Breathing is a basic life function. We can survive a few weeks without food, a few days without drinking, a few… minutes without breathing.

So important and so unnoticed by us, because we breathe all the time, so what is this breathing all about?

The calm, almost inaudible breathing of the first baby in the family raises the concern of young parents: "Are you sure he's breathing well?"

Unfortunately, as adults, we forget how to breathe properly quite quickly.

We are much more accustomed to snoring, breathing loudly at night, gasping and gasping as normal.

The nose plays a fundamental role. Although we can breathe through the mouth, it is the nose that allows us to bring good quality air to the lungs and ensure proper gas exchange.

Moisturizing, filtering and heating in the nasal cavity gives us comfort in the face of the external environment during all four seasons. Of course, the autumn and winter period is the greatest challenge for the respiratory tract - cold and icy air, very dry and hot in air-conditioned or heated rooms can be disastrous for every organism. Also spring and summer - overheating and flowering with a lot of pollen - can lead to a strong exposure of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system.

Inhalation of dry, cold or too hot and sometimes dusty air through the mouth causes natural bronchoconstriction, dryness in the throat, the appearance of secretions in the nose and bronchi, often coughing. These are natural reflexes that allow us to survive and maintain proper gas exchange.

When we feel any anxiety or we are in an uncomfortable position, we also start to breathe rapidly. Again, this is a natural reaction to stress - in order to survive, however, this discomfort leads to further reactions: drying of the nasal mucosa, feeling of lack of air and breathing through the mouth.

Inhalation through the mouth is unrestricted, which significantly increases the amount of air inhaled. Thanks to the above processes, the volume of inhaled air can double and sometimes triple (!) and the above processes are significantly intensified.

From here it is quite close to infection, crossing damaged immune barriers, i.e. nesting of pathogenic bacteria, viruses or fungi.

Excessive breathing, like excessive eating, brings many problems.

Fatigue, snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, allergic rhinitis are just some of them. Excessive breathing can also lead to changes in metabolic processes and significantly contribute to, for example, obesity and hormonal disorders.

Constant mouth breathing most likely leads to craniofacial development disorders, e.g. shortening of the mandible and other malocclusion.

By focusing on the correct breathing path, we can break the vicious circle of recurrent respiratory infections such as ear infections or tonsillitis. Effectively improve control over chronic diseases such as asthma and by preventing excessive stimulation of the nervous system, reduce stress and avoid the diagnosis of concentration disorders.

Given the respiratory rate (12/min in adults but 40/min in neonates), these processes are of particular importance in children. Doubling the number of breaths and deepening the breathing can dramatically increase airflow from 4-9 liters per minute to 10-15.

The mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory systems develop from the same germ layer, which is why they cooperate very significantly in life activities. This connection was already noticed by the ancients. Hence, proper nutrition and hydration of the body are so important (see Nutritional Therapy ), which will ensure good quality of mucous membranes.

Solutions as simple as laying on your side correctly and holding your chin up to keep your mouth closed while sleeping usually bring great results. Sometimes a nasal toilet is necessary (nasal lavage) before going to sleep.

A correction of the thermostat setting of 16-19 degrees C or turning off the heating in the child's room at night will probably be necessary.

Of course, encouraging the child to breathe through the nose while awake and playing games that teach proper breathing should be a regular part of health education, such as washing hands before eating.

With the accumulation of unfavorable factors such as stress, dry and overheated air, pollination in winter in large cities, it is difficult to maintain a balance.

However, with a little effort on the part of parents and educators, it is possible. Children intuitively find solutions. Let's learn from babies, most of whom do very well after birth!

Author: Marek Lorenc, specialist in family medicine, MICGP (College of Family Physicians in Poland and the Republic of Ireland)

An article written for the przedszkoland.pl portal