How are you breathing right now? If your mouth is open, you are damaging your health. It sounds trivial, but chronic mouth breathing is a disaster for men. It leads to sleep apnea, snoring, dental decay, and unfiltered pathogens entering your lungs.
Nasal breathing is crucial because the nose produces Nitric Oxide, a gas that dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. It acts as a natural sterilization system for the air you breathe. When you breathe through your mouth, you bypass this system. You essentially keep your body in a state of low-grade “fight or flight” stress.
The fix starts at night. If you snore, you are suffocating yourself. You are destroying your sleep quality and putting immense strain on your heart. Get a sleep study. If you don’t have apnea but still mouth breathe, try mouth taping at night (using safe, medical tape). It sounds crazy, but forcing nasal breathing during sleep can revolutionize your energy levels and recovery.