Your Nose Is For Breathing Your Mouth Is For Eating

There are several reasons why it is obvious that your nose is designed to be breathed through. Firstly, your nose is like an air conditioner for your lungs. Air that passes through your nose on the way to your lungs is filtered by the nose. Your nose will massively reduce the amount of dust, pollens, bacteria, virus, or anything else that is floating in the air.

These things would cause major problems if there were allowed to flow straight down into the lungs. The nose is designed to handle them. It is your first line of defense. If you breathe through your mouth you do not use these defenses.

Secondly, in this airconditioner, the air that is brought to your lungs via your nose has been in your body slightly longer, and so is brought closer to your body temperature. Your lungs do not like temperature extremes. Nose breathing reduces the problem.

Your airconditioner also works to increase the humidity of the air that reached your lungs. Your lungs like the air to be clean not too hot or cold, and very humid. Air that is taken in via the mouth is far drier on reaching the lungs than air via the nose.

Dry Lungs

It is probably this information about the lungs needing moistened air that led to earlier theories of asthma based on the lungs "drying out", and the development of "vaporizers" which are designed to put moisture in the air in your house or room to stop this "drying out". These machines do appear to have a small impact, but only if you breathe through your mouth. If you breathe through your nose, you have an automatic humidifier built in, and do not need them.

This "moisture factor" was also believed for a while to be why asthmatics who took up swimming often benefited, whereas running or jogging less frequently seemed to help. This has been debunked now by further research.

Of course, you and I now understand why swimming is more likely to reduce asthma it alters your breathing pattern. You have to stop breathing for a while when your face is underwater, plus because you are burning energy you are producing more CO2, so you can train your breathostat to accept a slightly higher level. Swimming does not appear to help some asthmatics probably because they overbreathe even more as they swim.

The other reason that your nose is for breathing is that because the nasal passages are far smaller than your mouth, you are forced to breathe less. You have to work a lot harder to overbreathe with your mouth closed. You can still do it it is just a little harder. In addition, nasal breathing allows the extra defense of the swelling of your nasal passages to reduce the airflow. The only reason you nose blocks up is because the shortage of CO2 causes the smooth vessels to swell, just the same as in "asthma".

If you keep your mouth closed, your nose will help reduce your airflow for you.
Note: Your nose will not block completely unless your mouth is open.
It may whistle and carry on, but remember the more it is blocked, the more CO2 is trapped in, which will tell it to open again.

If you are experiencing a blocked or partially blocked nose now, experiment with your breathing to make it get more blocked [release CO2 by breathing more deeply at the same speed].

Then, make it get less blocked by breathing less deeply, or just hold your breath for several seconds [pinch your nostrils closed] longer than is comfortable and breathing as little as possible through your nose after you breathe.

In brief, all you have to do is trap in more CO2 than you release, just as you will do to stop asthma.

If your nose being blocked is preventing you from closing your mouth and becoming a healthier nasal breather right now, then unblock it with the following procedure. Then keep your mouth closed! When you first convert from a "mouth-breather", you may find that it feels like you are not getting enough air. This is a good sign, and means will benefit almost immediately. Simply put up with it, it will pass as you progress into your shallow breathing exercises.

Be aware of yourself trying to "sneak" a mouth breath by chewing a pencil or a finger, or yawning more than a couple of times. If you do start to yawn madly and repeatedly, repress it a little and keep your mouth closed. An occasional yawn is to be enjoyed, stretch and make a good yawning "noise" it is good for stress relief.

To unblock your nose right now. You need some extra CO2, so after a small out breath, pinch your nostrils closed and hold your breath. [Your mouth is obviously closed at this time.] Hold until about 5 seconds after you have developed the feeling that you want to take a breath [not need a breath], release your nostrils and allow only a little breathing to occur through your nose. Keep the CO2 in! It will be at least a tiny bit clearer. If it is still very blocked, repeat the process several times with about 5 seconds between each hold. Really restrict your breathing. Be like a statue and don't move. [Keep your mouth closed!]
It may block up again as your breathing tries to increase to its previous level, but that is OK, just repeat the procedure. All you have to do is trap in a little more of the CO2 you are producing inside you.

A different way to do this is to keep breathing at the same level but increase your CO2 production. You can do this by standing, and without increasing your breathing, march on the spot. In a very short time you will feel your nose starting to clear, once it is clear, stop and restrict your breathing to keep the CO2 in.

If you become breathless while marching, stop and reduce your breathing, it will mean you have unconsciously increased your breathing, and have actually lost more CO2.

Goodbye To Nasal Sprays and Pills

You now have the ability to unblock your nose at any time without drugs or surgery. If you follow why it blocks up, you can reverse the process. The same procedure will also dry it up.

The Best Reason To Keep Your Mouth Closed

The final reason that you should breathe through your nose is most important reason to many. I find that the most compelling reason for teenagers and children is how you look when you wander around with your mouth hanging open.

Take a moment now to think about the movies. In a good young people's movie there will be a "good guy", a "main bad guy", and usually a herd of not-too-bright "assistant bad guys". The main goodie and baddie are smarter, and the actors who play them will keep their mouths shut. However, the actors who play the dumb ones will automatically begin to "mouth-breathe". We will automatically subconsciously associate a lower intellect with a mouth hanging open.

Try it yourself. Pretend you are really stupid. Is your mouth open or closed? Now be "cool" [or whatever the current word is Rad? Kewl? ], and close your mouth........or look dumb.

For more information on Asthma Signs and Symptoms (Butekyo Breathing Method) or for information on an Asthma Test.