Knowing when to exhale instead of inhale is so important.

wmc
wmc Member Posts: 1,804

Knowing when to exhale will help with: COPD; Anxiety; being a laryngectomee; or just haveing a bad day and having some depression; and panic attacks.

Some of us have forgotten when you should not hold your breath, it only makes it worse. When you are going to sit down take a breath and exhale as you are going down. The same applies when getting up. Take a breath and exhale as you stand up. If you need to bend over, [remember to squat], but exhale as you go down. So many do this next one wrong. You are going to lift something, do not inhale and hold your breath. Take a breath and exhale as you lift the object. By doing this you will not get as short of breath. 

Now how to control your breathing can help with anxity, panic attack. It will not stop it, but it can make it so much less and easer to get over. When you have anxity coming on and you breathing harder it produces adrenaline, so you breath even harder to get the oxegen you need and that produces adrenaline. This is a tough cycle to get in [panic attack] and hard to get out of.  You need to try to focus, [it's hard to do] and control your breathing by inhale slowley but exhale even slower. Try to inhale for two seconds and exhale for four seconds. Try to do purs lip breathing [like an old person does] you inhale slowley and on the exhale with your lips closed and force the air out your mouth. This creates back pressure and helps get the dead air in your lungs out and gets out much more CO2, so when you inhale you will get in more air [O2]. You should also breath with your diaphragm instead of your chest muscles. You can put one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen and only your abdomen should be moving.

The most important thing to remember it to take deep breaths. If you don't, even if it hurts, you must take some deep breaths so you don't get pneumonia, or have be taught how to breath again.

I have severe COPD and get anxity and also have a laryngectomy, and I have been able to get my heart rate of 125 and my O2 at 91% to change to Heart rate of 90 and my O2 back to 98% in under two minutes, on a good day. Takes some  practice to do it but it can help and keep you out of rehab.

Just thought I would share and hope it might help someone. I've had to do this breathing exercise for many years and it does work.

Bill

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Hi Bill

    Thanks for the advice; this is something that we all have problems with. Sometimes we just need to sit down and take it easy and breathe properly to help our bodies help its self.

     

    Tim Hondo

     

  • Moki
    Moki Member Posts: 53
    Thank you

    I will give a try. Since radiation finished, my tolerance to stress is really slow: kids screaming, dog barking and other little things like these send me to the roof. My throat close and I get in hyperventilation. Is it normal? Never happen before. I really hope I can back to be myself soon! I hate this feeling

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    Moki said:

    Thank you

    I will give a try. Since radiation finished, my tolerance to stress is really slow: kids screaming, dog barking and other little things like these send me to the roof. My throat close and I get in hyperventilation. Is it normal? Never happen before. I really hope I can back to be myself soon! I hate this feeling

    Hyperventilation.......Not good, control your breathing.

    If your breathing gets too rapid you can hyperventilate which means you have to much oxygen in ratio to CO2 [carbon dioxide] so first try to set down, [you can fall down if you don't] and try to take slow long breaths and exhale very slowly to control your breathe. If you still are breathing too fast, take a paper bag, like a lunch bag size, and cover your nose and mouth and breath as slow as you can, in and out of the bag. You will be rebreathing your own air so you will get less O2 and more CO2 which you need to ballance it out. It is a side effect of a panic attack, or anxity. It is very common to those that have or had "C". You will feel it comming on so just go sit down and slow your breathing down will take care of it. You might want to pick up a few paper lunch bags to have if it gets out of control. You will learn when it is starting with stress and control your breathing. If it happens much ask your Dr for anxity meds, many of us do take them.

    Sometimes you will just have to tell everyone to "take five" go into another room and set down and relax your breathing, you will feel so much better. Hope this helps.

    Bill

  • Moki
    Moki Member Posts: 53
    wmc said:

    Hyperventilation.......Not good, control your breathing.

    If your breathing gets too rapid you can hyperventilate which means you have to much oxygen in ratio to CO2 [carbon dioxide] so first try to set down, [you can fall down if you don't] and try to take slow long breaths and exhale very slowly to control your breathe. If you still are breathing too fast, take a paper bag, like a lunch bag size, and cover your nose and mouth and breath as slow as you can, in and out of the bag. You will be rebreathing your own air so you will get less O2 and more CO2 which you need to ballance it out. It is a side effect of a panic attack, or anxity. It is very common to those that have or had "C". You will feel it comming on so just go sit down and slow your breathing down will take care of it. You might want to pick up a few paper lunch bags to have if it gets out of control. You will learn when it is starting with stress and control your breathing. If it happens much ask your Dr for anxity meds, many of us do take them.

    Sometimes you will just have to tell everyone to "take five" go into another room and set down and relax your breathing, you will feel so much better. Hope this helps.

    Bill

    THANKS

    I will try. I would like to avoid meds if I can and go with natural remedies so I will try hard

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    Bill, you are awesome!! 

    Bill, you are awesome!!  thank you so much for caring enough to post helpful information and tips to make life a little easier.  its people like you and the others here who truly educate us.

    God bless you,

    dj