South Jersey Sun

Breathing is an autonomic body function everyone does without even thinking.

There’s evidence that supports the idea that better breathing leads to better health. But when you are suffering from a cold, chronic sinusitis or nasal inflammation, breathing might be all you can think about.

In scientific studies, the results show that the act of breathing with intent interacts with our bodies' natural functions in a major way. The analysis of data shows that slow breathing techniques have a large impact on stress, anxiety and depression, according to the medical journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Another interesting finding has been in the area of sleep, according to WebMD. Certain breathing exercises may help you fall asleep and sleep more deeply. Known as the 4-7-8 technique, this is based on the centuries-old breathing technique, pranayama, in which you take a series of deep breaths with your tongue pressed to your teeth.

According to Healthline, taking a more proactive and intuitive approach to the way you breathe can be beneficial to your health and help increase endurance. But what should you do when sinus inflammation gets in the way of normal breathing? You don't just have to live with it. It's time to see an ear, nose and throat specialist when nasal inflammation, sinus infections or allergies impact your daily life and your ability to breathe.

"Studies show that the earlier you intervene in chronic sinusitis, the better the patient's quality of life is over time," Dr. Nicola DeLorio of Accent Sinus Center & Head & Neck Group told the South Jersey Sun. "Once people develop severe chronic sinusitis, even though there are certain parts we can reverse, we know that it is difficult to get people back to 'normal.' They will continue to struggle, and their quality of life will be diminished, based on the inability to really get people back to 100%."

We encourage our readers to learn more about their sinuses by taking this online Sinus Self-Asessment Quiz.