Far better than expected.
Anyone who had doubts that breathing is important has had them resolved in the past year. Inhaling through the nose is the better way to bring fresh air into the body. Snoring, dry mouth, hoarse voice, bad breath, and fatigue are common symptoms associated with breathing primarily through the mouth. Mouth-breathing is the default when there’s an injury, or a physical defect. We do what we can to clear obstructions and breathe normally, in-through-the-nose-and out-through-the-mouth. Sometimes, surgery is needed, but a common approach has been decongestant drugs.
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) treatment is helpful and vast numbers of those who suffer from breathing problems receive benefits from wearing the devices when sleeping. Wouldn’t it be better if there was a simpler, mechanical therapy that didn’t require complex machinery, or drugs?
Enter Breathe Right strips. Until trying this simple product, I was convinced that CPAP was the best non-drug solution for congestion and the problems it causes, especially sleep disruption. According to the manufacturers’ advertising, Breathe Right strips:
• Are drug-free, and work instantly to open your nose;
• Gently stick to the area right above the flare of each nostril;
• Widening nostrils helps you take air in more easily and providing relief;
• Shown to instantly relieve nasal congestion;
• Help reduce snoring;
• Can be used not more than 12 hours daily;
• Are pharmacist-recommended.
The first attractive part of this advertising is drug-free which is the superior approach to every chronic health problem. Too many people use too many drugs and, when it comes to breathing and sleep problems, most of us become resistant to whatever drug we use. Yes, there could be benefits at first, but the hope for regular better breathing and sleep soon fades because our body becomes accustomed to the drug. In itself, failing to work as expected is a disappointment. To further argue against a drug-based solution is the unpleasant fact that drugs can be addictive, which means a person is driven to continue using despite the fact they don’t work as expected.
Decongestants open nasal passages, improve breathing, and improve sleep, for a time. Then, the congestion seems to worsen the longer the decongestant is used. It’s a devastating reality of drugs that they often bring on a rebound effect, the drug actually causes what it had been fixing. The effect dissipates when the drug is discontinued, but it takes time. While waiting for the rebound congestion to diminish, the person has a miserable experience. All decongests cause rebound congestion when used regularly. This applies to the oral products (tablets, capsules, liquids) and more prominently with the non-prescription nasal sprays.
The strips are simply attached to the outside of the nose where they gently lift and separate the nostrils. That tiny change results in major improvements in the ease of breathing and the amount of air that can be inhaled through the nostrils instead of through the mouth.
Put simply, they work as advertised. Except for the occasional irritation on top of the nose, these simple strips open the nostrils just enough to allow vastly improved breathing. No more mouth-breathing. Better breathing means more oxygen, which leads to better sleep.
I know of those who have had major improvements in their lives when they used CPAP , because they began to sleep better. Not everyone wants to be tethered to a machine at night if something else, not a drug, can help. Personal experience demonstrates that the Breathe Right strips do an exceptional job. Breathing improves and so does sleep. I’m a pharmacist who uses Breathe Right, and recommends them. This item is not available at our pharmacy.
Here’s little reason to not give them a trial. The manufacturer will send free samples and a $2 coupon for future use.
Visit breathe right online, www.breatheright.com/samples-sign-up.
Larry Frieders is a pharmacist in Aurora who had a book published, The Undruggist: Book One, A Tale of Modern Apothecary and Wellness. He can be reached at thecompounder.com/ask-larry or www.facebook.com/thecompounder.