Breathing through the nose is better.
You may have heard at least once that breathing through your nose rather than your mouth in daily life is better. While breathing through the mouth can cause dryness or a burning sensation in the throat, many people don’t know why nasal breathing is better than oral breathing.
James Nestor, the author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, experimented with a Stanford surgeon to share the problems that arise when you can’t breathe through your nose.
After completely blocking his nostrils so that air could not pass through and breathing only through his mouth for ten days, James saw a four-fold increase in sleep apnea and a 1300% increase in snoring. His blood pressure also increased by 20%, and his cognitive function declined.
When you breathe through your nose, bacteria and dust are filtered out, and the cold air is warmed before it enters the bronchi. Also, this air retains a suitable humidity level as it passes through the nasal passages to reach the bronchi. By breathing through the nose, you can reduce the risk of gum and throat infections, exercise-induced asthma attacks, and facial deformities that can occur when breathing through the mouth.
Furthermore, nasal breathing increases oxygen utilization by 20%. As oxygen absorption rises, a large amount of oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream, reducing the sensitivity to carbon dioxide and enhancing exercise capacity. Nitric oxide is also produced when you breathe through your nose, which helps muscle recovery.
On the contrary, when you breathe through your mouth, you can experience problems such as gum and throat infections, facial deformities, and decreased oxygen intake. Tissues do not receive enough oxygen, which can also affect the brain, leading to fatigue, postprandial drowsiness, and headaches.
Therefore, nasal breathing is recommended in all exercises and daily activities except for heavy-weight training. Even if you can’t breathe through your nose due to congestion, it’s better to treat the symptoms as soon as possible and continue breathing through your nose rather than resorting to temporary mouth breathing.
By. Soo Jung Shin
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