7 Breathing Exercises That Help Asthma Patients Breathe Easily
By Faraz khan +2 more
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By Faraz khan +2 more
Asthma is a common medical condition that causes inflammation in the airways of your lungs. If you have asthma, you must know how it can make breathing difficult and trigger a dozen other symptoms, including wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest that are often debilitating.
Although certain medications can help you manage these symptoms, they cannot cure asthma completely. So is there a cure for asthma? Recent studies reveal that certain breathing exercises may boost immunity and strengthen the respiratory muscles – thus helping you gain control over asthma and improving your quality of life. Furthermore, breathing exercises for asthma encourage shallow breathing at a controlled rate, which may actually alleviate symptoms of the condition and minimize the need for preventive medications.
Which breathing exercises are recommended for asthma? If you are someone who has been struggling to cope with asthma attacks, then you should definitely try practising the following breathing exercises for asthma, as recommended by researchers and doctors.
Importance of breathing exercises for asthma patients
Breathing exercises can be beneficial for your lungs. The airways of patients with asthma can become narrow and inflamed making it difficult to breathe, so medications such as inhalers are prescribed to help open up the airways and improve breathing.
However, in addition to medication, various research has suggested that breathing exercises can be a beneficial treatment for people with asthma, helping to improve breathing and quality of life. There are various types of breathing techniques that are particularly helpful for asthmatics. Some of the exercises help with breathing retraining, some help increases the strength of respiratory muscles, whilst others improve the flexibility of the rib cage.
Breathing techniques for asthma patients are often recommended by a doctor or asthma clinic. Make sure you get the breathing exercises demonstrated by an expert before doing them at home on your own.
Did you know?
Table of Contents
The diaphragmatic breathing technique strengthens your diaphragm – a dome-shaped muscular partition separating the abdomen from the thorax that helps in breathing. The simple and basic technique maximizes the distribution of air in your lungs. You can also perform this exercise while sitting straight on a chair.
Nasal breathing simply refers to breathing through the nose. Unlike mouth breathing, which is linked to severe asthma symptoms, this is a great breathing exercise for asthma patients. It adds humidity and warmth to the air, which in turn, can ease the discomforting signs.
Pranayama or yogic breathing performed for more than 12 weeks showed significant improvement in lung capacity and improved the symptoms of asthma as per studies.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
The Papworth method dating back to the 1960s combines many different types of breathing with relaxation techniques. The method trains you on how to breathe steadily and slowly through the nose and from the diaphragm. It also teaches you about stress management, so your breathing is not affected. Studies show that this particular technique helps improve quality of life and ease breathing symptoms in asthma patients. However, it is believed to be effective for people with mild asthma caused by mouth breathing and rapid breathing. It may not be necessarily beneficial to patients living with more severe asthma, typically triggered by allergies and cold.
Breathing techniques are important for asthmatic patients when they exercise since exercising may exacerbate asthma. Doing 10 minutes of warm-ups and cool-down might help your airways adjust before you start exercising, asthma medications 15-20 mins before exercising might be helpful
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.
This particular technique has been in practice since the 1950s. Asthma patients tend to hyperventilate, meaning that they breathe faster and more deeply than others do. Rapid breathing may trigger asthma symptoms, which is why Buteyko breathing is often recommended. With this technique, you can actually learn to slow down your breathing rate.
Also Read: Treatment for Asthma – What You Should Know
This particular breathing technique is very effective when you are having an asthma attack. Since the condition causes air to get trapped in the lungs, the technique may help you exhale more air, thus making breathing easier. It is one of the best breathing exercises for asthma patients who are short of breath.
Also Read: What is Hyperventilation: Understanding the Medical Definition and Symptoms
You must be aware of the several benefits of yoga – but did you know yoga could reduce asthma flare-ups? Studies show that practising yoga regularly can ease and prevent asthma flare-ups, and reduce the need for an inhaler by 43%. There are many postures in yoga that focus on deep breathing exercises for asthma patients.
Also Read: Health Benefits of Yoga
The progressive relaxation technique works by relaxing all the muscles in your body. It is one of the recommended breathing exercises for asthma. In this technique, you tighten a muscle group while inhaling, and then relax them while exhaling.
Once you learn about and start practising these breathing exercises for asthma, you may be able to gain more control over the symptoms. They may even reduce the need for you to heavily rely on your asthma medications.
Discuss with your doctor before trying out any of these breathing exercises for asthma to ensure that they are safe for you. It is desirable that you get in touch with a respiratory therapist, who can teach you the right technique and steps to perform these exercises effectively and safely.
Also Read: 10 Home Remedies for Asthma
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