Knowledge is key to making empowered decisions about your health. We’re dedicated to making your health a priority by keeping you informed on how to achieve your optimal well-being. In this month’s newsletter, we discuss another key foundation to health: functional breathing.
Breathing is something we do thousands of times a day without much thought. We breathe in, we breathe out. There is not much more to it right?
Actually, wrong… Did you know how we breathe can significantly impact our health?
For the most part, people remain unaware of their method of breathing and take for granted the ability to breathe correctly. Although breathing is a natural function of the human body, this does not mean that we are breathing in a manner that supports optimal health.
What is Functional Breathing?
Functional breathing refers to the practice of nasal breathing.
Functional breathing has the power to change the trajectory of your quality of life, as it is essential for overall health. Nasal breathing encourages the body to work in harmony. Breathing through the nose supports cardiovascular health, balances the nervous system, improves digestion, promotes immune function, boosts energy, increases sleep quality, supports our mental health, improves cognitive function, reduces stress and even helps reduce muscle strain and tension.
The Difference Between Nasal and Mouth Breathing
The nose is uniquely designed to be our primary breathing organ because it filters the air we breathe, protecting our lungs from dust, allergens, and other particles. The nose also warms and humidifies the air, making it easier on our respiratory system and reduces risk of irritation or infection.
Breathing through the nose increases nitric oxide (NO) production, which supports our health in several ways. Nitric oxide (NO) is a natural vasodilator, which means that it helps dilate the blood vessels, improving blood flow throughout the body and enhancing oxygen delivery into the tissues. These factors help to regulate healthy blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. NO also has antimicrobial properties, supporting our immune system and respiratory function by fighting against a wide range of pathogens.
If we can’t breathe well through our nose, the only other option is to breathe through the mouth. When we breathe through the mouth, air bypasses these crucial filtration steps, allowing unconditioned, dry air to enter the lungs. Mouth breathing lowers NO, CO2 and O2, upsetting the delicate balance of gasses in our airways and blood.
Mouth breathing also engages our secondary respiratory muscles and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), also known as our fight or flight response. When the SNS is dominant, our immune system becomes down regulated, increasing our risk of infection. This method of breathing can contribute to a myriad of other factors that negatively impact our health including dry mouth, dental problems, daytime fatigue, poor sleep quality, sleep-disordered breathing, TMJ issues and more.
The Importance of Functional Breathing in Our Practice
At the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Cleveland, we specialize in treating chronic pain conditions including craniofacial pain [pain in the head, face, jaw, and neck] and sleep-related breathing disorders [snoring, adult & pediatric OSA, UARS]. In our office, we emphasize the importance of nasal breathing with both our pain and sleep patients, as it is an important component in healing these issues from the root cause.
We utilize cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging in our examinations to take a deep dive into each individual's health, not only to better understand their pain & sleep issues, but also to determine why this is happening in the first place. The CBCT scan can help to identify nasal obstructions such as septal deviations, inflamed nasal turbinates (tissues), and compromised nasal valves.
We also use rhinomanometry to evaluate nasal function. A rhinomanometer measures airflow and pressure in the nasal passages to assess nasal airway resistance. By quantifying how much air can pass through the nasal passages and at what pressure, we can determine the impact nasal obstruction has on airflow.
The Relationship Between Nasal Breathing, TMJ, and Sleep
When it comes to TMJ issues, nasal breathing supports proper jaw function, stabilization of the jaw and maintains the integrity of the ligaments supporting it. Mouth breathing, on the other hand, promotes parafunctional activity like teeth grinding and clenching, which increases strain on the jaw and the surrounding musculature, and can stretch the ligaments over time, increasing the risk for head, neck and jaw pain as well as TMJ dysfunction.
Nasal breathing also plays a crucial role in sleep quality. This method of breathing promotes uninterrupted, restorative sleep by increasing oxygen absorption and activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect that supports good sleep quality. Mouth breathing during sleep increases risk of airway obstruction, which can lead to sleep-breathing issues such as snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
As part of addressing the root cause of our patient’s TMJ & sleep issues, we utilize a combination of remedies to help promote proper nasal breathing including over the counter nasal sprays, nasal irrigation, nasal dilators, lip taping and nasal breathing exercises. We also take advantage of nutrition and supplementation regimens, as our nasal turbinates (tissues) are responsive to the things we ingest, meaning these factors can better or worsen our ability to nasally breathe.
How We Can Help:
If you are experiencing TMJ pain, headaches, fatigue, sleep issues, or are having trouble breathing through your nose, reach out to our office to schedule a comprehensive evaluation to get you one step closer to achieving optimal health.