There are two breathing techniques that are important for every COPDer to know. One is pursed lip breathing and the other is diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing. Pursed lip breathing is important because it helps us blow off CO2 that builds up in our lungs, leaving not enough room for O2. You can google both techniques and see diagrams and instructions on how to do them.

For pursed lip breathing, you exhale for twice as long as you inhale. One of the weird things about COPD is that the exhale is way more important than the inhale. Obstructive means we have trouble breathing out, not in. To do PLB, you inhale through your mouth or nose (it doesn't matter which, regardless of what anyone says) for a count of 4, purse your lips (as if you were playing a flute or blowing on hot soup...gently, don't blow it off the spoon) and exhale for a count of 8. Pursing your lips allows enough backpressure to build up to allow you to exhale twice as long as you inhale. This technique allow you to blow off the CO2 that builds up, leaving little room for O2 and causing you to be SOB. Practice this technique until it becomes second nature and then do it all the time you're up and moving. You'll find that you'll be able to do more and do it for longer before you become really SOB.

Belly breathing is just that. Forget what your Mom told you about holding your stomach in.....it's really bad for COPDers! To belly breathe, lay on your back and place something on your stomach. As you inhale, watch your stomach rise and go down when you exhale. This exercises the diaphragm and in cases where the diaphragm is working very little, will substitute for the diaphragm. One of the things that often happens with COPD is that the lungs get longer and settle on top of the diaphragm, making it hard for the diaphragm to work. Belly breathing helps.

Please remember that you also have to exercise physically.....aerobic, strengthening and stretching exercises are all very important and learning proper breathing techniques is designed to help us do better with our physical exercise.

Jean

When your struggling with breathing put elbows on your knees shoulders dropped you'll find this helps a lot. This his what they have showed me at pulmonary rehab

Deep inhale through the nose hold 2 seconds then exhale through the mouth slowly with pursed lips. Called: " smell the flowers, blow out the candles"

you can also go to "youtube" . There is a lot of info on COPD, breathing trechniques and other usedul info.

Yes the panic thing usually sets me off too.