Does your child suffer from respiratory problems, allergies...?
It may be caused by being a mouth breather.
Establishing nasal breathing from birth, with lip sealing at rest and with the tongue positioned on the palate both during swallowing and at rest, is of vital importance.
Why? We're sharing a comment from Dr. Wilson Aragão about how important nasal breathing, rather than mouth breathing, is for a child's overall health, and indeed for anyone's: during nasal breathing, the air that goes to the lungs through the nostrils is enhanced with tear fluid, which contains more than 94 chemical elements. When it reaches the lungs, significant metabolic changes occur, responsible for the production of autoimmune elements that provide greater resistance to allergies.
When a person breathes through their mouth instead of their nose, tear fluid drips into the nostrils, irritating the mucous membranes and causing rhinitis. And because exhalation is not through the nose, secretions accumulate in the sinuses.
This environment, lacking the natural cleansing provided by proper breathing, creates favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria and, consequently, infections that cause sinusitis, otitis, and mastoiditis. When inhaled through the mouth, the air is not humidified, filtered, or at a stabilized temperature. This irritates the bronchi and bronchioles, triggering bronchitis and asthma.
When a person breathes through their mouth, they cannot chew bilaterally, that is, alternating sides of the dental register, because they need to make room for air to enter while eating. As a result, their chewing becomes unilateral. Unilateral chewing causes the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle (scapula and clavicle), and back of the head to become hypertrophied and shortened. This causes elevation of the shoulder on the same side as the chewing, creating a cascading effect.
The result over the years is postural deviation, leading to scoliosis. With the muscles hypertrophied on only one side, the head undergoes improper rotation, affecting the bones throughout the skull. This misalignment leads to compression of cranial nerves, causing headaches and chronic migraines.
A child who breathes through their mouth is often mislabeled. If you suspect your child may be a mouth breather, don't hesitate to contact us and we will advise you on the most appropriate treatment.
