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You are in: Home > Chest Information > Living With > Coping With Breathlessness

Coping With Breathlessness

• Breathlessness
• Breathing control
• Breathing positions
• Chest clearance
• Breathlessness at night

Breathlessness

Everyone gets breathless from time to time, e.g. when you exercise or run for a bus. This shortness of breath passes quite quickly when you stop and the feeling does not usually worry you.

With chest conditions, however, the breathlessness can be uncomfortable, severe and can come on with very little, or even no, exertion.

Different people describe their breathlessness in different ways:

• 'Chest tightness'
• 'Difficulty filling my lungs'
• 'Not being able to catch my breath'
• 'Gasping for air'

Learning to control your breathing will help you to control your breathlessness and so reduce the feelings of panic and anxiety that so often come with it.

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Breathing Control

This is very useful to learn and master. It combines gentle relaxed breathing, using the lower part of your chest, with relaxation of the upper chest and shoulders.

With practice you can use breathing control to regain your breath after activity or during an episode of breathlessness. You will be able to use it, for example, to help you if you are out for a walk and you need to stop for a rest. It also encourages a more normal breathing pattern and helps to get air into the lower part of the lungs.

How to do breathing control Settle yourself into a chair in a comfortable position. Make sure your back is well supported. Rest one hand on your lower rib cage with the other hand on your upper thigh. Let your shoulders and upper chest relax, think about letting your shoulders go. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Concentrate on letting the lower part of your chest move under your hand. Feel your hand rise and fall with your chest as you breathe gently in and out. Breathe at your own rate. Doing this should not tire you. Continue until your breathing is back under control once more. Once you feel happy about doing this, you may like to try resting both hands down on your thighs with the palms of the hands facing up.

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Breathing positions

These are different positions to use with your breathing control. Try them all till you find one that works best for you.

• Sit on a chair and lean forward with both arms resting on your thighs and your wrists relaxed.
• Stand leaning forward with your arms resting on a ledge, e.g. a windowsill, bench or banister rail.
• Lean back against a wall with your shoulders relaxed and arms resting down by your side. Your feet should be about 30cm away from the wall (or as far as is comfortable) and slightly apart.

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Chest clearance

Chest clearance exercises help you to clear your chest of as much sputum as you can. This helps to reduce obstruction in your airways and improve the amount of air getting into your lungs. In the long term, chest clearance can help to reduce the number, and frequency, of chest infections you may have.

There are several different techniques that can be used for chest clearance including:

• Active cycle of breathing
• Use of oscillatory positive expiratory pressure devices (e.g. 'Acapella®' and 'Flutter®' machines)
• Autogenic drainage

Some people may find one technique works better than another, or is more convenient. It is important that you are shown how to do these exercises / techniques by a respiratory (chest) physiotherapist (physio). He / she will recommend how often you should use these techniques to get the maximum benefit.

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Breathlessness at night

Some people with chest conditions have breathing difficulties during the night. This can be very frightening and increases your anxiety, making your breathlessness worse. Being prepared can help to reassure you when it happens.

• If you wake up breathless, sit up and lean forward, e.g. sitting at the edge of the bed and leaning your arms on a bed table.
• Keep a fan by your bed and turn it on when you are feeling breathless.
• Keep your inhalers by your bed and take your reliever.
• Try and use your breathing control. Don't force your breath out. This causes more air to get trapped in your lungs.
• Try not to fight your breathlessness. Relax your shoulders, as tensing your muscles will only use up your energy and make you more breathless.

Suggestions for sleeping comfortably:

• You may sleep better in an upright position.
• Try sleeping on your side: you are less likely to slide down the bed.
• Putting a pillow under your knees when lying on your back also helps prevent sliding down the bed.

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