How did we get here?
Diagnosing the Problem
Getting to the root cause of a problem is the heart of functional medicine. Once we understand how something happened we can take the appropriate steps to correct an issue or, better yet, prevent it from happening in the first place. This is the health centered approach— focusing on prevention of disease instead of symptom management.
Many people have developed compromised airways and started breathing through their mouths instead of their noses because of modern lifestyles and processed foods. This change may seem small, but it has affected how our jaws and faces develop. It's a big problem because it can make it hard to breathe and sleep well, which can lead to many other issues.
Functional Approach
Get to the Root Cause
Focus on Prevention
The Effects of Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing can cause several problems. It dries out the mouth, which can lead to more cavities and gum disease. It also increases inflammation in the body since we don't get the benefits of nitric oxide that our nose produces. In addition, breathing through the mouth can lead to headaches and jaw pain.
When we breathe through our mouths, our tongues often rest lower in the mouth instead of against the roof of the mouth. This can cause developmental issues, like crooked teeth and a smaller airway. When the tongue is not positioned at the roof of the mouth as it should be, there is no pressure on the maxilla, preventing it from growing properly. This can result in crooked and crowded teeth, the development of a deviated septum, and can impact the size of the airway. Mouth breathing is the first stage in the spectrum of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing. Over time, as symptoms worsen, someone who begins as a mouth breather may develop snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.
Treating the Root Cause
The traditional medical approach is to treat the symptoms of the problem. If you have enlarged tonsils from mouth breathing, let’s take them out. If you have ADHD or anxiety from not getting the appropriate amount or quality of sleep, let’s put you on medications. If you have crooked or crowded teeth, let’s take some of them out to make space and give you braces. At Sleep Better Charlotte, we are interested in finding the root cause of your problem and helping you to correct it. If you or a loved one is suffering from any of these symptoms and you’re interested in taking a functional approach to regain control of your sleep, breathing, and happiness, call our office to set up a consultation today!
Functional Airway Evaluation Screening Tool
Treatment for sleep and breathing disorders will depend on where someone falls on the spectrum of obstructive sleep disordered breathing and how old they are. You can complete a screening on yourself at home using the FAirEST screening tool or schedule a consultation and we will review it with you.