Breathing: Mouth or nose breather?
Breathing is something you do 17,000–20,000 times a day. And, as we covered in Part 1, most people tend to fall into a pattern of either chest breathing or belly breathing (with belly breathing usually being the more efficient option for day-to-day life).
This time, we’re looking at something slightly different: do you breathe through your nose or your mouth? It might sound like a small detail, but it can have a real impact on your health.
Why nose breathing is generally better
Nose breathing does a lot more than simply move air in and out. It helps with:
- How you sound when you speak and supports your sense of smell
- Filtering and cleaning the air, removing germs and allergens
- Warming and moistening the air, which makes it easier for your body to absorb oxygen
- Concentrating nitric oxide in your upper airway, which helps widen blood vessels in the lungs and can improve oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange (some research suggests by up to 10%)
- Supporting your immune system by helping activate immunoglobulin production
What about mouth breathing?
Mouth breathing, on the other hand, can cause problems because it can:
- Dry your mouth, which may affect oral bacteria and contribute to chronic bad breath and tooth decay
- Leave you feeling low on energy, potentially due to less efficient oxygen uptake
- In children, influence facial development over time (for example flatter features, a narrower jaw and dental arch, and a smaller chin)
- Increase the risk of sleep apnoea, which can have knock-on effects for heart and liver health and is linked with conditions like Type 2 diabetes
So yes, there are plenty of benefits to nose breathing, and no obvious benefits to mouth breathing.
But here’s the key point: you’ve probably been breathing the same way for most of your life, and your body is usually well adapted to it.
Unless you’ve got a child who mouth breathes, you suspect sleep apnoea, or you’re dealing with very bad breath, it’s often nothing to panic about. If you do have concerns about your child’s breathing or your sleep, speak to your GP, they can point you in the right direction for proper assessment and support.
So… how do you breathe?
If you’re now wondering whether you’re a mouth or nose breather, there are a couple of simple ways to get a feel for it.
This checks how well you can breathe with your mouth closed. It’s a simple way to see whether keeping your lips together feels comfortable or like a struggle.
The Water Test
This one is exactly what it sounds like: hold a small amount of water in your mouth and breathe. If it feels uncomfortable very quickly, it can be a clue that you rely on mouth breathing more than you realise.
As I said before, if you find that you are a mouth breather, don’t worry. Unless you’re showing symptoms of sleep apnoea, you’ll likely be fine.
Can you become a nose breather?
It’s possible, but it’s not always easy.
Before you try to change anything, it’s worth asking: why are you mouth breathing in the first place? Common reasons include:
- A child gets a cold and continues mouth breathing even after the nose clears
- Bite alignment issues that make it difficult to keep the mouth closed
- Nasal congestion, enlarged tonsils, or a deviated septum make nose breathing harder
If the cause is physical (like enlarged tonsils or a structural issue), it may be something that can be addressed medically, sometimes even surgically, but that’s always a decision based on the likely benefit versus the risks of an invasive procedure.
If it’s mainly a habit, it can still be changed, but it takes conscious practice because breathing is largely automatic.
Changing the way you breathe (if you want to)
If you’re a habitual mouth breather and you’d like to work on it, here are a couple of options. They’re simple, but they’re not necessarily easy.
Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
This is a common yoga breathing exercise. It takes focus, which makes it great for mindfulness, and as a bonus it may help improve lung function and reduce stress.
If you want to try alternate nostril breathing this is one approach:
- Sit up tall and relax your shoulders.
- Place your right thumb on your right nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril.
- Place your right ring finger on your left nostril.
- Exhale through your right nostril.
- Inhale through your right nostril.
- Return your right thumb to your right nostril.
- Exhale through your left nostril.
- That’s one set. Repeat gently for 5 minutes.
Mouth taping
You may have seen this online. The idea is to use a small piece of porous, hypoallergenic medical tape over your lips to encourage nose breathing.
The jury is still out on the research, and whether it helps depends on why you’re mouth breathing in the first place.
It can help some people with habitual mouth breathing or snoring linked to mild sleep apnoea, but there are potential downsides:
- Discomfort if your nose feels blocked
- Skin irritation
- Pain when removing the tape (especially if you have facial hair)
Most people try it at night, but I’d recommend starting with a few minutes in the day first, just to see how you tolerate it. If you can’t manage it while awake, you’re unlikely to cope with it overnight.
And a sensible note to finish on: before you try mouth taping, have a quick chat with your GP to rule out a physical obstruction. If you’re given the all-clear and you want to experiment, go for it, and let me know how you get on.
If you found this interesting, there is a Part 1 to this Breathing series, which you can jump to here.
I hope you found this article useful.
You can always get in touch if you have any concerns for yourself for someone you know.