Stop breathing through your mouth in winter...and the reason

2024-01-30 2024-01-30T11:45:16Z

ArabiaWeather - With the advent of winter, we are witnessing an increase in cases of influenza and colds. These conditions cause fatigue in the body and an increase in temperature, forcing many to breathe through the mouth during sleep as a result of congestion resulting from the cold, and this change in the breathing pattern results in negative effects. Negative health effects include damage to the respiratory system.

Harmful effects of breathing through the mouth

Dr. Taha Bakri, Professor of Chest Diseases and Respiratory System at Al-Azhar University, pointed out that a person suffering from a cold or flu is forced to breathe through the mouth during sleep without his will, as a result of his inability to breathe through the nose. Due to congestion resulting from a cold, this condition results in a group of harmful health effects, including:

Sore throat.
sore throat.
The throat is exposed to bacteria and viruses.
Possibility of increased chest infections.

Benefits of breathing through the nose and treatment tips for overcoming a cold

Dr. Bakri explained that breathing through the nose has multiple benefits stemming from the characteristics of the nose, including:

The presence of hair in the nose, which contributes to purifying the air from dust and sand.
The presence of a mucous layer in the nose that works to warm cold air to avoid chest infections.
Breathing through the nose protects the airways from infections.

With regard to treating the common cold to restore nasal breathing, Bakri advised taking medications designed to relieve congestion in the beginning, followed by taking medications to treat the cold. Nasal drops that eliminate congestion can be used if necessary, but a maximum of 4 times a day to avoid damage to the nasal hairs, and he stressed. It is necessary to take these medications under the supervision of a specialist doctor to avoid any possible complications in the future.