harder for you to navigate stairs: mouth breathing.
Here’s why:
➡️ It narrows your airways due to reduced air pressure on throat tissues, making breathing harder.
➡️ Mouth breathing releases too much carbon dioxide, vital for blood vessel dilation.
➡️ It increases infection and cavity risks by bypassing air filtration and drying out saliva.
➡️ Absence of nasal airflow fosters nasal bacterial growth.
In contrast, nasal breathing offers multitude of benefits:
➡️ Wider airway due to increased air against throat tissues, aided by nitric oxide, improve blood flow and oxygen delivery.
➡️ The nose filters, warms, and moisturizes air, protecting lungs from pollutants and irritants.
➡️ 20% more oxygen uptake occurs via nasal breathing.
To make positive changes:
Monitor your breathing throughout the day. If you catch yourself breathing through your mouth, gently close your mouth.
Consider taping your mouth to train your body to breathe through the nose. Just a small piece of medical tape to gently keep your top and lower lip together but leaving sides of mouth open for coughing or sneezing.
Better yet, learn proper tongue position with suction at the roof of the mouth.
Practice nose breathing with a 4-4-7-2 rhythm.
Inhale slowly for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 7, and holde for 2. Repeat for 9 cycles.