Hi everyone,
I'm just wondering is or has anyone doing breathing exercises to help with there asthma?
Has your asthma improved since doing the exercises?
My doctor has referred me to a nurse for breathing exercises as he feels I'm not breathing properly, I see her tomorrow.
Any feedback would be great.
Regards
A comment alongside yours. I play or try to the clarinet and recently went on a summer school in Liverpool. The course organiser also did some 1 2 1 teaching sessions and he was commenting about my breathing as he also is asthmatic. He has done a lot of research with chest physios about this so am seriously considering trying to book a few private sessions with him to try and help my own.
Since things like swimming and playing a wind instrument are supposed to help due to type of breathing involved hopefully you will find that exercises you are shown will help stabalise if not improve your asthma. At least I think they should.
kath x
Hi Cutelady,
I'm not sure that I breathe properly or not!
But what I do know is that, like Katharine, I too have a go at playing the clarinet, and it does help my chest - good breathing exercise, I think!
Take care
CD
Hi Kath,
Thank you for your feedback on breathing exercises, it's interesting just to know how many ppl are having breathing exercises & how it helps them.
Take care
hi CD,
That sounds interesting about playing a clarinet, how does it help with your breathing?
I never played a clarinet before as I'm not a musical player.
Take care
I have chest physio and breathing exersises but not for asthma for muscle and diaphram probs that go along with severe uncontrolled asthma, Breathing exercises can help asthma but usually at the mild to modereate scale of things im afraid.I have a friend that had mild asthma but was needing her reliever several times a day then she took up judo and as this has controlled breathing sth now hardly uses her inhaler, but beware like AUK says it doesnt work for all and more research is needed before a definate answer is given. But as we said before everyone is different so if i doesnt make this worse and your doc agrees then anything that will make your life easier is worth a try.
Love Andrea
I've never done breathing excercises as such, but when I was young (back in the day!!) I used to play the flute and sing in a choir, my ashtma was a lot better then than it is now. Then I went to uni, gave up flute and choir, and it's been downhill from there!
Good luck tomorrow cute lady
When in costa recently i was seen by chest physios and they taught me a breathing technique i had not tried before which involve pushing your tummy out when you breathe in and not using the top of chest but abdominal muscles to breathe. Also taught me to bend over and lean on desk when breathless to stop me using chest breathing too much. I have to go back and have some more help. I always thought because i breathe thrur my nose and as long as i wasnt mouth breathing then this was enough but apparently not. These exercises have helped me to control breathing somewhat but when in middle of attack you just focus on getting air dont you!! I think all asthmatics should be taught them as they do help some gain better control but this also depends on what type of asthma you have.
Hi all,
Update on my breathing exercises today.
It went very well I've learnt alot. The nurses came & saw me at home this morning, checked my spacer & how I was using all my medication,
apparently the nurses told me that the spacer did not have a valve in it & I was not getting all the medication properly as its to make a noice when you breath in they gave me another one for free they watched how I used it taught me the correct way.
And suggested I see doctor about changing from symbicort to seretide since they picked up that I my hands were slightly shaking a bit due to symbicort & with my husky voice even though I gargle & rinse it was a side affect I didnt even notice it regarding my hands shaking. And with the seretide I can use it with my new spacer to get more in my lungs.
I also have to learn how to breath properly relax myself when stress or
worry breathing in slowly & exhaling.
Also gave me a device to use this is the website address
suru.com/respi.htm what it looks like I dont have the exact one though but is similar. It's hard to keep the 2 balls up.
Then in about 2 weeks time have to have a spirometery test done.
I'm learning how to breath all over again.
When they walked in & saw me I was short of breath & by the end of the session I was breathing much better & my peak flow was up to 390 nearly to 400 where it should be.
This looks very promising now I'm feeling very excited.
Hi Cutelady,
How wonderful! I'm so excited to hear that your nurses helped you, and that you are improving through their advice! A new way is opening up before you!
I can't tell you how pleased I am to read that!
I get shakes & hoarseness etc from Symbicort but, having tried just about everything else, and because the Symbicort works for me, I put up with it. The only prob is, it's awkward with my job as my voice is vital in my line of work!
Re your earlier question about playing clarinet. I really don't know the technicalities of it, I'm afraid. All i do know is that my chest feels better and exercised after I play a while. But I can't play for too long atm as it makes me quite tired.
Take care
Hugs
CD
Disordered Breathing Patterns
When is Costa recently I was seen by a chest physio who talked to me about Hyperventilation Syndrome and disordered breathing. Basically as a severe asthmatic I have got into a strange breathing pattern (too fast and rather shallow) so she lent me a book on the subject and gave me some exercises. I don't have the book to hand right now, but I will send another post when I have it. It's brill and seemed to describe me!!
Must go now as a Tesco shop to undo!!!
Bye
Blackfrog, I would be very interested to read the material that describes you.
How are you today?
Here we have very icy cold wind today & i'm inside with the electric heater going and am going to do my knitting today.
I'm doing better each day now, but since this weather has changed today is bitterly cold I'm wheezy. Think will have it all day.
To everyone else that has replied thank you I've found this all very interesting.
I feel now everyone that has asthma should give breathing exercises ago what have you got to lose! & u could gain alot as well I know it works for some but not everyone.
God Bless you all
Take care
PLEASE remember not everything suits everyone the same !!
I tried Buteyko exercises and it didnt suit and almost killed me literally !!
(Caused a problem with my blood gases and led to a very nasty admission because of it !!)
I just wish people would stop assuming that things are safe for ""Everyone"" as there are many times when it isnt safe !!
I was given same breathing exercises as Bowmei by my chest physio. I hadn't even realised I wasn't breathing properly until I saw her but do much bettr now. She also tried to teach me relaxation exercises to try when I had an asthma attack and to make myself keep swallowing when I can't stop coughing. I thought I was doing alright until I had a biggy attack and all the advice went straight out the window. She did help though when I had an asthma attack in the middle of doing my spirometry test with the physio. That also gave her a chance to check my inhaler technique.
I know that breathing exercises are not for EVERYONE but what have we got to lose! you don't know till you give it a try. If it's not for you & you become worse or just cannot do it, you stay clear from breathing exercises.
Thank you everyone that has replied & given feedback it's all very interesting.
Read this if interested: healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...
Weather causing breathing issues
Bras for people with breathing problems
Breathing dysfunction 
Dysfunctional breathing pattern 
Uncomfortable breathing
