inhaling from mouth while sleeping

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Updated on Apr 15, 2013
Hi All, I am a father of 4 years old daughter. My daughter is inhaling from her mouth while she is sleeping. We tried to close her mouth, but then she is not comfortable to inhale from her nose. So she cries when i close her mouth while she is sleeping. And also during the day, she is not closing her mouth during her activities like watching TV, observing something etc. We keep on tell her to close mouth and will close her mouth. We heard that this will lead her teeth problems. Can some one here please guide us how we can make sure that she will come out of this habit?

| Apr 15, 2013
Hi Manohar. You could wait and see if this habit of your daughter changes over the next few months. But if she has been breathing from her mouth since sometime, then I suggest you consult an ENT. A doctor will be best to diagnose the condition and check why she has been breathing through her mouth. Inhaling through the nose filters the air we breath, which is not done when inhaling through the mouth. Hence, I suggest you speak to her doctor for advice. Hope this helps.

| Apr 15, 2013
Hi Manohar, to second what Dyuti mentioned, I suggest you consult an ENT specialist at the earliest. Obstruction in the nasal passage, or infection in tonsils or adenoids may be the reason for your child's breathing through mouth. You have heard correctly that breathing through mouth can cause problems in teeth positioning. If unchecked, it can cause other problems as well. A visit to the doc will help you understand if this is just a habit she has picked up or there is a condition that needs treatment..

| Apr 16, 2013
Hi Manohar !! Breathing through the mouth can be due to excessive use of pacifier during infancy, recurring allergies, constriction of upper airways, mispositioned lower jaw often caused by thumb-sucking and insufficient suckling during infancy. Other causes may include the occurrence of nasal polyps, deviation of nasal septum and tonsil hypertrophy. Many health practitioners say that breathing through the mouth is also brought on by chest congestion, asthma, obesity, sleep apnea, over eating, constipation, over-clothing.






