Breathing through your nose can help improve blood flow in your lungs and increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. This is especially true for people without lung disease.
The Science
A study by Lundberg et al., in 1996 explored how breathing through the nose affects lung function. They discovered that nitric oxide (NO), a gas produced in the nasal passages, plays a key role in improving our lung’s health. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator gas produced in the paranasal sinuses and is continuously excreted into the nasal airways. Put simply, NO helps to widen blood vessels, which can improve blood flow and oxygen levels.
Key Findings from the Study
- Increased oxygen levels: In healthy people, oxygen levels in the blood were 10% higher when they breathed through their nose compared to their mouth. This was measured using transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcPO2), which is a way to check how much oxygen is getting into the skin from the blood.
- Improved oxygenation in intubated patients: For long-term intubated patients, arterial oxygenation (PaO2) increased by 18% when nasal air samples were added to the inhaled air. Arterial oxygenation (PaO2) shows how much oxygen is in the blood, meaning that by breathing nasally (which contains NO), it increases their blood oxygen levels by 18%.
- Reduced pulmonary vascular resistance: Pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) measures how hard it is for blood to flow through the lungs. Lower resistance means the heart can pump blood more easily. According to the study, in some ventilated patients, nasal breathing reduced this resistance by 11%, making it easier for their lungs to function.
What Does This Mean?
Breathing through your nose can significantly increase the oxygen levels in your blood. This is because nasal passages filter, warm, and humidify the air, making it more suitable for your lungs. From the study, oxygen levels in the blood are 10% higher during nasal breathing compared to mouth breathing.
This means that by simply choosing to breathe through your nose, you can ensure that more oxygen is delivered to your bloodstream. This increase in oxygen can help you feel more energized and alert throughout your day, enhancing your overall well-being.
Nitric oxide (NO), a gas produced in the nasal passages, plays a crucial role in respiratory health. When you breathe through your nose, NO is inhaled into your lungs, where it acts as a powerful vasodilator.
Thus, it helps to widen the blood vessels, allowing for better blood flow and reduced resistance in the pulmonary arteries. Improved blood flow means that oxygen and nutrients can be delivered more efficiently to your tissues, while waste products are removed more effectively. For individuals with respiratory issues, this can alleviate symptoms and improve overall lung function.
Overall, nasal breathing is a simple yet highly effective practice that improves pulmonary function and respiratory health.
To help you develop the habit of nasal breathing and utilize the beneficial effects of nitric oxide, MyoTape has a range of effective mouth tapes for adults and mouth tape for kids. These mouth tapes were strategically designed by renowned breathing expert Dr. Patrick McKeown to stimulate the muscles around your mouth, training you to close your mouth and breathe nasally always and at all times. Visit our online shop to view our range of mouth taping products. Available are mouth tapes for adults, for sensitive skin, for beards, for sports, and for kids.
References:
Lundberg JO,Settergren G,Gelinder S,Lundberg JM,Alving K,Weitzberg E. 1996d. Inhalation of nasally derived nitric oxide modulates pulmonary function in humans. Acta Physiol Scand 158: 343–347. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8971255/
