How Mouth Breathing is Linked to ADHD, Diabetes, and Child Sickness

Take a breath in. Now exhale.

Did you breathe through your mouth or nose? If you did it through your mouth, then you, like 95% of the population, are breathing incorrectly, and this is more than a matter of form.

Studies have shown it is shockingly detrimental to our health, and in this post, we explore the health effects further. From ADHD and diabetes to child sickness, let’s take a closer look at how mouth breathing is hurting us from the inside out.

The Serious Toll of Mouth Breathing

Before we begin, let’s clarify one thing: occasional mouth breathing is fine and sometimes even recommended, like when nasal passages are temporarily blocked. However, chronic mouth breathing, where you breathe through your mouth day and night, is a problem with a seriously long list of health consequences, including:

• Reduced Oxygen Efficiency: Mouth breathing can lead to lower levels of oxygen in the bloodstream. This results in you feeling more fatigued and less focused.

• Increased Respiratory Infections: The nose acts as a filter, trapping dust, allergens, and pathogens. Mouth breathing bypasses this natural defense mechanism, making you more susceptible to lung infections, allergies, and asthma.

• Restless Sleep: Mouth breathing is associated with numerous sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea and chronic snoring. These conditions disrupt sleep quality and can lead to daytime drowsiness, irritability, and heightened stress.

• Risk of Diabetic Complications: Compared to nasal breathing, mouth breathing has poorer oxygenation. Consequently, it can lead to tissue hypoxia, a condition linked to diabetic complications.

• ADHD-Like Symptoms: Without restful sleep, children’s bodies overcompensate for their sleep-deprived state. So they wake up hypercharged. Moreover, they show many of the symptoms seen in ADHD. Meaning they are moody, emotionally explosive, and aggressive.

• Dental Abnormalities: Mouth breathing can alter facial structure. Over time, this can lead to dental and orthodontic issues. It can also cause chronic bad breath, gum disease, dry lips, snoring, and crowded teeth.

• Physical Deformities: In children, it can cause significant physical changes. Just to facilitate mouth breathing, their heads come forward, altering posture. Their faces become long and narrow, their lips change shape, and their noses become flat and small. Moreover, their tongues push out. This leads to misalignment, crooked teeth, and even speech impediments.

How to Stop Mouth Breathing?

There is only one way to stop breathing through your mouth. You must start breathing through your nose, and controlled breathwork is the key. These structured exercises teach you to be more mindful of the air you inhale and exhale. More importantly, they train you to breathe through your nose again.

Effective breathwork exercises include cyclic sighing, box breathing, and alternate nostril breathing. With a qualified breathwork facilitator, you can reset your breathing patterns, strengthen your diaphragm, and increase your breathing capacity.

The Benefits of Nasal Breathing

Studies have shown that simply switching to nose breathing can increase whole-body oxygenation by an impressive 10%. More exciting, if you practice controlled breathwork regularly, you can reap even more benefits, including:

• Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Nasal breathing triggers the body’s relaxation response, which reduces stress hormones such as cortisol. This promotes a sense of calm and tranquility.

• Enhanced Focus on Clarity: Deep nasal breathing improves the flow of blood to our brains, maintaining a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients. This supports function leads to improved focus, concentration, and mental clarity.

• Better Sleep Quality: Nasal breathing ensures proper oxygenation, allowing your body to go into a deep state of restorative slumber. With fewer sleep disturbances you get a more restful sleep, greatly improving well-being.

• Emotional Regulation: Nasal breathwork regulates pulse and blood pressure, which helps you remain present and mindful. With more control, you have greater emotional resilience and balance.

Final Thoughts

How you breathe is a fundamental indicator of your health. If it is consistently through your mouth, you are exposing yourselves to a dizzying array of health risks. Nasal breathing is what our bodies are built to do, and it is time to start once again. Not only will it enhance the air you take in, it will support all your biological functions more effectively.

If you find yourself mouth breathing more than nasal breathing, embrace controlled breathwork with Elemental Rhythm. Our in-depth training courses transform more than your breathing. They transform your outlook on life, helping you find that deeper connection to your body. In our unique learning sessions, learn how to create a full breathwork session that includes:

• Curating your own playlists
• Facilitating a deeply transformational breathwork experience
• Guiding mediation and creating a safe space

Moreover, if you sign up today, you gain instant access to our complete library of resources, including all our breathwork courses, private members groups, community forums, and live online classes. Join today and discover the power of your breath.