Suffer from asthma? Then it's essential that you learn how to breathe correctly; a physio can help you manage the physical effects of your asthma including controlling coughing, coping with an attack and improving your breathing.
People with asthma have sensitive airway; that's the tubes that carry air in and other of their mouths, noses and lungs. These tubes can tighten, swell up and make too much mucus (the slimy stuff that keeps our airways moist). This makes it hard to breathe in and even harder to breathe out.
It's really important you manage your asthma so you don't permanently damage your lungs. To manage your asthma, you start with a visit to your doctor. They'll get your symptoms under control with medication and an asthma plan. It's also important that you have some sessions with a physio who is experienced in asthma management.
A physio can help you learn to manage the physical effects of your asthma and something really vital: how to breathe correctly! Simple changes to the way you breathe will help you feel more relaxed, in control and will prevent your asthma symptoms from getting worse.
Physiotherapy works alongside your doctor's treatment plan. A physio can also help you to use your inhaler correctly.
A physio can help by showing you ways to:
How we breathe affects our health and wellness. Many of us breathe air in and out quickly through our mouths, using our chest and neck muscles. When this becomes a habit, we feel unwell: dizzy, anxious and breathless - this is common if you have asthma. Physios have skills to help you learn to breathe correctly so you can be active without getting wheezy.
