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We are never taught how to breathe so it is very common for us to shallow breathe through our mouths when it simply isn’t necessary.

What Happens When You Breathe Through Your Mouth?

Breathing through you mouth is usually linked to shallow chest breathing and stress, which as described previously, is linked to negative effects on our health when it becomes a chronic habit.

Mouth breathing is useful, but should really be saved for when you need a lot of oxygen (exercising, for example), and of course for when we are talking.

When you work out intensely you will naturally breathe through both your nose and mouth to bring in more oxygen to supply your muscles demands. This has evolutionary benefits because it helps us under times of great exertion and stress and gives us a boost in our fight or flight response.

However under times of emotional stress you may also breathe through your mouth, even though you do not need the extra oxygen. This can lead to unnecessary stress on the body and more stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system than is actually required.

What Happens When You Breathe Through Your Nostrils?

So what are the benefits of breathing through your nostrils? There are many (Ruth, 2015).

• Your nostrils are much smaller than your mouth, so the rate of air flow into your lungs is reduced. Air exhaled through your nose creates extra back pressure and the air is retained for longer inside your lungs. This gives more time for oxygen to be absorbed into your bloodstream, subsequently increasing your energy levels.
• Breathing through your nostrils filters, cleans, and conditions the air so that you breathe higher quality air into your lungs.
• Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in the paranasal sinuses (just above the nose), and it is secreted continuously during the inhale reaching down to the lungs. Nitric oxide aids in relaxing the pathways to the alveoli and the alveoli themselves allowing for a greater transfer of oxygen to the blood (Whittington et al., 2018).
• Studies have shown that nitric oxide is highly effective in defending against pathogens like, “bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites” (Schairer et al., 2012, p. 1), so nose breathing keeps you healthy.