Take a moment to notice your breathing. Are you breathing through your nose or through your mouth? Unless you just finished exercising or running up the stairs, you should be breathing through your nose.

Many people do breathe through their mouth most of the time, however. Typically, this is when the nasal passages are blocked, as from allergies, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or respiratory infections. Unfortunately, mouth breathing disrupts our natural body mechanics. Chronic mouth breathers tend to bring their head forward in front of their shoulders and tilted back to maintain an open airway. Over time, this can affect both the posture and the bite. What started out to be a problem with the nose can turn into a dental problem.

Correcting the problem means that the cause of the nasal blockage must first be identified and treated. If the jaw or bite has been affected, this too must be dentally corrected in order to maintain a proper airway.

For a free pamphlet with more information on this subject, contact Dr. Claire Stagg-Ruda at 321-777-2797. She is located at 2120 Highway A1A in Indian Harbour Beach, FL.