How Breathing Impacts Overall Health

Did you know that something as simple as breathing through your nose can reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your sleep?

In the last article we discussed ekgs and ways to maintain a healthy heart.

In this article, we discuss the role of breathing in maintaining health.

Did you know that your breathing can have an effect on your cardiovascular health?

Renowned Ear, Nose and Throat Dr. Maurice Cottle has stated that the nose performs 30 functions in the human body.

The Nose: Nature’s Multitasker

Dr. Maurice Cottle, is widely recognized for his contributions to understanding the complex functions of the nose. He stated that the nose performs over 30 distinct functions in the human body. The nose plays a critical role not only in respiration but in a variety of other physiological processes.

Here are some of the key functions attributed to the nose, based on Dr. Cottle’s work and other research:

1. Air Filtration

We have little hairs in our nose that filters out dust, microbes, and other particles from the air we breathe. This helps to prevent infections.

2. Air Humidification

The nasal passages humidify the incoming air, helping to prevent irritation of the lungs and bronchial passages.

3. Air Warming

The nose warms the air before it enters the lungs, helping to maintain an ideal temperature for gas exchange in the respiratory system.

4. Sense of Smell (Olfaction)

The nose detects and transmits scent information to the brain. This allows for the perception of odors.

5. Speech Resonance

The nasal passages act as a resonating chamber, playing a significant role in producing sounds for speech.

6. Protection from Foreign Particles

The mucous membranes in the nose trap foreign particles, which are then expelled through sneezing or coughing.

7. Regulation of Air Pressure

The nose helps to regulate the pressure of the air entering the respiratory system, which is essential for proper lung function.

8. Thermal Regulation

The nose helps regulate the body’s temperature by dissipating heat when necessary.

9. Moisture Control

The nasal mucosa produces mucus that helps in moistening and preventing dryness of the respiratory tract.

10. Filtration of Harmful Gases

The nasal passages filter out harmful gases like pollutants, allergens, and irritants from the air.

11. Immune Defense

The nose contains immune cells that help defend the body against infections. These cells trap and neutralize pathogens.

12. Regulation of Breathing

The nose helps control the rate and rhythm of breathing by adjusting airflow through the nasal passages.

These are just a few of the many functions the nose performs in the human body.

Dr. Cottle’s work highlights the sophisticated design of the nasal system.

We definitely want to include breathing in the maintenance of our health and well-being.

In addition to the 12 primary functions mentioned, the nose performs a variety of other important roles in the body.

The nose is a complex organ with a wide range functions. Here are some more roles that the nose plays in our health:

13. Nasal Cycle Regulation

We have two nostrils. Each nostril takes a turn breathing while the other nostril rests. This is called the nasal cycle. It allows for more efficient air filtration and humidity regulation.

14. Sinus Function and Drainage

The nose connects to the sinuses. Proper drainage of the sinuses is important to prevent infections. The sinuses also resonate to help us create our voice.

15. Blood Flow and Circulation

The nasal passages help regulate blood flow to the face and head. The rich blood supply in the nose helps warm the air we inhale and can even act as a defense mechanism against extreme temperatures.

16. Protection from Overexposure to Irritants

The nose contains specialized receptors that can detect and respond to smoke, strong odors, and pollutants. If these irritants are detected, the body can trigger sneezing or increased mucus production as a protective response.

17. Contribution to Taste

While taste is mainly associated with the tongue, the nose plays a crucial role in flavor perception. Many of the sensory cues that contribute to the experience of taste are actually olfactory in nature. Loss of the sense of smell (anosmia) can impair the ability to taste food.

18. Regulation of Nitric Oxide Levels

The nasal cavity produces a molecule called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is important for regulating blood flow and oxygen exchange in the body. It also has antimicrobial properties that help to protect the body from infections.

19. Detection of Environmental Changes

The nose is sensitive to changes in environmental conditions, such as air temperature, humidity, and air quality. This helps the body adjust to different conditions to maintain homeostasis.

20. Aiding in Sleep and Breathing Patterns

The nasal passages play a significant role in controlling sleep-related breathing. Proper airflow through the nose helps maintain healthy sleep patterns. A person with a healthy sleep pattern does not snore and they do not have sleep apnea.

21. Pheromone Detection

Some research suggests that the nose may play a role in detecting pheromones. Pheromones are chemical signals involved in social and sexual behavior.

22. Vestibular Function

The area just inside the nostrils acts as a barrier to large particles and microbes that could cause damage if they were to enter our nose.

23. Hydration and Moisturization of Air

The mucous membrane keep the respiratory tract moist. This helps to prevent our tissue from becoming dry.

24. Nose as a Respiratory “Switch”

The nose helps regulate the flow of air to the lungs.

25. Impact on Blood Gas Exchange

It regulates the rate of air inhaled. This helps to maintain the proper balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body.

26. Conduction of Communication in the Body

The sensory nerves within the nose are involved in autonomic reflexes. These nerves communicate with other organs to regulate blood pressure and body temperature.

30. Antibacterial and Antiviral Defense

The mucus and secretions produced in the nose contain antibacterial and antiviral agents. Mucus helps to neutralize harmful organisms before they enter the lungs.

I have highlighted just how integral the nose is to our health. It is important for breathing.

• The nose plays a role in our immune system.
• It aides our sensory experience and well-being.

Now you know that you know the importance of maintaining a healthy nasal function for optimal health. Let’s discuss breathing patterns.

