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February is Cardiovascular Health Month, and doctors want to raise awareness of how breathing can contribute to heart health.
“If you're breathing poorly at night, you're developing sleep apnea,” Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said. “There’s increased stress over time. One thing we know for a fact is that people with obstructive sleep apnea have higher blood pressure.”
Diabetes also impacts our breathing, Trimble said. But what can affect almost everyone, especially diabetics, from time to time is sinus infections.
“Patients who have chronic sinusitis (and) do not to breathe through their nose, they have more fatigue, more exercise intolerance," Trimble said. "The result of that is, they tend to gain more weight, which, for diabetics... causes blood sugars to become higher and out of control.”
Beyond that, breathing affects one’s mood, which is why therapists often suggest breathing exercises to manage anxiety.
It’s uncomfortable when there’s inflammation in your nose. That can happen because of illness, causing a runny nosy, congestion and making sleeping difficult.
“One thing we know for a fact is that people with obstructive sleep apnea have higher blood pressure,” Trimble said.
Alternate nostril breathing is a type of breath control practiced in yoga, according to Healthline. In Sanskrit, it’s known as “nadi shodhana pranayama,” or “subtle energy clearing breathing technique.” This type of breath work can be done as part of a yoga or meditation practice. Alternate nostril breathing can also be done on its own to help your calm and quiet your mind.
According to Healthline, a 2013 study found that alternate nostril breathing was the only type of breath work that was found to have a positive effect on cardiovascular function. It was shown to significantly lower factors such as heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
A small 2017 study observed the effects of pranayama practice on the lung functions of competitive swimmers and found that it had a positive effect on respiratory endurance, reported Healthline.
Lowering your heart rate could be helpful to promote cardiovascular health. According to a 2006 study, engaging in a slow yogic breathing, such as alternate nostril breathing, may significantly decrease heart rate and average breathing rhythm.
If you have been experiencing breathing troubles and sinus infections and want to evaluate your symptoms, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz from Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.