Why Spring Allergies Can Affect Your Child’s Mouth, Sleep, and Eating

Spring in Texas means perfect outside temperatures, beautiful wildflowers… and a whole lot of wind and pollen. 

Many parents notice their child suddenly:

• Breathes through their mouth instead of their nose

• Sleeps poorly

• Snores

• Eats differently

• Seems more tired or irritazble

What many families don’t realize is that seasonal allergies can directly affect oral development, breathing patterns, and feeding skills. 

The Nose is Designed to Do the Breathing

Our bodies are literally designed to breathe only through our nose, not through our mouth.

When you or your child breathe through the nose:

• It’s filerting allergens and dust with the nasal hairs

• Warming and humidifying the air naturally

• Producing nitric oxide to support oxygen delivery throughout your body

• Supporting proper tongue/lip resting posture

But, when allergies cause nasal congestion, we often switch to mouth breathing and start that circular chain reaction.

What Happens When We Start Mouth Breathing

When the mouth stays open the breathe, the tongue drops low in the mouth instead of resting on the roof of the mouth.

Over time, this can affect:

• Facial growth

• Dental alignment

• Swallowing patterns

• Sleep quality

• Eating skills

This increased development of:

• Dry lips

• Drooling at night

• Restless sleep

• Dark circles under the eyes

• Picky eating or chewing fatigue

How Allergies Can Affect Eating Too

If our nose is blocked, we really struggle to breathe comfortably while chewing, keeping our mouth closed while eating, and coordinating our breathing with our swallowing.

Some people will start taking smaller bites, chewing with their mouth open, avoiding certain foods, and seem to get tired during meals. 

This is a compensation for airway discomfort, not a behavior problem (especially in children). 

Signs You or Your Child’s Airway May Need Support

Consider a professional evaluation with OroGlow if you or your child:

• Snore regularly

• Sleeps with mouth open

• Grinds teeth at night

• Drool during sleep

• Wake up tired and irritable

• Struggles with chewing or swallowing

• Breathe through mouth during the day/night

What Can You Do at Home?

• First, make sure you are changing all your A/C filters every 6 months

• Air purifiers are AMAZING and I recommend putting one in your most lived in rooms of the house (make sure to change filters)

• Utilize a humidifier nightly (make sure you clean it!)

• Use a saline rinse to clear allergens & reduce congestion

• Water, water, and more water to help keep nasal passages moist

• Set random reminders on your phone to ensure lips are closed

If allergies are severe, I recommend working with your PCP, pediatrician and/or allergist to control seasonal symptoms.

How does Myofunctional Therapy Help?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) trains our bodies to:

• Develop healthy nasal breathing habits

• Improve tongue posture

• Strengthen lip seal

• Improve chewing and swallowing patterns

• Support proper facial development

BUT, OMT is often a team approach with dentists, orthodontists, ENTs, and bodyworkers all working together. 

If you have concerns about you or your loved one’s breathing, feeding, or oral development, an evaluation help identify what’s going on and what steps we can take to help. 

At OroGlow, we specialize in supporting children’s oral development through feeding therapy and orofacial myofunctional therapy.