Things to know about pursed-lip breathing

Shortness of breath is an abnormal manifestation of health, causing many people to worry. It is this anxiety and stress that makes us feel more breathless and suffocated, creating a vicious cycle. As a result, you can avoid doing things that make you feel short of breath. Hard work or exertion can cause the muscles to be affected, the body straining, easily leading to shortness of breath. Symptoms of shortness of breath include:
Feeling short of breath, shallow breathing, shortness of breath Chest tightness Inability to take deep breaths Breathing feeling of being blocked, lack of oxygen ... Various medical conditions can can cause shortness of breath, including: asthma, fluid around the heart, pneumonia or other lung infections, heart failure, heart attack, anemia or low red blood cell count, pregnant women , broken lung, broken ribs, sudden blood loss, anemia, severe allergic reaction...
Pinch-lip or pursed-lip breathing exercises, mouth breathing can help you improve breathing difficulties . Pursed-lip breathing helps you get more air in without over-breathing. Some of the effects of pursed-lip breathing are:
Releases large amounts of air trapped in your lungs; Clearing the airways makes it easier for you to breathe; Improve respiratory function; Evens out breathing due to deeper, longer breathing; Help you relax; Helps circulate air in the lungs; Reduce shortness of breath.

Pursed-lip breathing has many benefits for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD causes a patient's airway to collapse. By prolonging expiration, pursed-lip breathing creates a small amount of backpressure, known as positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Elastic pressure is generated by elastic contraction of the lung, chest wall (elastance) and volume of air delivered. For a given volume, elastic pressure is increased either by increased pulmonary stiffness (eg, pulmonary fibrosis) or restricted by the chest wall or diaphragm (eg, due to severe ascites or obesity).
Some studies show that pursed-lip breathing improves exercise tolerance in people with COPD. It also improves their ventilation system and increases the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Pursed-lip breathing also gives you a sense of control over your breathing. This can help prevent shortness of breath or anxiety and restlessness caused by shortness of breath.

The pursed-lip breathing exercises are easy to learn. You can do them anytime you feel short of breath or anxious. Here are the steps:
Drop your shoulders, close your eyes and relax. Inhale through your nose for two seconds. Pinch your lips as if you're about to blow into something. Exhale slowly through your pursed lips for 4 to 6 seconds, but do not force all the air out. Repeat until you feel in control of your breathing.

You should practice this technique four to five times per day until you can easily manage the breath. After that, you can do it anytime you feel short of breath. It is especially useful when you are doing strenuous activities, such as climbing stairs, bending over, or lifting something heavy. You can also do it anytime you feel anxious or restless to help calm yourself down. Pursed-lip breathing is helpful whenever you feel short of breath (rapid breathing). There are no serious risks associated with pursed-lip breathing. You should consult your doctor's advice on how to breathe to make sure it's right for you and that you're doing it right. Pursed-lip breathing may provide short-term relief of some forms of shortness of breath, but will not treat the underlying cause long-term.

Reference: webmd