We are meant to breathe through the nose. The nose and sinuses allows us to:
- Warm and humidify the air that we breathe in
- Filter the air from dirt and bacteria
- Smell and appreciate flavours from food and drinks
- Shape the quality of our voice
If you breathe through your mouth, you bypass the above-mentioned function. Hence, you may be more likely to develop problems such as:
- Bad breath
- Dental and gum infections
- Malalignment of your teeth
- Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)
- Abnormal facial morphology
- Poor posture
There are many potential reasons for a blocked nose. However, the top 3 causes seen in my practice are:
- Rhinitis ("Sensitive nose")
- Deviated nasal septum
- Sinusitis (infection of the sinuses)
If you are suffering from persistent and troublesome blocked nose, I would highly recommend a visit to an ENT Specialist.
