Changing the way you breathe can help avoid a series of health problems, according to one former asthma sufferer, writes MARESE McDONAGH
A SHUT MOUTH catches no flies – or so the teachers used to tell us.
What they should have told us was that a closed mouth can make us better looking, help keep our teeth straight, reduce snoring, help sleep patterns, and avoid a plethora of debilitating conditions such as asthma.
One former asthma sufferer and health expert will tell the Rude Health Show at the RDS this weekend that a parent can transform a child’s life by teaching the child how to breathe through the nose rather than through the mouth.
A simple exercise can unblock the nose for those who have got into the habit of breathing through the mouth and can also help those who tend to “over-breathe”, according to Patrick McKeown, a TCD graduate who now runs clinics in eight countries.
“Mouth-breathing has far more serious consequences for health than almost any other factor, even diet,” insists McKeown, who suffered from chronic asthma for 20 years and says he is now clear of all symptoms having corrected his breathing.
After graduating with a masters in business and politics, McKeown changed career direction after reading an article about the Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Moscow. He is now the only accredited practitioner of the Buteyko method in this country.
Not only does he believe that breathing through the mouth leads to a less attractive “long face” and changes the shape of the jaw, he is convinced that it exposes people to asthma triggers, such as dust mites and pollen.
Ideally, a person’s jaw should be U-shaped, having been formed by the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth, touching the front teeth, explains McKeown. People who breathe through the mouth develop smaller, V-shaped jaws and so the teeth cannot fit, hence overcrowding and crooked teeth, he says.
The link between crooked teeth and blocked noses is nothing new. In the 1960s, dentist Egil P Harvold conducted a controversial experiment using monkeys to demonstrate the link.
Harvold used silicon plugs to block the noses of a number of young monkeys while their companions were allowed to breathe normally. The mouth-breathing monkeys developed crooked teeth and other facial deformities, including “a lowering of the chin”, while the animals which had been allowed to continue breathing through the nose had perfectly straight teeth and more “handsome” better proportioned features .
McKeown also believes that the impact on health and quality of life when breathing is corrected are incalculable. “You have to realise that the nose acts as a filter, removing three quarters of the germs that are in the air,” he says. “It also filters out airborne dust mites and pollen, all triggers for asthma.
“People spend fortunes putting in wooden floors and isolating children from these triggers, but 60 per cent of asthmatics have blocked noses or nasal problems.”
He says that over-breathing leads to blocked noses. “Modern lifestyles can cause over-breathing – stress, lack of exercise, high temperatures in the home are all factors,” he explains.
The problem has grown in recent years with the incidence of asthma in this country rising threefold since 1983 when 3-4 per cent of the population was affected compared with 10-15 per cent now.
“Most parents regard dust mites and pollen as causes of asthma and these are triggers,” says McKeown. “What they should realise is that by unblocking the nose and breathing properly, a child can avoid these triggers.”
He is currently collaborating on a book with London-based orthodontist Dr John Mew who believes that orthodontists who extract teeth rather than gently expanding the jaw, can do immense damage.
Both McKeown and Mew are convinced that by breathing through the nose, children develop well defined jaws, cheek bones, lips and chins as well as ensuring that their teeth will fit and will be straight.
Dr Mew says that about 20 per cent of orthodontic patients are noticeably damaged and maybe another 30 per cent are slightly damaged. “I frequently see examples of faces which have been really badly spoiled,” he says.
Extraction of teeth can result in “long-term damage to the skull, jaw pain and headaches”, according to Mew. In the worst cases, patients suffer ringing in the ears, postural problems leading to muscle pain in the neck, shoulders and back, and extreme headaches, he says.
“Parents should do more research before taking their child to the orthodontist,” says McKeown, who adds that the traditional view that overcrowding or crooked teeth is genetic, does not stand up.
The author of three books – Asthma Free, Naturally, Close Your Mouth and ABC to be Asthma Free – he believes it is possible to reduce coughing, wheezing and breathlessness in asthmatics by 50 per cent within two weeks.
McKeown says that mouth-breathing can lead to abnormal facial and dental development, but other consequences include interrupted sleep, snoring, poor concentration and behavioural problems.
In addition, mouth-breathing can cause poor oxygen concentration in the bloodstream, which can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep apnea and other medical issues.
“Every facet of life is affected,” warns McKeown.
Rude Health takes place at the RDS on Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm, rude health.ie
