Are you a mouth breather?

[Gattopardo]

How are you supposed to breathe?  Having an troll on the internet it seems I'm supposed to breathe through my nose. 

Am asking this as last night went for a short cycle and noticed I was mouth breathing alot to the point my lungs felt like they were burning.  This is related to, I think, to breathing through my mouth as my nose feels constricted.

Is that normal?

[hellymedic]

Yes. Nasal breathing is fine for sleeping/sitting.

Exertion requires air flows that might not be sustainable through the nose.

At some point everyone becomes a mouth-breather.

Some people can walk and cycle with their mouths closed.

Few can run like this.

[Karla]

I'm a mouth breather most of the time.  My nose has always been rather constricted - I was in and out of the ENT ward a few times as a kid.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Everybody is, once they reach a decent exertion level.

[hellymedic]

Everybody is, once they reach a decent exertion level.

Or even an indecent one 

[IanDG]

I'm a mouth breather most of the time.  My nose has always been rather constricted - I was in and out of the ENT ward a few times as a kid.

ditto

[Mrs Pingu]

I'm a mouth breather most of the time.  My nose has always been rather constricted - I was in and out of the ENT ward a few times as a kid.

ditto

Me too. Not hostipal, but I've always had a snuffly beak.
Main issue I find with mouth breathing is I eat too many bugs.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Used to see athletes with a kind of strip over the bridge of their nose.  I was told it keep their nostrils open to get more air in.  True or False?

[rafletcher]

Used to see athletes with a kind of strip over the bridge of their nose.  I was told it keep their nostrils open to get more air in.  True or False?

It's true that it was supposed to do that.

[citoyen]

I've had difficulty breathing through my nose since a rugby incident when I was 14.

[hellymedic]

Used to see athletes with a kind of strip over the bridge of their nose.  I was told it keep their nostrils open to get more air in.  True or False?

It's true that it was supposed to do that.

The reality is that even with these strips, air flow through the nostrils is insufficient for breathing at high levels of exertion.

<gasp>

[Ben T]

Why ever breathe through the nose then if the mouth is bigger? And why is it traditionally a sign of being, well,a simpleton, or an inbred?

[IanDG]

One of my nicknames at school was 'greeny'

[hellymedic]

Why ever breathe through the nose then if the mouth is bigger? And why is it traditionally a sign of being, well,a simpleton, or an inbred?

The nose warms and humidifies air, so it's more friendly to the airways and lungs.

Mouth breathing is a feature of a blocked nose. People with blocked noses were more likely to live in crowded, damp hoses and sometimes have untreated overgrown adenoids.

[Gattopardo]

After two nose ops I think I will have a third.  The only time, recently, I have breathed through my nose without problem was when I cleaned a few things with ammonia.

Also the nose does a decent job of filtration.

[DrMekon]

Was a mouth breather until I was in my twenties. Broke my nose when I was three, and I had loads of allergies. Had umpteen cauterisations and a bit of bone removal as a kid to no effect. Finally I got a decent GP that got me on  antihistamines tablets and sprays year around. Can breathe fine through my nose now.

Sent from my Lenovo P2a42 using Tapatalk

[T42]

Used to see athletes with a kind of strip over the bridge of their nose.  I was told it keep their nostrils open to get more air in.  True or False?

Chum of mine still does.  I don't think I've ever seen him breathing through his mouth.  OTOH I certainly do.  You lose more water that way, though.

[Ham]

I used to have sleep apnoea which was traced to a blocked nasal passage, since having it reamed out my life has improved immeasurably.

One of the mouth breathing issues was a drying of the gums and general unpleasantness. Being able to breathe through my nose I find much more comfortable.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Why ever breathe through the nose then if the mouth is bigger? And why is it traditionally a sign of being, well,a simpleton, or an inbred?

The nose warms and humidifies air, so it's more friendly to the airways and lungs.

Plus the nostril hairs trap particles and other forms of grebbies and eech, and turn it into bogeys.

After two nose ops I think I will have a third.  The only time, recently, I have breathed through my nose without problem was when I cleaned a few things with ammonia.

Also the nose does a decent job of filtration.

Have you tried using a neti pot?

[Kim]

This thread needs more barakta.  She has snot stories that would give anyone who isn't an ENT regular nightmares.   

My default state is breathing through my nose.  That's what it's for, and enables you to smell things and produce London-coloured bogies and stuff.  I switch to mouth breathing when higher flow is required during exercise in the normal way.

Except for all the times when my nose doesn't work, and I'm forced to breathe through my mouth.  As a chronic hayfever sufferer this is quite often.  I also have a related failure mode when my nose is partially congested, to the point where enough flow can be maintained for normal breathing, but the resulting rise in pressure through the crustacean eustachian tubes causes pain/itching/loud clicking sounds from one or both eardrums.  That's particularly annoying at night, as I'll tend to hold my breath rather than mouth breathing to make it stop.

[Gattopardo]

After two nose ops I think I will have a third.  The only time, recently, I have breathed through my nose without problem was when I cleaned a few things with ammonia.

Also the nose does a decent job of filtration.

Have you tried using a neti pot?

Yes I have, was given one after the first nose op.

[Gattopardo]

After use of the neti pot and an actively trying to breathe through my nose while cycling.  I have noticed that while cycling I do seem to produce alot of nasal outpouring that requires a tissue or sleeve.

While using the neti, I have noticed that I feel like the water is building up in my ears and takes a while to clear.  Is that normal?

[mrcharly-YHT]

After use of the neti pot and an actively trying to breathe through my nose while cycling.  I have noticed that while cycling I do seem to produce alot of nasal outpouring that requires a tissue or sleeve.

That's what the towelling on the back of traditional cycling gloves is for.