Impacto da respiração oral ocorrida durante a infância na fase adulta: aspectos físicos e qualidade de vida

Abstract

The child with mouth breathing may suffer several changes in different body systems. The act of breathing through the mouth can affect the growth and development of structures and functions of the stomatognathic and the respiratory systems, body posture and quality of life. For this reason, children who grow up with this stimulus may have, as adults, effects on physical and psychological levels with loss in the quality of life. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the impact of mouth breathing in adulthood on the physical aspects and the quality of life. For this, they were selected 24 adults, aged from 18 to 30 years old, with history of mouth breathing during childhood to comprise the study group (SG). The control group (CG) was constituted by 20 adults with the same age of the SG, without significant respiratory impairment from childhood to current age. All volunteers underwent a physical therapy evaluation consisting of postural assessment by photogrametry, evaluation of ventilatory parameters such as measurement of maximal respiratory pressures, peak expiratory flow, thoraco-abdominal circumference and the 6-minute walk test. In addition, all of them answered to the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire. Additionally, just those volunteers in the study group underwent to the otorhinolaringologic and speech examination. According to the results obtained, the SG presented more forward head posture confirmed by measuring of two angles (p=0,0000; p=0,0414) and the cervical distance (p=0,0079). Moreover, these participants showed a greater angular measurement of lumbar lordosis compared to the CG (p=0,0141). Among the variables with statistically significant differences, the measures of the percentage of maximal respiratory pressures (p=0,0007; p=0,0000) for SG and the distance covered in the walking test (p=0,0032) were lower than the GC. Among the variables analyzed in the speech therapy evaluation in the SG, it is highlighted the presence of open or half-open lips in 55% of the subjects, deep palate in 60%, asymmetric cheeks in 75% and the lower lip in a discrete or accentuated eversion form in 95% of the subjects. Also, the score obtained in the General Health Questionnaire domain assessed the quality of life was lower in this group (p=0,0019). From this results, it can be concluded that adults with a history of mouth breathing in childhood have or maintain changes in the head posture and lumbar spine, in the respiratory muscle strength, aerobic performance and quality of life.