Breathing through the mouth or through the nose and why

Everyone knows that breathing is an absolutely necessary function of our body. However, what may not be known is that there is a right and wrong way to breathe. Some, for example, breathe permanently or temporarily through the mouth rather than through the nose, resulting in a poorer quality of the air that eventually reaches our lungs.

Why it is correct to breathe through the nose and not through the mouth

The normal passage of air to the lower respiratory tract starts from the nose and continues through the trachea to end up in the lungs. Nature has "programmed" the human body so that, as we inhale air through our nose, this air will:

• It adapts, through the mucous membrane of the nose, to a temperature similar to that of our body, i.e. approximately 37 degrees Celsius.
• It is filtered, through the epithelium of the nose, from the foreign particles that may be carried along with the air during the breathing process.
• It is sterilized, through some enzymes that are naturally present in the mucous membrane of the nose, so that the air goes "clean" to the lower respiratory system.

Why we shouldn't breathe through the mouth

When breathing is done through the mouth, it is reasonable that we are forced to keep it open so that the air we need can enter through it. However, since the mucous membrane of the oral cavity is not made to accept so much air, the mouth dries out, and as a result, this feeling of dryness bothers us. At the same time, as is understandable, the air is not filtered, with the result that many particles end up in the lower respiratory system.

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