Learning Helpful Ways To Breathe

Learning helpful ways to breathe means learning to use your lungs smarter rather than harder. Shortness of breath is often a major symptom for those with COPD, especially when exerting energy, when under stress, or, occasionally, for no apparent reason. There are techniques in this handbook to control your breathing and clear your lungs of excess mucus which, with your doctor's okay, may help keep your airways open so you can breathe easier. Controlling Your Breathing Pursed-Lip Breathing One of the simplest ways to control your breathing is pursed-lip breathing — a technique which helps keep the airways and air sacs open and slows down your breathing. By using this technique, any used air trapped within the lungs can get out, allowing fresh air to replace it. To do pursed-lip breathing: 1. Slowly breathe in through your nose, keeping your mouth closed. It's not necessary to take a deep breath; a normal one will do. 2. Pucker your lips in a whistling position and breathe out slowly, gently tightening your stomach muscles to help push the air out through your lips. Be sure to use enough pressure to make a sound, but do not force exhalation. Stay relaxed and exhale at least twice as long as you inhale. For example, when doing pursed-lip breathing, inhale through your nose for two counts . . . one-two. Then, purse your lips and exhale for four counts . . . one-two-three-four. That's all there is to it! After practicing this technique regularly, you'll see that it will become a natural way of breathing when you are doing any physical activity or when you are short of breath. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another breathing technique which works hand-in-hand with pursed-lip breathing is diaphragmatic breathing, more commonly known as belly breathing. Diaphragmatic Breathing Individuals with chronic respiratory disease often have a weakened and flattened diaphragm (the major muscle of breathing). It's weakened because other less efficient muscles in the neck and chest are used to breathe. It's flattened because the air trapped in the lungs pushes down on the diaphragm and, in time, flattens it. Diaphragmatic breathing (or belly breathing) involves training and strengthening your diaphragm to ease the work required for each breath. To do diaphragmatic breathing: 1. Start by placing one hand on your belly just below the ribs and the other hand on the upper part of your chest. 2. Breathe in through your nose so that your belly moves out against your hand as far as it will go. Keep the other hand on your chest which should be as still as possible. 3. As you breathe out slowly and fully through pursed lips, press your belly gently upward and inward with your hand. There are two important things to remember when doing belly breathing. Concentrate on exhaling at least twice as long as you inhale, just as you did with pursed-lip breathing. Also, keep your chest still so that it is your diaphragm and not your neck and chest muscles that do the work of breathing.