Why you should breathe through your nose.
The science proves that nose breathing is better for your health than mouth breathing. Breathing through your nose enables the air to be warmed, filtered and moistened; this is just how your lungs like it.
Nose breathing protects your airway from irritation and infection and prevents dehydration. Breathing through your mouth results in a loss of 42% water compared to inhalation and exhalation from the nose. (1). The nose adds water to the air you breathe, preventing irritation to the lungs and bronchioles. An important gas called Nitric Oxide is produced by cells in your nose this gas causes the airways and blood vessels to dilate, which assists in oxygen uptake in the blood vessels. A study in 1999 by Lundberg and Weitzberg showed that Nitric Oxide slows the growth of some bacteria and viruses. Breathing through your nose helps Nitric Oxide pool and then circulate to your lungs.
Nose Breathing is slower than mouth breathing, activating the parasympathetic nervous system and assisting with a calmer mind and clearer thinking. Mouth breathing is fast, shallow breathing using the upper chest area. Therefore mouth breathing causes stress, which activates the Sympathetic nervous system and can cause anxiety, brain fog, and is a barrier to good sleep.
You need a breathwork instructor if you are a mouth breather and cannot imagine breathing only through your nose. Learning breathwork techniques with the support and knowledge of a breathwork instructor can help you make this transition for life.
1. Svensson S, Olin AC, Hellgren J. Increased net water loss by oral compared to nasal expiration in healthy subjects. Rhinology. 2006 Mar;44(1):74-7. PMID: 16550955.
