As living beings, we’ve obviously been breathing for our entire lives. But can the way you breathe really affect your health? The answer is a resounding Yes, according to Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, a new book by James Nestor. “I am always thrilled when patients share books and new ideas with me, so I really want to thank Brian C. for bringing this book to my attention,” says Dr. Z. “So much of what’s in Nestor’s book resonates with my patients.”
Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.
According to Nestor, people need to re-learn how to breathe properly—that is, through the nose, not the mouth. This is because the nose performs many functions that the mouth does not. For example, the nose not only filters the air you breathe, it triggers different hormones that can help to lower blood pressure, monitor your heart rate, and relieve stress. “A lot of the problems I see in the office have to do with nasal congestion and mouth breathing,” notes Dr. Z. “Nestor’s book shows us how we can learn to breathe better.”
Getting a satisfactory breath
“Patients often come to see me saying that they can’t breathe, they can’t open their airways, or they just can’t get a satisfactory breath,” notes Dr. Z. As a functional allergist, Dr. Z believes in finding the root cause of the problem, not just treating the symptoms. He brings this principle to both his asthma and allergy practice at AAPRI and his functional medicine practice at the Center for Functional Medicine. “We are an allergy practice but understanding functional medicine makes us a better allergy practice,” he says.
Why “take a deep breath” is good advice
You have probably been told more than once in your life to “take a deep breath.” Taking several rounds of deep breaths makes it easy and efficient for your body to get air. Conversely, shallow breathing through the mouth limits the range of our diaphragms and lung capacity that results in poor posture and a host of respiratory problems. “A natural reason why we need to address the allergies and sinuses (and not just take an Allegra) is that we need to find out what’s causing the nasal congestion—and it’s too much mouth breathing,” he says. “The more we breathe through our nose, it has a healing effect.”
Breathe easier with us
You don’t have to suffer with allergies and asthma. Call 401-751-1235 or email us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Z or one of our other skilled practitioners today.
