Mouth Breathing & COVID-19 Risk

A comprehensive survey done across the United States found that 60% of the 60,000 adults reported having a stuffed-up nose either every day or most days of the week (1). When the nose is congested, you are forced to breathe through the mouth. Chronic mouth breathing causes your face to narrow and elongate, receding the chin and pushing the head forward (2). These facial abnormalities are not without issues. Mouth breathers are more likely than nose breathers to suffer from ADHD related symptoms and sleep disorders (3). It has also been associated with cardiovascular disease, inflammation, snoring, stress, and tooth decay (3). 

What about you? 

Do you breathe with your nose or your mouth?

Nasal Breathing

Our noses and mouth evolved for two different jobs. The nose is a much better tool for breathing than the mouth. It can clean, moisten, and heat the air before entering your lungs to make it easier to absorb (3). The nose is similar to other muscles in the body; it adapts to the received stimulus. It is a classic example of my favorite movie line; “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

When you breathe through your nose, the air is forced into the back of your throat, opening the breathing airway. The more you breathe through the nose, the easier it gets. The mouth, on the other hand, doesn’t have this toolset. When you breathe through the mouth, you decrease airway space and reduce the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen. Not only does the nose augment oxygen absorption, but it also increases a potent molecule called nitric oxide.

“Large amounts of NO are constantly being released in the nasal airways of humans, and the paranasal sinuses seem to be the major source of this NO.” -Lundberg and Weitzberg 1999

Nitric Oxide Benefits

Nitric oxide plays a vital role in regulating blood circulation, energy levels, and many other bodily functions (4). Nasal breathing has been shown to increase NO levels 6-fold compared to mouth breathing, which is correlated with lower NO levels (3,4). If you are a mouth breather, it should be of concern, considering the many benefits of NO. Not only does NO improve performance (5), but it could reduce future infections through its antimicrobial properties against bacteria, fungi, and viruses (2). In fact, multiple studies have proposed nitric oxide therapy as a potential strategy against Covid-19 (2,6,7,8).

-Martel et. al 2020

-Martel et. al 2020

Practical Recommendations

Luckily, the fix is pretty straight forward. You just have to close your mouth and breathe through your nose. Ideally, you want to inhale and exhale slowly for five seconds. Set a timer for ten minutes and focus on the breath until the timer goes off, or find a couple of your favorite songs.

Hotel California anyone?

Nighttime wise, the best way to improve this behavior is during sleep. Most mouth breathers will unconsciously breathe through their mouth while sleeping. An open mouth can cause snoring, sleep disruption, and dehydration (3). 

It may sound crazy, but a simple solution is to tape your mouth shut while asleep. And don’t worry, nothing terrible will happen. Most experts in the field recommend it. 

“Our anecdotal observations also suggest that favoring nasal breathing during sleep by sealing the mouth with adhesive tape reduces common colds.”-Martel et al. 2020

There are even products out there designed to do it safely and effectively. I recommend using Somnifix, but make sure you talk to your doctor first. I believe there is enough research to suggest nasal breathing as an effective, simple strategy to strengthen your immune system and potentially reduce your risk for infection against Covid-19.

*This blog post is not intended to treat or cure any related symptoms to Covid-19. It is simply theoretical, please consult with your doctor first.

References

  1. Stewart, M., Ferguson, B., & Fromer, L. (2010). Epidemiology and burden of nasal congestion. International journal of general medicine, 3, 37–45. https://doi.org/10.2147/ijgm.s8077Jefferson Y. (2010). Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics, and behavior. General dentistry, 58(1), 18–80.

  2. Martel, J., Ko, Y. F., Young, J. D., & Ojcius, D. M. (2020). Could nasal nitric oxide help to mitigate the severity of COVID-19?. Microbes and infection, 22(4-5), 168–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micinf.2020.05.002

  3. Törnberg, D. C., Marteus, H., Schedin, U., Alving, K., Lundberg, J. O., & Weitzberg, E. (2002). Nasal and oral contribution to inhaled and exhaled nitric oxide: a study in tracheotomized patients. The European respiratory journal, 19(5), 859–864. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.02.00273502

  4. Bescós, R., Sureda, A., Tur, J. A., & Pons, A. (2012). The effect of nitric-oxide-related supplements on human performance. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 42(2), 99–117. https://doi.org/10.2165/11596860-000000000-00000

  5. Adusumilli, N. C., Zhang, D., Friedman, J. M., & Friedman, A. J. (2020). Harnessing nitric oxide for preventing, limiting and treating the severe pulmonary consequences of COVID-19. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry, 103, 4–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.07.003

  6. Hedenstierna, G., Chen, L., Hedenstierna, M., Lieberman, R., & Fine, D. H. (2020). Nitric oxide dosed in short bursts at high concentrations may protect against Covid 19. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry, 103, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.06.005

  7. Yamasaki H. (2020). Blood nitrate and nitrite modulating nitric oxide bioavailability: Potential therapeutic functions in COVID-19. Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry, 103, 29–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.07.005

erik rokiskyComment