Will Fixing My Sinuses Give Me a 6-Pack?
- Posted on: Mar 22 2018
It seems like there’s a new crazy health claim every week. But there is actual science behind the idea that breathing affects a person’s athletic ability. Many elite athletes have seen Dr. Slaughter for exactly this reason. The nose has a job. It is intended to filter, humidify, and warm the air we breathe. You can think of the nose as the conditioner of the air for optimal exchange of oxygen in the lungs. If the nose is blocked and the sinuses are infected, there will be three main causes for poor exercise tolerance:
Blocked airflow to the lungs
If a person has chronic sinus infection there is an increase in reactive airway disease with constriction of the airflow through the bronchial tubes leading to the lungs. This may even cause exercise-induced asthma and cough during exercise. This will reduce the amount of airflow delivered to the lung tissue and therefore to the bloodstream.
Blocked transfer of oxygen into the bloodstream
If a person has a nasal blockage from a deviated septum, allergic swelling of the turbinates, or nasal polyps they are forced to mouth breathing during exercise. This mouth breathing delivers unconditioned air to the lungs. The air is cold, dry, and filled with allergens and pollution. The oxygen cannot transfer as well in this state from the lung tissue to the bloodstream.
Blocked binding of the oxygen to hemoglobin
The person hampered by reduced airflow and reduced oxygen exchange will feel short of breath and will have an increased respiratory rate. This rapid respiratory rate actually causes a change in the blood ph, making it more alkaline. The hemoglobin molecule in the red blood cell doesn’t bind as well to the oxygen molecule in this alkaline environment. The red blood cell will have a reduction in its oxygen-carrying capacity and will deliver less oxygen to the body.
So now you are out for that run trying to get the PR you have been shooting for and your mouth breathing is reducing the airflow to the lungs, reducing the transfer of oxygen to the bloodstream, and reducing the ability of the red blood cells to deliver the oxygen to the body.
You feel like you hit a wall instead of breaking through it. A healthy and more fit body is easier when you can breathe clearly. Regardless of the cause of your nasal/sinus issue, Dr. Slaughter can fix it with a simple office procedure. A full evaluation will be done during your first visit to our office, and the cause will be determined. The treatment plan of balloon sinuplasty, septoplasty, polypectomy, and/or turbinate reduction will be determined. The procedure is typically followed by our allergy drop therapy, to keep that nose healthy and happy.
Schedule A Consultation
If your nasal /sinus issues are keeping you from getting that six-pack you have been working on, now is the time to get it fixed. Call (512) 601-0303 to schedule a consultation with Sinus & Snoring Specialists in Austin, TX.
Posted in: Balloon Sinuplasty, Sinus and Nasal
