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Mouth breathing can happen when there is a change in the respiratory tract that prevents the correct passage of air through the nasal passages, such as deviated septum or polyps, or happen as a result of colds or flu, sinusitis or allergy.
Although breathing through your mouth does not put your life at risk, as it continues to allow air to enter your lungs, this habit, over the years, can cause slight changes in the anatomy of the face, especially in the positioning of the tongue, lips and head, difficulty concentration, due to reduced oxygen in the brain, cavities or gum problems, due to lack of saliva.
Thus, it is important that the cause of mouth breathing is identified as early as possible, especially in children, so that the habit is broken and complications are prevented.
Main signs and symptoms
The fact of breathing through the mouth can lead to the appearance of some signs and symptoms that are not normally identified by the person who breathes through the mouth, but by people with whom they live. Some of the signs and symptoms that can help identify a person who breathes through the mouth are:
- Lips often parted;
- Sagging of the lower lip;
- Excessive accumulation of saliva;
- Dry and persistent cough;
- Dry mouth and bad breath;
- Decreased sense of smell and taste;
- Shortness of breathe;
- Easy tiredness when performing physical activity;
- Snoring;
- Taking many breaks while eating.
In children, on the other hand, other alarm signs may appear, such as slower than normal growth, constant irritability, problems with concentration at school and difficulty sleeping at night.
In addition, when breathing through the mouth becomes frequent and happens even after treatment of the airways and removal of the adenoids, for example, it is possible that the person is diagnosed with the Mouth Breather Syndrome, in which changes in posture can be noticed and in the position of the teeth and face narrower and elongated.
Why it happens
Mouth breathing is common in cases of allergies, rhinitis, colds and flu, in which excess secretions prevent breathing from happening naturally through the nose, returning breathing to normal when these situations are treated.
However, other situations can also cause the person to breathe through the mouth, such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids, deviation of the nasal septum, presence of nasal polyps, changes in the bone development process and the presence of tumors, for example. situations are identified and properly treated to avoid consequences and complications.
In addition, people with changes in the shape of the nose or jaw also have a greater tendency to breathe through the mouth and develop mouth breathing syndrome. Normally, when the person has this syndrome, even with the treatment of the cause, the person continues to breathe through his mouth due to the habit he created.
Thus, it is important that the cause of breathing through the mouth is identified and treated and, therefore, it is important to consult the otolaryngologist or pediatrician, in the case of the child, so that the signs and symptoms presented are evaluated so that the diagnosis is made and indicated the most appropriate treatment.
How the treatment is done
The treatment is done according to the cause that leads to the person breathing through the mouth and usually involves a multiprofessional team, that is, formed by doctors, dentists and speech therapists.
If it is related to changes in the airways, such as deviated septum or swollen tonsils, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem and allow air to pass through the nose again.
In cases where the person starts to breathe through the mouth due to a habit, it is necessary to identify whether that habit is caused by stress or anxiety, and if it is, it is recommended to consult a psychologist or participate in relaxing activities that allow to relieve tension when while helping to train breathing.