Nasal Breathing: Forgotten But Essential

In an era marked by escalating allergies and pervasive air pollution, many of us find ourselves chronically resorting to mouth breathing. This trend has only intensified since the industrial revolution, coinciding with a surge in dental diseases. Research underscores the detrimental health consequences associated with habitual mouth breathing.

The detriments of mouth breathing also extend to a propensity for developing sleep apnea ¹ ², a condition characterized by the narrowing of the upper airway, leading to disrupted sleep patterns and increased health risks.

For years, I grappled with these very issues. My perpetually congested nose forced me into a cycle of shallow breathing, often resorting to mouth breathing for relief.

Yet, amidst these challenges, I was determined to improve my physical appearance, acutely aware of the detrimental effects mouth breathing can have on craniofacial features. Fortunately, I discovered some little-known tricks that transformed my breathing habits and, consequently my looks, which is why I am excited to share this blog post with you.

Nitric Oxide

Nasal breathing impacts NO production in the body through the nasal sinuses. Nitric oxide is produced in the paranasal sinuses, particularly the maxillary sinuses ³. As we breathe through our nose, air comes into contact with the nasal mucosa, which contains nitric oxide synthase enzymes. These enzymes convert the nitrogen and oxygen in the inhaled air into nitric oxide.

While nasal NO elevation may not have much of a significant impact on the blood levels of NO, arterial oxygen tension is increased, which is oxygen uptake by the lungs. This may have led to the effects seen in the study.

Nasal nitric oxide output is much higher during inhalation compared to exhalation, and exceeds oral breathing by a great margin ⁴.

Air Filtration

Nose hair plays a major role in keeping dust, allergens and other small particles from entering the lungs ⁵.

The nose also humidifies the air, bringing the inhaled air to body temperature. Thus, the air is easier for the lungs to use.

The Stanford Experiment

James Nestor conducted an experiment where for 10 days the nose was plugged and mouth breathing was forced. After this, they measured the differences while nose breathing for 10 days. The results were pretty significant ⁶.

After forced mouth breathing: Stress-related hormones spiked, blood pressure increased, severe snoring was witnessed, anxiety and fatigue was heightened.

After nose breathing: Blood pressure dropped, snoring decreased, focus and well-being increased, even athletic performance and energy increased.

Bone Structure

Not only does nasal /mouth breathing impact our health, but it also plays a role in how our bone structure molds over time; primarily when we are young and developing.

Mouth breathing typically leads to recession of the mandible/chin, forward head posture, drooping eyes, and a long, narrow face.

This is due to the lack of support from the teeth being closed together, which through adequate mechanical stress allows the jaw to grow forwards with proper natural proportions ⁷.

Even when I step outside, I notice the correlation of those who have an open mouth while breathing and recession. If you really want to step up your game when it comes to aesthetics, check out our LooksMaster course.

2 Techniques To Open The Nasal Passages

Humming is a free and easy technique that has been shown to relieve rhinitis in those who perform ⁸. The reason this occurs is due to humming's ability to greatly increase nitric oxide production in the nasal passages ⁹. This NO production also leads to antifungal effects.

Another way to free the airway in the nose is ginger, which has been shown to be as effective as the antihistamine Loratadine ¹⁰. The steam from a nice hot cup of ginger tea will also provide some relief.

Unleash Your Vigor and Conquer Your Limits,

Thomas Muldoon