Connect
Revisiting Nightly Mouth Breathing During Sleeping Hours
Have you ever been known to, or told, you breath through your mouth at night?
We discussed this in a thread and had two different thoughts about breathing through your mouth at night verses the nose and what to do and not do.
I asked my BE pulmonologist a couple of questions a few days ago.
First Question: Does mouth breathing at night dry out the lungs, mucus, at night if one is breathing through the mouth at night.
Answer Received: No
Second Question: Would there be any harm in using micropore tape in the center of my mouth just under my nose to just under my bottom lip?
Answer Received: No
My recent experience: With beginning to again tape my mouth closed at night.
I have noticed the 'sputum' that always needs to be cleared out of my throat at night, when I awake at night and before I can go back to sleep, has not been as sticky and as hard to get up and out, to release it from the throat, with my taping my mouth closed. I would nearly gag on the 'sticky sputum'' without taping my mouth closed, it was that sticky. As Jill put it...."juicy". It is more 'juicy' with my taping my mouth closed.
If we are truly suppose to breath through our nose, (much healthier for us) and since breathing through the mouth at night always caused me to wake up with dry mouth, with the saliva that dries up in the mouth at night causing horrible dry mouth, I can't, for me, quite understand why taping the mouth closed would be negative.
If I remember what we wrote and discussed correctly on the thread we really weren't given a definitive reason why we shouldn't tape our mouth closed to stop the mouth breathing at night. We were just told to not do it, or stop doing it by either a doctor or a dentist. That's what I originally got, 'stop taping the mouth closed."
Also, if sleeping for hours with the mouth open and the mouth becomes so dry, I, that's an I, tend to think that it would affect the lungs, causing dryness., drying up some of the mucus in the lungs. ??
Again, as with our doctors we all have different thoughts, ways of looking at things and ways of doing things etc. etc. However, as they say, if it is working for you do it, try it. So I will again tape and see if it helps in the big picture with the BE/MAI.
I wish I had thought to bring this fact up at NJH when I was there. I failed to mention mouth breathing at night and taping the mouth closed. With all their research etc. etc. surely they would be the ones to give us a reason why not to or it's O.K. to tape.
Barbara
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.
Connect
Different people have different images of what it is to mouth tape during sleep. Those that are abhorred by it might envision a big strip of duck tape over someone's mouth. Alas, the tape recommended is 3M paper tape for sensitive skin and the size of a postage stamp. It took some getting used to but I find I sleep better with the tape on. I cannot say one way or another if it makes a difference in morning phlegm. There are so many other variables.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHave you ever been checked by an ENT for a deviated septum? My husband had that and had a balloon plasty ( sp) and has had considerable relief from what you are describing. He was miserable for years!!! Irene5
mouth breather here and have not experienced any issues
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThree different ENT doctors and exams with scope/ camera down the nose including another at NJH. Not told I had a deviated septum. Wonder if I need a different type of test? I will inquire.
Thanks, Irene5
True scoop "so many other variables." However, so glad we get to relate all to each other.
Yes paper tape, that is what I understand my micropore type is and for sensitive skin. Yes the width of a postage stamp. Thanks.
So there you have it, we may use the same things in finding solutions yet they may be helping each in different ways due to our own body systems and conditions.
Barbara
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionWhat an interesting subject. I'm a mouth breather at night and during the day, I am now consciously working on being a nose breather. I'm now pretty consistent during the day except when I exercise. The nose is an extra filter and after reading James Nestor's book "Breath", I believe nose breathing and modified box breathing is very helpful. I liked his research approach; a very interesting book and he discusses the importance of bringing up CO2 levels. I haven't tried the tape yet. I just try to correct my night breathing when I wake up and can consciously switch from mouth to nose. Also, my dentist told me that mouth breathing dries out the mouth (so does the saline nebulizing) and when your mouth is dry, you don't have the saliva to wash away the bacteria around your teeth and gums. So, it's bad for dental health. She recommended I use "Allday" spray which really helps. I don't swallow it, but it rapidly moistens and generates saliva. It really works.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsYes the nose filters and the mouth does not.
I, my belief, believe this mouth breathing probably causes more problems than they know about, as yet.
Processed foods, as he mentions in the book (went to wikipedia to look the book info up) for sure causes problems. Who truly knows what the food processors know or don't know, but use, to sell their products. I recently heard a doctor say it simply for better health: 1. No processed foods. 2. Aerobics/Weight Lifting,. 3. Sleep and Recovery.
So far I have not had the dental problems. This mouth breathing, as far as I know for me, has gone on for over ten years. What I do have is mucus getting clogged up, as we all do with BE. So for me in my logical thinking, it doesn't help my BE that I am a mouth breather at night. Mouth breathing at night, night after night, might not only affect the mouth saliva drying up but it might dry out the moisture in the lungs and possibly causing dried up mucus vs. loose mucus and I may also be breathing in minute air particles of bacteria that for others might not cause a problem other than for people with BE. Just saying, what do I know!
Not sure why but I am no longer waking up with dry mouth with taping my lips closed and I believe it is helping to keep the mucus moist and loose because it is less sticky now when I wake up each time during the night for my visit down the hall. I am seeing a difference since taping the lips closed again. The sides of the tape and the sides of my mouth, are not taped but taping the center lip area, only, seems to be helping a great deal.
Thanks for replying....and the information. That's four of us so far as confessed night mouth breathers. Some people may not realize that they are mouth breathers at night until another notices it and tells them that they are.
Barbara
P.S. There are possibly at least two million people around the world that must be mouth breathers per the book being on the best sellers list and since the information showed that over 2 million books were sold so far after first publishing.
The nose definitely conditions the air before it gets to the lungs. I will definitely get some mouth tape and give it a try. The book is very interesting. It sure convinced me to stop mouth breathing-or try, exhale more than inhale, and also gave me the idea to get mouth tape. I wonder if you will eventually get subconsciously trained to be a nose breather while your sleeping? and not need tape? Your comments have motivated me to get that tape sooner rather than later. I don't remember him talking about ingredients of processed food but do remember him stressing softer evolutionary foods (now processed) have weakened our jaws and facial muscles due to the lack of chewing. Lots of history on breath (from cavemen to present and all types of breath) and corresponding research-really interesting, especially tummo breathing. Also interesting is the studies done with increasing CO2 in the blood stream and that fast mouth breathers have too little, getting too much air. The result being an inefficiency in our blood chemistry. He and many believe is a contributor to many diseases. He references a study on asthmatics that confirmed their asthma improved when they kept higher CO2 levels up. I plan on getting a pulse oximeter and do some experiments. Thanks for sharing that about the tape!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThey would be able to determine a deviated septum with the scope and if you have access to the records, you could check. If it had been one causing issues, I think it would have been mentioned by ENT .
Yes, with having four tests....if I had had a deviated septum at least one out of four would have mentioned it, surely. No harm in revisiting the medical records. Thanks.
Barbara