SE Valley Times

Breathe Free will be sponsoring Jose “Fosforito” Ramirez in a Las Vegas fight on Saturday, April 9, at the Virgin Hotel.

Ramirez, an 18 year old professional athlete and boxer from Tucson,  Arizona, is being sponsored by Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.  The boxer will take on an amateur fighter, Xavier Bocanegra, who is  making his pro debut.

More than just treating ear infections and sore throats, Breathe Free is a network of sinus and allergy centers with offices in Arizona and locations across the U.S. that focus on patient care and helping patients breathe better. There is evidence to support the idea that nasal breathing can improve athletic performance, so the partnership between Fosforito and Breathe Free makes sense.

"We are committed to helping all Breathe Free and Live Well," CEO of Breathe Free Matt Ghanem told SE Valley Times. "The data continues to inform us that the nose is the gateway to your health and that nasal breathing can improve athletic performance. The opportunity to sponsor Fosforito is the perfect intersection of nasal breathing, athletic performance and our commitment to the community."

Performing proper breathing techniques may improve oxygen levels, reduce stress and improve cardiorespiratory functions. The most promising findings stem from a controlled trial that includes "alternate nostril breathing," where you close one nostril, breathe and then alternate, according to a study published in the medical journal Annals of African Medicine.

Breathe Free and its affiliates offer state-of-the-art medicines, allergy testing and treatment, such as balloon sinuplasty. Balloon sinuplasty is a cutting-edge procedure that involves zero cutting. Instead, a doctor inserts a tiny balloon through the nose, which is then expanded, opening the nasal pathways and allowing the patient to breathe better.

“One of the biggest advances in our field has been the advent of something called balloon sinuplasty," Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center told SE Valley Times. "And essentially what that is, it's a tool that we can use to help to permanently open up the sinuses and that allows the sinuses to drain. This finally allows us to permanently enlarge the drainage pathways to allow patients to function better in the future. The best part about it is that we're able to do these procedures in the office under local anesthesia. There's minimal downtime, so patients are really able to get a large amount of relief relatively quickly."

Take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz to see if you could benefit from a balloon sinuplasty.