Breathing Pattern Disorders: What to Watch For

Do you have:

Muscle Pain? Fatigue?

You May Have a Breathing Pattern Disorder.

I will share with you a few ways to recognize abnormal breathing patterns and what you can do to improve dysfunctional breathing.

Did you know, the way you breathe every day impacts the way you feel?

1. Poor breathing mechanics affect movement.
2. Injury risk increases and you get tired faster.
3. Oxygen delivery drops and, long-term, your health suffers.

Even if your breathing feels okay, your sporting performance can plateau when breathing is sub-optimal.

Since we breathe everyday, it can be hard to recognize that we can breathe better.

Some people try to improve their health but they experience exercise induced asthma.

Yoga teachers, sports coaches and other health professionals even encourage us to ‘take a deep breath’.
In a moment you will know why this may not be the best piece of advice for us.

What is a Breathing Pattern Disorder?

A breathing pattern disorder is a condition in which breathing is problematic. It produces symptoms such as breathlessness.

Many times we breathe too deep and too fast.

Breathing deep and fast is a sign of hyperventilation. It results in a cycle of inefficient breathing.

At the end of this article we will share tips to restore our breathing function.

But first, let us learn to recognize when our breathing is dysfunctional.

Signs you may have a breathing pattern disorder:

• You experience symptoms that have no obvious organic cause.
• You get tired too soon during exercise.
• You breathe fast and hard into your upper chest.
• Your levels of blood CO2 drop below normal.
• You feel like you can never quite get enough air.
• You regularly experience cold hands and feet.
• You have feelings of panic and anxiety.
• You experience sleep-disordered breathing. This can include snoring or sleep apnea.
• You regularly wake in the morning feeling exhausted.
• You have frequent or chronic back or neck pain, or repetitive strain injury.

All these symptoms can point to chronic hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is habitually breathing more air than our body needs.

When we hyperventilate, we may breathe through an open mouth. Over time, breathing through the mouth can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure and early mortality.

Hopefully now you can see why the instruction to, “take a deep breath”, which often results in a fast, hard gasp of air, may be detrimental.

A sedentary lifestyle can impact the way your body processes oxygen. If breathing is already difficult then you may not want to exercise.

At the same time it is possible to be fit and still feel subpar.

Asthma and respiratory infections are more common among athletes.

What is the Correct Breathing Pattern?

Let’s learn to replace poor breathing habits with new, healthy ones.

According to breathing specialist, Patrick Mckeown, healthy breathing takes place through the nose. The breathing is slow and low, 24/7.

He adds, you can achieve healthy breathing patterns by practicing light, slow, and deep (LSD) breathing.

When it comes to breathing, the nose is an incredible organ.

Nose breathing is much better for us. For example, if you experience exercise-induced asthma, mouth breathing may be part of the problem. Open mouth breathing causes you to breathe cold, dry air straight into the lungs.

Breathing through the mouth dehydrates and inflames the airways. It causes exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. It also leave us vulnerable to infection.

Nose breathing adds greater resistance to breathing. It slows the breath, relieving stress. It engages your diaphragm too. When the diaphragm works properly, lung volume increases.

Restoring Functional Breathing

How do we change the habit of mouth breathing?

Begin to pay attention to your breathing. Notice when you breathe through an open mouth.

Train yourself to walk, and exercise, using only nasal breathing. When we exercise we can breathe through our nose 100% of the time!

If you need more air during your workout, slow down until your breathing is under control.

Competitive athletes should maintain nose breathing during low-to-moderate intensity training. For intensive muscle conditioning, you will need to breathe orally.

When you exercise, your body needs more oxygen for energy.

As the muscles warm up, they begin to produce carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide causes red blood cells to release oxygen to your cells and organs. From here it is used to make energy.

Over time, your body will adapt as you learn to breath through your mouth.

5 Tips to Restore Functional Breathing

Start by restoring functional breathing everyday and correct dysfunctional breathing patterns.

From this bedrock, you’ll see greater long-term gains.

Test your BOLT Score to see where you are today. The BOLT score measures your tolerance to carbon dioxide. This give you an objective to help measure breathlessness.

If your BOLT score is less than 25 seconds, there is room for improvement.

Practice breathing Light, Slow and Deep (LSD) to improve your BOLT score.

Concentrate on breathing only through your nose, even during exercise.

Practice reducing your breathing volume before bed. This will help you sleep deeper for better recovery and mental focus.

How to Test Your BOLT Score?

Breathe in and out at a light, slow and deep pace. Once you are ready, set your timer and hold your breath.

When you can no longer hold your breath stop the timer and breathe in through your nose. The number of seconds you were able to hold your breath is your BOLT score.

BOLT is an acronym for body oxygen level test. Your score is indication of how well you breathe.

In this article we learned about the importance of breathing through our nose. Now we know that the nose plays a vital role in the maintenance of our health.

We often joke about snoring. It has kept countless people, including myself up during the night.

By breathing though our nose we can address snoring, sleep apnea and even anxiety.

Not only is the nose for breathing. The nose plays a role in our immune system, anxiety levels, it detects unsafe odors and even pheromones.

It aides our sensory experience and well-being.

In the next article we’ll uncover how oral health impacts your overall well-being—don’t miss it!

Until then let’s practice, light, slow and deep breathing through our nose!

This is Barbara, I am yours in health. Let me help you navigate the amazing world of health insurance.

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