What Happens If You Breathe Through Your Mouth Instead of Your Nose

Believe it or not, newborns can’t breathe through their mouths. However, after we pass the landmark of 6 months, we discover that there is actually another way of breathing. Although breathing through your mouth works just fine, it can be much more harmful for us in the long run.

Bright Side explains why it’s better not to rob your nose of its primary function.

1. Your face changes.

If you breathe through your mouth, you will eventually start noticing that your face changes its structure and grow forward and downward. It’s more noticeable in children since their faces are still growing. As you breathe through your mouth, your jaw and cheeks get narrower. That, in turn, causes a change in your nose shape.

Additionally, you can develop narrow nostrils and upper lip, as well as a forward open bite.

2. You start slouching.

If you breathe through your mouth, you unconsciously tilt your head forward and your shoulders slump. As a result, you get a slouching posture which develops as a way to open your airways.

3. Your teeth suffer.

Mouth breathing negatively affects your teeth’s alignment. Many children who prefer breathing through their mouths develop crooked teeth and a wrong bite later. The resting lip posture and tongue position also change, and orthodontic treatment becomes complicated, especially when it comes to wearing braces.

4. You find it harder to sleep.

Less oxygen and more carbon dioxide enter your body. As a result, most of your body systems suffer. Besides, you’re more likely to snore and drool as well as suffer from chronic oxygen deprivation and sleep apnea. It is even recommended to tape your mouth at night, to help you breathe through your nose.

Do you breathe through your nose or your mouth? What other side-effects of mouth breathing do you know?