If you have been diagnosed with COPD, IPF, Emphysema, Chronic Asthma or other lung conditions, you're likely no stranger to breathlessness. This feeling comes from ineffective gas exchange within your lungs. When lung elasticity is compromised, the body cannot expel enough CO2 to take enough fresh air in. This is often caused by the lung condition itself but breathlessness is often made worse by the fear and anxiety that comes along with feeling like you're starved for air.
If breathlessness occurs, the first thing that you should do pursed lipped breathing. This creates more back pressure in the airways causing more CO2 to be expelled. If you don't know how to do this breathing technique, please watch our video on the Active Cycle Breathing Technique. • Active Cycle Breathing...
As you're doing pursed lipped breathing, check in with your emotions. If you're feeling anxious you may be triggering an automatic fight or flight reaction. This causes your breathing to quicken and become more shallow which is going to make your breathlessness worse. In this video you'll learn easy steps to take to bring both your emotions, and then your breathing back under control.