Are you a (literal) mouthbreather?

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Mouth breathing is when people rely on taking in air through their mouths and not their noses. Mouth breathing may be why some people wake up with dry mouths and drool on their pillows.

But mouth breathing causes more problems than soggy pillows and dry mouths. Mouth breathing can cause sleep disorders that affect daily life. It can also change the structure of people’s faces. Most people develop mouth breathing as very young children, potentially setting the stage for long-term problems.

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What causes mouth breathing?
Mouth breathing happens when people can’t breathe through their noses. Some conditions that affect nasal breathing include:

Enlarged adenoids: Adenoids are glands that look like small lumps of tissue located above the roof of your mouth and behind your nose. Adenoids protect young children from bacteria and viruses. Sometimes, adenoids are swollen or infected, blocking children’s airways. Adenoids typically shrink as people age, so enlarged adenoids are less likely to cause mouth breathing in adults.
Nasal congestion: If you have allergies, colds or chronic sinusitis, you may have a persistent stuffy nose that keeps you from breathing through your nose.
Deviated septum: Your septum is cartilage and bone that divides the inside of your nose into two sides. When your septum leans to one side, it can block your airway.

What are mouth breathing symptoms?
Many mouth breathing symptoms affect children and adults the same way. Here are some examples:

Dry mouth: Breathing through your mouth as you sleep dries salvia that keeps your mouth moist.
Bad breath: Mouth breathing affects saliva flow that usually keeps your mouth clean.
Drool on pillows: Saliva that usually collects in your mouth seeps out from your open mouth.
Malocclusion:Malocclusion happens when your upper and lower teeth don’t align.
Children who mouth breath have different and more serious symptoms:

“Mouth breathing face”:Mouth breathing can affect children’s facial development, causing what’s called “mouth breathing face.” People who have mouth breathing face often have narrowed faces with receding chins or jaws.
Behavior problems:Studies show some children with mouth breathing develop behavioral problems that are similar to problems found with children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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Is it bad to be a mouth breather?
Mouth breathing is something you do. It’s not who you are. It’s not a question of being good or bad. It’s about which way of breathing is most helpful and healthful. Breathing through your nose instead of your mouth is better on both counts.

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