“The nose is the part of our lungs that can be touched with a finger”: Dr. Luca Malvezzi, specialist in Otorhinolaryngology and Facial Cervical Surgery in Humanitas, underlines this in an interview with Cuore and Denari on Radio24.
“Breathing through the mouth is not the same as breathing through the nose. The nose in fact thermo-humidifies the air, heats and purifies it, and acts as a filter. If the nose and sinuses are not working properly, the lungs often also work poorly,” Dr. Malvezzi points out.
Symptoms that should not be underestimated
“This is why we need to treat the health of the nose, paying attention to conditions such as breathing problems, the presence of numerous sneezes or abundant production of secretions, perception of persistent or almost persistent cold. All these situations require specialist training and should be studied not only in terms of good nasal respiration but also in terms of good lung respiratory function,” the specialist explains.
Are adenoids to blame for children breathing through open mouths?
“Children produce a lot of mucus, which is normal, because the shape of the airways is different from that of an adult.
In early childhood, adenoids and tonsils are lymphatic tissue and are used to complete the immune system: when a child meets an external pathogenic agent, not yet familiar to the body, adenoids and tonsils work harder and become larger. This is a protective factor for the body, but this hypertrophy can lead the child to breathe badly, with the mouth open at night, as if he were wheezing. If these symptoms occur, it is best to consult a specialist to make a correct assessment,” recommends Dr. Malvezzi.
