Stuffed Noses: Why is it important to breathe through our noses?

All of us are familiar with a stuffed nose. Why is it important to breathe through our nose? We have sinuses that are spaces above, behind and alongside the nose that drain into the nose. When we are healthy and we breathe through our nose the air comes up the nose into the nasopharynx and down behind the tongue into the lungs. The passage of this air draws the air from the sinuses with it, thus creating circulation within the sinus cavities. As long as the openings between the sinus and the nose remain open there is a circulation of the air that takes place. A little known fact is that the sinuses generate and are the main storage for Nitric Oxide which is a gaseous molecule that has been shown to have vasodilator properties. In other words it is capable of relaxing the walls of the very small blood vessels, capillaries that are the site for oxygen and carbon dioxide transfer. When we breathe deeply through our nose we send the nitric oxide deep into our lungs and open the capillaries to allow for healthy oxygenation which is necessary to maintain the health of all the organs and systems of the body. If our nose is stuffed and we breathe through our mouth we are depriving our body of much needed oxygen saturation in our blood. 

Anthropologists today will confirm that we are developing smaller jaws along with our diet of refined and processed food, smaller nasal cavity and less room for our tongue. The smaller jaws and smaller nasal cavity mean smaller openings to allow for air to circulate. It is much easier for these openings to become inflamed and to be blocked. Polluted air and irritants of all kinds are present in our environment. Pathogens enter the nose and are trapped in the mucous and cilia. When we are functioning in a healthy manner the very same nitric oxide produced in the parasinuses will participate in the destruction of the pathogens. When there is no nitric oxide present the body will respond through our immune system response. The area infected will become inflamed and invaded with white blood cells that destroy the pathogens. When these infections get out of control we have what is commonly referred to as sinusitis or stuffed noses.

We are proposing that adults in the 21^st century would benefit from an orthopedic orthodontic dental appliance that is worn only at night. The appliance stimulates growth of the jaws and improved facial symmetry. This facial development allows for better sinus drainage and the proper circulation and use of nitric oxide to maintain the health of our bodies. This system does not rely on drugs for treatment. It is purely physiologic and relies on the expression of genes for facial development that have not yet been expressed. This is the science of the 21^st century. This is the body healing the body.

Many of us wake up in the morning and do not feel refreshed after eight or even 10 hours of sleep. You may be young and healthy and still require a cup of strong coffee to get you going. If your overnight sleep were to be tested we would find that the physicians report would say you do not have sleep apnea and are therefore perfectly healthy. In fact when your airway is compromised even a small amount the hypothalamus in the brain perceives a threat and send a signal to the pituitary master gland, which in turn sends a signal to the adrenal gland and cortisol, the stress hormone, is released into the blood. Our heart rate picks up and our sleep is interrupted. We awaken from deep sleep to light sleep. If this is happening all night long it is clear why we do not feel rested. 

The Homeoblock appliance is worn at night and makes more room for the tongue. It provides intermittent light force signaling to the periodontal membrane around the teeth and provides compression and torque to the cranial sutures. This change to the oral environment is the trigger to starting a cascade of events within individual bone cells that result in a size and shape change of our jaws. Larger jaws, better sinus drainage and more room for our tongue can result in a better night sleep.