How Mouth Breathing is Destroying Our Health

Introduction

A few months ago, the mouth tape that was trending on my TikTok’s “For You Page,” piqued my interest. Even though I was curious to find out the effects mouth tape might have on my health, I didn’t quite understand the severity of how detrimental mouth breathing is.

I went to the thrift store a couple of weeks ago and headed straight toward the book section where a glaring, yellow cover caught my eye. Coincidentally (or not), the book was Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. There was already a seed planted in my head, which made me more conscious of my breathing, so I purchased the $3 book and went home to immerse myself in its pages. I was captivated by Nestor’s experimentation with breathing, and his research behind the evolution and impact of our breathing structures. His insights revealed how humans have shifted from a natural state of nasal breathing to chronic mouth breathing, and how learning to breathe properly can have major positive effects on our health.

Evolution of Breathing

The earliest groups of archaic humans had much wider noses, robust jaws, and high larynxes (voice boxes)- compared to modern humans, who have thinner, protruding noses, weak jaws, and sunken larynxes. In his book Breath, Nestor quotes a conversation with Dr. Marianna Evans, an orthodontist and dental researcher who studies orofacial development and the health of our airways. She claims, “Today, the human body is changing in ways that have nothing to do with the “survival of the fittest.” Instead, we’re adopting and passing down traits that are detrimental to our health” (p.12-13). She further explains how our back aches, foot pain, brittle bones, diabetes, cavities, and poor breathing are due to dysevolution- the process where humans become maladapted to their environment as a result of their perpetual habits, behaviors, and lifestyles.

Nestor describes the effect evolution had on ancient humans and their orofacial development. He writes,

“The innovation of mashing and cooking food, however, had consequences. The quickly growing brain needed space to stretch out, and it took the front of our faces, home to sinuses, mouths, and airways. Over time, muscles at the center of the face loosened, and bones in the jaw weakened and grew thinner. The face shortened and the mouth shrank, leaving behind a bony protuberance that replaced the squashed snout of our ancestors… the protruding nose.”

He further explains the consequences of this new feature:

“...this smaller, vertically positioned nose was less efficient at filtering air, and it exposed us to more airborne pathogens and bacteria. The smaller sinuses and mouth also reduced the space in our throats. The more we cooked, the more soft, calorie-rich food we consumed, [and] the larger our brains grew, the tighter our airways became” (14).

Because our noses are less efficient at filtering air, we have become more reliant on breathing through our mouths to bypass our nasal filtration system and get air into our lungs quicker. Our noses not only filter the air we breathe for bacteria and particles, but it also regulates its speed, moisture, and temperature. Without this filtration system, we expose our mouths, throats, and lungs to cold, dry, unfiltered air. This exposure has led to increased rates of respiratory diseases, dental and orofacial defects, and sleep apnea.

Mouth Breathing Effects

Mouth breathing might seem harmless, but its effects trickle down to our mouths, throats, and lungs. Relying on mouth breathing can worsen airway inflammation, reduce lung function, and increase sensitivity to allergens. Breathing in allergens through our mouth makes us even more susceptible to allergic reactions, causing congestion. So inevitably, we breathe through our mouths. Additionally, mouth breathing takes a toll on the way we sleep. As we breathe through our mouths while sleeping, our tongues relax to the point that they obstruct our airway, which leads to snoring and even sleep apnea. Not only does mouth breathing at night affect our sleep, but it plays a role in our hydration and urges to urinate as well. Nestor expresses how the pituitary gland secretes vasopressin when we’re in deep sleep. This hormone helps conserve water by prompting the kidneys to reabsorb it. However, with sleep apnea, deep sleep is disrupted, preventing normal vasopressin secretion, which causes the body to lose water. The lack of this hormone paradoxically increases our need to urinate (29). So if you wake up feeling parched or have to pee in the middle of the night, it’s probably because you’re sleeping with your mouth open.

Not only does mouth breathing impact how we breathe, but it also increases how much we breathe. Nestor proposes a novel suggestion to counteract the claim that humans overbreathe. He suggests we breathe less. As practiced by Indian yogis, Tibetan Buddhists, Chinese doctors, and samurai, he argues taking fewer, slower breaths can optimize our health (86). To support this, he references a study conducted in 2014 by Dr. Alicia Meuter, the director of the Anxiety and Depression Research Center in Dallas. She found that asthmatic subjects who practiced breathing less to maintain healthy carbon dioxide levels experienced fewer asthma attacks, improved lung function, and expanded airways (100-101).

