East Louisville News

Breathing is an autonomic body function that everyone does without thinking about.

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

Data from the Frontiers of Neuroscience journal shows that slow breathing techniques can have a major effect on stress, anxiety and depression.

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 idea is based on the centuries-old breathing technique, pranayama, where you take a series of deep breaths with your tongue pressed to your teeth.

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

“Most patients who have an acute episode of sinusitis -- and I define that as going on more than a couple of days," Mongiardo told East Louisville News. "If you have yellow drainage for a day or two, and you're not really symptomatic, that really shouldn't be treated with antibiotics. If it's going on for a few days and you can feel it and you maybe have a low-grade fever and you're having pain, that's the time to take an antibiotic."

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