Asthma Tips

Asthma Tips

Free Asthma Hints and Tips

• Knowing the cause of your asthma takes you one step closer to finding a cure. Become aware of your breathing when you are well. (Take as much time as you need for this awareness)
• FEEL your breathing
• LISTEN TO your breathing
• feel your breathing when you are CALM and RELAXED
• feel your breathing when you are MOVING or EXERCISING

Has your breathing changed?
How deep is it now ?
How do you feel when your breathing rate changes? (MEMORISE THESE FEELINGS)
Listen to your breathing when you have your symptoms, eg: Asthma Attack, wheeze, shortness of breath, coughing, sneezing, blocked nose.

COMPARE this breathing against symptom free breathing.

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

Your breathing is always deeper and harder to control when you have symptoms

• more chest movement
• tendency to breathe more through your mouth

THEREFORE WHEN YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS

• keep your mouth closed
• try to relax your breathing
• don't fight your breathing
• try to gradually reduce your breathing to the rate you had when you were well

CHILDREN
Always encourage your children to breathe through their nose even when playing strenuous games. Nasal breathing can reduce the loss of carbon dioxide.
CHILDREN MUST NOT MOUTH BREATHE

EXERCISE AND SPORT

Always breathe through your nose during any activity. If you have to open your mouth to breathe or you loose control of your breathing STOP, normalize or take control of your breathing, then resume the activity.
Do not try to overbreathe when exercising.

WHY YOU SHOULD BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE (always breathe gently)

Breathing through your nose will

• help reduce the volume of air you breathe
• It will warm, moisten and filter the air before it reaches your lungs ( if your nose is blocked use the following technique)
• 
  

UNBLOCKING YOUR NOSE 5 EASY STEPS

• blow your nose
• take in a normal breath
• breath out ( pinch your nostrils closed with your fingers) "DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH"
• hold this breath approximately 5 seconds longer then when you first experience the need to breathe
• Now breathe gently through your nose ( Do not gulp air through your mouth)

N.B. you may need to repeat this process until your nose clears

SOME BASIC BREATHING RULES TO FOLLOW

• Do not sleep on your back. (it deepens your breathing)
• Breathe through your nose. (in and out)
• When you have symptoms try to relax your breathing and return it to normal.
• Generally try to breathe slightly less volume of air at all times.