Another condition that causes our breathing to be out of balance is anxiety. Meuter explains that hyperventilation is a physiologic and psychological “error”. If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack, you might have felt as if your chest was getting tighter. Ironically, too much air is being taken in, but it feels as though we can’t breathe. To further portray the physiological effect of hyperventilation, Nestor cites the work of Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko, a pulmonaut who founded the Buteyko Method- a breathing technique that practices holding and controlling your breath to treat a variety of health conditions. Nestor references Buteyko and claims, “...airway constriction, wheezing, and shortness of breath are the body’s natural reflex to breathe less and more slowly” (101). Both noting the body’s paradoxical reaction to breathing too much, Meuret and Buteyko demonstrate that our bodies are in a state of harmony when air is regulated through nose inhalation.

On top of that, when we overbreathe, we increase our intake of oxygen, and while it is vital, it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in our bodies, which is essential for proper bodily function. Nestor’s associate, Anders Olsson, a Swedish writer, professor, and fellow pulmonaut, argues, “Big, heavy breaths [are] bad for us because they deplete our bodies of carbon dioxide” (70). Through Olsson’s research on the role of carbon dioxide in our body, he claimed, “...the best way to prevent many chronic health problems, improve athletic performance, and extend longevity was to focus on how we breathed, specifically to balance oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. To do this, we’d need to learn to inhale and exhale slowly” (72). This balance is demonstrated through the Bohr effect. Essentially, high levels of CO2 causes hemoglobin to release oxygen, allowing tissues and organs to readily receive oxygen when it's needed for metabolism. For example, during physical exertion. By breathing slower breaths through our noses, we’re able to maintain our body’s physiological balance.

My Testimony

If you’re wondering how you can improve your health, it’s relatively simple. All you have to do is breathe the way you were always meant to: through your nose. I can attest to how I have implemented nasal breathing into my life and how rapidly it has improved my health.

During my senior year of high school, I experienced debilitating anxiety. One blazing, summer day in Chicago, I took a bus to the library. No seats were available because of how packed it was, so I stood. Suddenly, I began to cramp as a result of my menstrual flow. In combination with the heat, pain, and not having anywhere to sit, my vision began to tunnel. Once I could see clearly again, I was on the floor in the arms of a man standing behind me, catching my fall. The bus had to pull over, and everyone had to evacuate and get transferred onto the following bus en route. That was the first time I ever fainted. I felt confused and terrible for having inconvenienced and delayed everyone else. Having to get on a bus or a train after that was extremely anxiety-inducing for me. So much so that sometimes I would let the bus or train pass because I couldn’t build up the courage to take a step forward onto another crowded vehicle, where I could possibly faint again, and inconvenience everyone on their way to school or work.

As I sought ways to help soothe my anxiety, I came across a technique that helped me, but in a way that I didn’t initially realize. I was introduced to what I call the 5 Senses Method. When I noticed my heart beat increasing and my thoughts beginning to spiral, I would begin to list 5 things I could see, 4 things I could feel, 3 things I could hear, 2 things I could smell, and 1 thing I could taste. I thought this method was effective for distracting me from my thoughts, but I realized that as I began to inhale and exhale through my nose as I focused on listing things, my breathing slowed. In turn, so did my heart rate, and my thoughts began to dissipate. I realized that the key to relieving my anxiety wasn’t my thoughts or my environment, but rather, my breath. Keeping my breathing balanced kept me in a state of balance.

There are so many other ways that slowing my breath and breathing through my nose has helped me remain calm, focused, and overall, feeling good. I have suffered from “seasonal allergies” for as many seasons as I can remember. However, I began to notice that my allergies hit me the worst first thing in the morning. I, sought out ways that I could remedy my chronic congestion, but whenever I searched up “how to get rid of allergies,” most of the solutions seemed either temporary or expensive. And then I read Breath, by James Nestor. Through his research, he found that people who slept and breathed with their mouth open suffered from sinus issues, dehydration, and orofacial defects. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, I was already curious about mouth tape, and after gaining an understanding of the benefits of breathing through my nose rather than my mouth, I was quick to order it. Since sleeping with my mouth closed at night, I no longer wake up congested, nor do I find myself having to pee throughout the night or parched in the morning. Mouth tape has helped me tremendously, yes, but it is because it helps me breathe the way I was naturally intended to breathe: through my nose.

Conclusion

To conclude, the way we breathe has a profound impact on our health, and shifting from mouth breathing to nasal breathing can yield significant benefits. As James Nestor’s research highlights, modern habits and anatomical changes have led to widespread reliance on mouth breathing, harming our airways, disrupting our sleep, and contributing to various health issues. By returning to the natural act of breathing through our noses, we can restore balance in our bodies, improve respiratory function, and reduce anxiety, allergies, and sleep disruptions. My personal experience and research alike, support the transformative power of nasal breathing. So, next time you feel out of balance, see if you’re breathing through your mouth, and remember: slow, steady breaths through your nose can optimize your mood, focus, and energy. Take a deep breath—and breathe the way you were always meant to.

References

Nestor, James. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Riverhead Books, 2020.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Peels