What To Do When Children Breathe Through Their Mouths

Breathing through the mouth is a habit in children. In almost all cases this has to do with an obstructed airway, which must be treated. So the question is, what should parents do if their children are breathing through their mouths?

Breathing is a vital process. Wrong breathing has a negative impact and causes changes such as sleep apnea, coughing and crooked teeth. These are just some of the issues that can occur.

Today we would like to share information on this topic so that you can learn to identify the causes of this bad habit. You will also discover some of the treatments recommended by pediatric pulmonologists.

When children only breathe through their mouth

The respiratory system performs several functions that help maintain balance in our body. Its efficient operation has a direct impact on keeping us alive and healthy.

With regard to children who breathe through their mouths, this is a particular problem. Of course, breathing through the mouth is sometimes necessary. This does not further negatively affect their body if it is alternated with breaths through the nose.

However, it is clear that breathing in and out through the mouth alone can indicate specific conditions and lead to other conditions.

The process of the respiratory system associated with moving air in the lungs is called ventilation. This happens in cycles where people inhale to take in air and exhale to let it out.

So this is all based on an automatic action performed by the neurons, which send commands to the nerves to activate this mechanism.

All humans are born to carry out the process of ventilation through our noses to support this process.

Based on the above, if a child is unable to carry out this process that the body carries out unconsciously, then an irregularity is present. We can then infer that there is an obstruction in one of several parts of the respirator.

Why do children breathe through their mouths?

The reasons why children breathe through their mouths can vary. It can be the result of a passing event, such as a stuffy nose or a cold. It can also be caused by obstruction problems such as enlarged tonsils.

These are just some of the reasons why children breathe through their mouths. Below are some of the most common causes of this problem. Among other things:

• Deviated partition or obstacles in the area.
• Problems related to muscle hypotonia or low muscle tone in the face.
• Problems with a child’s jaw that causes the child to keep his or her mouth open.
• Enlarged polyps.
• Enlarged tonsils.
• Temporary causes: colds or allergies.

Effects

Now that we have discussed the causes that can hinder breathing through the nose, let’s look next at the consequences. The most obvious consequences include:

• Periods of coughing and snoring during the night.
• sleep apnea.
• Deformities of the jaw and a broad palate.
• Atypical swallowing.
• Hearing problems.
• sinus infection.
• Ear infection.
• The presence of bags under your child’s eyes.

• Weakness.
• Dry lips.

Medical Solutions

As you can see from the information above, this problem can be due to various causes. Fortunately, some of these are temporary. As soon as you notice that your little one is breathing through his or her mouth, you should consult your pediatrician.

A medical specialist can determine the cause and then refer you to the right specialist. This can be a pulmonologist, an ENT specialist or an orthodontist.

Another possibility is that your pediatrician recommends that you seek treatment with a speech therapist. This professional specializes in issues related to speech and hearing.

Treatment will involve one of two types of therapy. The first is called breath therapy, which includes both passive and active exercises. The second type is myofunctional orofacial therapy.

During breathing therapy, your child will perform exercises that allow him or her to reprogram the brain to prevent incorrect breathing. This therapy is based on physical exercises and mental conditioning.

The second method, on the other hand, consists of correcting problems related to low muscle tone or swallowing problems related to obstructions.

As a final clarification, we would like to reiterate that breathing through the mouth affects children’s health in several ways.

So much so that many children who only breathe through their mouths have problems at school. In addition, many children are unable to exercise because of this.