Have you noticed how you breathe?
Nasal breathing? Mouth breathing?
Or breathing through the nose and mouth?
I believe many friends
Have heard the saying that “mouth breathing affects the appearance”
Does that child really get ugly with long-term mouth breathing?
Does it affect adults?
……
Today we will reveal the secret~
What is “mouth breathing”?
Under normal conditions
The normal breathing pattern for all people is nasal breathing
mouth breathing
is a special or unusual state
Divided into obstructive breathing and habitual mouth breathing
Obstructive mouth breathing
A blockage of the airway above the oropharynx caused by a primary disease, such as enlarged adenoids or enlarged tonsils.
The swollen glands compress the nasal passages, causing symptoms such as ears, nose, pharynx, and larynx, making the breathing passages partially or completely blocked, and mouth breathing can only be used. Increase ventilation, without starving our bodies of oxygen.
Habitual mouth breathing
The nose is not blocked, but it is still used to open your mouth to breathe.
This is generally seen in “mouth breathing” caused by various underlying diseases. Even if the disease has been cured, long-term mouth breathing changes the structure of the temporomandibular joint and the muscles around the joint, forming Muscle memory, makes mouth breathing the norm or habit.
Common conditions that cause “mouth breathing”
Also chronic rhinitis, turbinate hypertrophy, nasal polyps
Deviated septum or sinusitisetc.
both reduce our nasal ventilation
A blocked nose
It can only be compensated by breathing through the mouth
Domestic is still relatively supported
The effect of breathing patterns on the maxillofacial development of children in the growing period
Important to this view
Because long-term mouth breathing will have many adverse effects on the growth and development of the craniomaxillofacial region and the function of the oral and maxillofacial system.
Specific manifestations are open lip and teeth, lip eversion, lip thickening, nasal atrophy, high arched palate, mismatch of upper and lower dental arches, protruding upper front teeth, crowded dentition, long face , known as the Adenoid Face.
Another part of patients with hypertrophic tonsils, long-term mouth breathing, may form a mandibular protrusion, anterior crossbite, and a sunken in the middle of the face.
Under normal circumstances, the dynamic balance of the lips, cheeks, tongue, and masticatory muscles maintains a normal dental arch shape, and any abnormal or uncoordinated muscle strength can cause malocclusion.
The mechanism of malocclusion caused by mouth breathing is not only the direct effect of changes in the airway, but also the effect of changes in the position and posture of the tongue.
In fact, long-term mouth breathing will not only lead to a decline in children’s appearance, but also affect children’s intellectual and physical growth and development. Long-term mouth breathing can easily cause The lack of oxygen in the brain affects intellectual development. At the same time, the quality of sleep at night is not good, and it will also affect the height development of children.
Mouth Breathing
How will it affect adults?
Although the tonsils and adenoids gradually shrink at the age of 10-12 years, habitual mouth breathing is also very harmful to our older children and adults: p>
Snoring while sleeping and, in severe cases, apnea.
Morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, and greatly reduced study and life efficiency.
The dental arch changes and the chewing function decreases.
The lips, oral mucosa, and pharynx are dehydrated and dry, resulting in viscous secretions in the respiratory tract, which are not easy to cough up, repeatedly stimulate the lower respiratory tract, and are prone to bronchitis.
Changes in the internal environment of the mouth and nose lead to weakened resistance to resident germs, which can easily induce oral and respiratory diseases.
How is “mouth breathing” determined?
Actually, clinically
Strict criteria for diagnosing “mouth breathing”
And what we usually call “mouth breathing”
usually a clinical presentation
Then we
How do you usually tell if you have “mouth breathing”?
01
Floating Method
Place a small piece of paper or a small piece of cotton wool on the nostrils and lips, and observe the fluttering state of the paper or cotton wool. If there is fluttering on the lips, it means the mouth breathe.
02
Mirror Method
Place a small mirror on the child’s nostrils and lips, and observe the mist on the mirror surface. If the mist is on the lips, it means mouth breathing.
03
Close lips
The upper and lower lips are naturally closed during normal breathing. If the child opens his mouth while sleeping, gently close it. If the child struggles, it means mouth breathing.
How to correct “mouth breathing”?
The first thing we have to do is go to the hospital to check if there is an underlying disease, and if there is, we must treat the underlying disease and get rid of the root of the disease to get better quick.
If you have a long-term cold, stuffy nose, runny nose, rubbing your nose, rubbing your eyes, accompanied by poor hearing, or obvious snoring, then we must be careful and go to the hospital for a check There is no adenoid hypertrophy, rhinitis, sinusitis.
If mouth breathing is caused by enlarged adenoids, surgical removal is the most effective treatment.
Other than that, common corrections are:
1. Nose-mouth breathing training: It is training to breathe consciously with your mouth closed.
2. Labial muscle function training: Such as pursing the mouth, blowing soap bubbles, playing musical instruments, etc., to enhance the function and strength of the lip muscles.
3. Sleep 1/2 mask or chin pocket: Go to the hospital to customize a special mask to cover the lips, expose the nasal cavity, and correct mouth breathing.
4. Oral Vestibular Shield: This is an oral appliance used to improve the function of the labial muscles and to correct front teeth.
On the Web
Will the “Mouth Breathing Corrector” work?
The mouth breathing corrector forces the mouth to be closed in principle and can only breathe through the nose.
Appears to be corrected, but only if there is no nasal disease, or the primary disease has been cured.
If there is still nasal passage obstruction, using this corrective respirator can only aggravate hypoxia, delay the disease, accelerate the appearance of complications, and may even cause serious consequences.
Therefore, if you find that you or others have long-term “mouth breathing” performance, don’t blindly buy orthodontic treatment by yourself, be sure to go to a regular tertiary hospital to check whether there is an airway problems or other primary diseases, the doctor will formulate the most suitable diagnosis and treatment plan for the condition.
Finally hope everyone
Be able to re-understand “mouth breathing”
In everyday life, don’t let your guard down
But don’t be blindly anxious and go to the doctor when you are sick
Be sure to seek the correct and scientific intervention plan~
Source: Guangxi CDC (some pictures deleted)