Interesting Facts About Breathing That Will Surprise You

We breathe in and out a couple thousand times every day. We all know that breathing keeps us alive. But do we ever stop to think about it? Do you know what you breathe in? Or the purpose it serves our body? We have the ability to control how we breathe and this plays a huge role in the healthy functioning of our body. Let us take a look at some interesting facts about breathing. We Don’t Breathe Just Oxygen If you thought you have been breathing in oxygen all your life, you are wrong! In fact, we breathe in a majority of nitrogen compared to other gases. Nitrogen makes up 78%, oxygen makes up 21% and the remaining 1% consists of a mixture of gases like Carbon Dioxide, water vapor, Argon and others. It also contains a certain percentage of dust particles and particulate matter. Their concentration increases in populated or industrial environments where industrial processes take place more frequently. 9 Out Of 10 People Breathe Polluted Air With the increasing levels of pollution and industrialization, more people are breathing in polluted air every day. People who breathe in polluted air on a daily basis are at higher risk for developing respiratory issues like bronchitis, asthma and other serious diseases like stroke and lung cancer. The Average Person Can Hold Their Breath For Two Minutes Have you ever tried holding your breath and recording the time? It might come as a surprise that most humans can hold their breath this long! Some people can only hold it for about thirty seconds but others like professional swimmers and Navy SEALS can hold it for a few minutes because they have been trained to do so. People who exercise every day also have the ability to hold their breath longer than people who don’t do any physical activity. 1 In 4 People Have Bad Breath Sorry to ruin the moment but people suffer from bad breath more than you realize! Several people are uninformed about what causes bad breath. The majority of the time people who suffer from it have dental issues as well. Other times it is just caused by a lack of oral hygiene like poor brushing and flossing habits coupled with smoking and drinking. Dental probiotics can also help with bad breath. Smile Brilliant dental probiotics are designed to help you tackle a variety of oral issues. If you struggle with persistent bad breath in spite of maintaining good oral hygiene, it is time to visit the dentist! Mouth Breathing Can Change Your Facial Shape People who breathe more with their mouths tend to have a narrower faces compared to people who breathe through their noses. This is because mouth breathing pulls on the muscles of your jaw and neck. Children are more vulnerable to facial changes since their faces are still changing and growing. You should use your mouth to breathe only when your nasal breathing abilities are affected. Proper Breathing Techniques Help In Stress Relief There are several breathing techniques that can help you in times of stress, anxiety and other bad mental health days. This is because it helps control your nervous system and helps you detach from distracting thoughts and feelings. Diaphragmatic breathing and deep breathing are some common techniques that you can try. They help you moderate your heart rate and blood pressure as well. Conclusion Consider doing some research about good breathing techniques to help you breathe the right way. You can also apply these techniques when you are stressed, anxious or feeling overwhelmed about anything.