Children, why is oral breathing bad for health?

Breathing is an essential process for the human body that occurs primarily through the nose in a natural way. The nose not only acts as an air intake channel, but also plays an important role in the preparation of air inside the body. Here, the air is heated, filtered of impurities and humidified.

However, during childhood, it is common to develop the habit of breathing through the mouth, a phenomenon known as oral breathing.

What are the causes of oral respiration?

Oral respiration is classified into three categories:

• Obstructive
• Anatomical
• Habitual

Obstructive oral respiration is caused by a temporary blockage of the nasal airways, which can be caused by hypertrophy of the nasal structures, inflammation/infection or the presence of mucus: colds, sinusitis, rhinitis, allergies.

In oral respiration of anatomical origin, certain features of the airway structure prevent the flow of air through the nose: deviations of the nasal septum, nasal polyps, tonsillitis, adenoiditis, dysfunctional nasal forms.

Oral respiration often develops due to real problems in nasal breathing and can then become a bad habit due to various factors: stress, anxiety, lack of education in nasal breathing.

What are the signs of oral respiration?

Children with oral respiration often suffer from ENT-related diseases and have the habit of keeping their mouth open to allow air to pass through. This behaviour during the night may be associated with snoring, restless sleep, heavy sweating and loss of saliva. In the morning, disturbed sleep can be identified by a pillow wet with saliva, halitosis, dry mouth and headaches.

The face of oral breathers tends over time to take on specific characteristics (adenoid facies): elongated face, accentuated dark circles under the eyes, open mouth with voluminous and dry lips, low lingual posture, underdeveloped cheekbones, curved shoulders.

What are the consequences of breathing through the mouth?

Breathing in through the mouth leads to an increase in mucus production and accumulation, promoting the development and persistence of inflammation and infection in the respiratory and auditory systems. In addition, the frequency of breaths increases while blood oxygenation decreases by 15-20%.

During growth, if the nasal cavities are not properly stimulated, they may not expand properly. In fact, the tongue, in order to allow the passage of air, changes its posture by lowering itself onto the oral floor. This prevents it from contributing to the proper development and expansion of the palate, which may be excessively narrow and ogival.

Therefore, if one is subject to oral breathing, it is always advisable to consult an ENT specialist to identify the causes of any breathing problems. Subsequently, the speech therapist will be responsible for re-educating nasal breathing and correcting orofacial muscle problems resulting from breathing through the mouth or nose.