Shortness of Breath Treatment
Shortness of Breath Meaning | Self Management for Shortness of breath | Breathing Exercise | Breathing Technique | Helpful Positions | Shortness of Breath Treatment
Shortness of breath treatment is critical when one feels difficulty in breathing and fatigue for a long time. Your breathing problem may be due to a mild respiratory disease or a disease which mainly affects the lungs. But this may not always be true. Shortness of Breath can also occur without any disease. For example, you may experience breathlessness while climbing stairs, doing a brisk activity, while doing your daily activities at a fast pace and sometimes obesity may lead to shortness of breath for fat people.
In this article, our pulmonary physiotherapists are telling us what to do if you experience shortness of breath. These tips are useful for early symptoms of breathlessness and can be practiced easily at home. If symptoms persist, you must consult a qualified doctor or health caretaker.
Shortness Of Breath Meaning: Breathlessness
Breathlessness happens as it takes longer to empty your lungs. The airflow is slower because the disease makes airways narrower or lungs less elastic. You experience as if you are having difficulty breathing. It may be more difficult to do the things you were normally able to do easily, such as housework, having a wash, getting dressed or walking up and down the stairs.
This makes breathing exercises crucial for the recovery of lungs. The merits of undertaking a structured Respiratory Rehabilitation Programme cannot be emphasised enough to ensure relief from symptoms and overall Lung recovery in a safe, structured and timely manner.
Hereon we will be covering Self-management Techniques for Shortness of breath symptoms.
Shortness of Breath Treatment – Self Management
Stay Calm for Shortness of Breath Anxiety
When it is hard to breathe, it is normal to get anxious, making you feel even more short of breath. That is why it is important to keep your cool.
Make sure you have good circulation in the room by opening a window or door.
Click to watch this video for Tips for Shortness of Breath Treatment at Home
Positions to Manage Breathlessness
These positions will help ease your breathlessness and can be used when resting.
Breathing Exercise to Manage Breathlessness
The muscles that help you breathe need to be strengthened, as you recover from your lung infection. These muscles include the diaphragm as well as the muscles in the chest wall.
Start with the following exercise on your own.
Place yourself in a comfortable position (sitting or standing). Look for a large rectangle shape around you that is easy to see fully. This could be a TV, fridge, window or a door.
Visualise along the sides of the rectangle, breathing in while your eyes move along the short side and breathing out while your eyes move along the long side. This will help you breathe out longer than how you breathe in and also pace it.
If you continue to experience breathing trouble, you should consider taking a supervised Respiratory Rehabilitation Programme.
Respiratory (or Pulmonary) rehabilitation is a program of exercises that helps you improve your shortness of breath, increase your exercise capacity and improve your recovery.
Breathing Techniques for Managing Shortness of Breath
Slow and controlled breathing with specific types of Pranayam and breathing techniques will help you stay calm. You will feel confident to deal with shortness of breath, when it sets in.
Practice Breathing Control:
- Take a slow breath in through your nose
- Relax your shoulders and neck
- Feel the air fill into your lungs: from the bottom of the lungs to the top of your chest.
- Breathe out long from the mouth (as if blowing out a candle).
Pace Your Activities to effectively manage shortness of breath
The essence of Pacing is about ‘listening to your body’. Slow down if necessary or take short breaks if needed, to stay in control and manage breathlessness on a day-to-day basis. Remember a certain level of breathlessness is good for you.
Understand your current energy levels and plan your daily activities accordingly. (Read more about this on this link)
Cough happens to be one of the most common symptoms associated with shortness of breath. Based on the cause for breathlessness, it may vary – You may have dry cough or you may have productive phlegm. Click here to read more about how to manage Shortness of Breath and Cough.
If your symptoms are severe and/or persist even after 6-8 weeks, please contact your doctor for further review.
The merits of undertaking a structured Respiratory Rehabilitation Programme cannot be emphasised enough to ensure relief from symptoms and overall Lung recovery in a safe, structured and timely manner. If you find your activities of daily living difficult, you may need to consult your doctor or a physiotherapist to complete a structured rehabilitation after assessment.
The duration of time that it takes to recover from disease and related symptoms varies from person to person. For some it will be days, others weeks or months.
The more severe your symptoms, the longer it might take you to recover completely.
A structured Rehabilitation programme like that of RespiRehab ensures that you recover in a safe and timely manner.
RespiRehab for Shortness of Breath Treatment
RespiRehab is a focussed Pulmonary / Respiratory Rehabilitation Programme, guided by Cardio-Respiratory physiotherapists of ReLiva, India’s largest chain of physiotherapy clinics.
- For patients suffering from breathing issues, lung disease
- Reduce breathlessness & fatigue
- Improve your lung function, oxygen saturation, stamina & physical strength
- Without stepping out of your home
The programme is administered online and is personalised based on your symptoms and discomforts. You will continue to stay at home and the therapists will guide and telemonitor your progress with video visits.
A tailor-made programme will be given to you to include exercises and elements to target recovery of the overall pulmonary and muscle loss that can occur after a lengthy hospital stay of the respiratory symptoms and fatigue during home isolation. Contact us by clicking here to ask for call back call us right away at 9920991647
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