Dr. McKeown and The Snoring Dormouse

Ooh!

Check out this video I just found of Dr. McPatrick McKeown, author of Buteyko Meets Dr. Mew, Always Breathe Correctly, and Sleep with Buteyko.

And here is yet another webpage talking about the benefits of nasal breathing. 

By now, my readers know well the reasons why they should breathe through their noses. So would someone please pass the word onto this little guy? Dormouse sleep apnea if I ever saw it!!

Happy Trails!

Allergies...

Aaargh!

I'm having a lot of trouble with my allergies today making it very difficult to breathe through my nose!! So, in desperation I have taped my lips shut. By doing so, I'm preventing myself from even accidentally breathing through my mouth. Also, I'm helping my sinuses to calm down by moving mucous through my nose instead of letting it dry up and irritate my sinuses. Already I feel better.

I'm still getting use to breathing through my nose. Nasal breathing requires more physical effort than mouth breathing and that feeling of effort used to make me think that I wasn't getting enough air. But that's not the case! Slowing my breathing down actually allows my body to take in more oxygen than if I breathed through my mouth.

I notice that I also feel more relaxed when I nasal breathe. Ahhhhhh....

Just in the time it took me to write this my nose has calmed down and I haven't sneezed in a while. I'm still a little stuffy but I can breathe fine. I'm hoping if I can keep this up that some day I won't have nasal allergy symptoms. We shall see!

Ssssnnnnffff!

Happy Trails!

Mouth Breathing and Facial Development

Hi there!

Quick post.

I found this webpage on Mouth Breathing and Facial Development by ButeykoKids. It covers how facial development is affected in children who are mouth breathers. It even mentions keeping the tongue in the proper position against the roof of the mouth with the tip on the alveolar ridge - the spot. Of course, people with ankyloglossia can't do this and are therefore at risk of becoming mouth breathers.

Thumbsucking is for suckers...

Hi there!

I was recently talking with my orofacial myologist about my exercises and keeping my tongue on the spot. I said to her that I had trouble keeping the middle of my tongue up against the roof of my mouth. She pointed out that I would never be able to keep my tongue completely against the roof of my mouth because my palate was too high... from years of thumbsucking.

Social Validation!!

Hi there!

Yesterday I went to a baby shower for a good friend of mine. While there, I chatted with some friends who I hadn't seen in a long time.  I told them about having a lingual frenectomy and why I had it. I described how my tongue tie affected my appearance - a pouty, downturned mouth; the beginnings of jowls - and one friend, Jennifer, exclaimed:

My Therapy, My Pillow

Hi there!

A relatively brief post today.

For one, I wanted to share that I am continuing to do well with my ongoing orofacial therapy. At last week's visit with my myofunctional therapist, my tongue was able to reach 27-28mm with my mouth open and tongue tip on the spot. That's an additional 5-8mm!

A Nose By Any Other Name....

Hi there! 

I'd like you to do an exercise for me.  

Take a good, long, deep breath... through your nose.  

Was that difficult?  If not, good.  If it was, well, this post's for you.