According to the Mayo Clinic, asthma causes breathing airways to swell and narrow, creating extra mucus and making breathing difficult. Asthma can be mild to severe with symptoms of coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Symptoms vary from person to person and may happen at night, during exercise or following exposure to triggers. There is no cure for asthma, but there are ways to control the symptoms. Talk to your doctor about starting breathing exercises, and if you are having trouble breathing, seek medical help immediately.
Papworth Method
The Papworth method is a breathing technique named after the hospital in Cambridgeshire where it was developed in the 1960s, according to Physorg and the Daily Mail. The technique is based on diaphragmatic breathing, designed to stop the rapid, shallow breaths from the chest. It emphasizes nose breathing, changing and implementing your breathing pattern into your daily life. Asthmatics are educated in recognizing stress factors, learning how to relax and encouraged to take deep, gentle breaths. A study from researchers at the University College London followed 85 men and women with mild asthma for a year. Half of the participants took traditional medicine while the other half took traditional medicine and participated in the Papworth method. The study, published in the British medical journal "Thorax" showed that breathlessness was cut by one third in the group that practiced the Papworth method.
Meditation
Asthma attacks are often brought on by stress and anxiety. Meditation's goal is relaxation and steady breathing. According to Project Meditation, meditation has been found to decrease the frequency of asthma attacks for those continuously practicing meditation. Blood and oxygen flow increase during meditation, allowing asthma sufferers to benefit from the extra oxygen. Concentrating on breathing is at the heart of meditation which can help in times of an asthma attack. The controlled breathing may also help to strengthen the lungs and airways.
Yoga
According to Your Asthma Treatment, pranayama is a yoga breathing technique effective for asthmatics. Practicing yoga and the pranayama breathing exercise help to increase the lung's airflow, air capacity, stamina and efficiency, allowing the asthma sufferer to benefit from more oxygen. Yoga is control of the body and control of the breath. Pranayama consists of three phases. Inhaling fills the lungs with fresh air and stimulates the system. Retaining the breath increases the absorption of oxygen while raising internal temperature. The exhalation expels air full of toxins and impurities returning your diaphragm to its original position. Pranayama helps an asthmatic to breathe slow and steady while relaxed.
Buteyko Method
The Buteyko method was developed by a Russian doctor in the early 1950s and was designed to help individuals recover from over breathing. Over breathing, according to the Buteyko Clinic, is considered breathing too much and thought to be negative for the body. The Buteyko method focuses on the measure of the breath hold, termed the Control Pause. The Control Pause is the measure of breath being held after a normal inhale-exhale before needing to inhale again. The lower the Control Pause, the more symptoms of asthma may be present. The method considers a Control Pause of 40 to 60 seconds as asthma free.
Hypnosis
A study published in the 1968 issue of the "British Medical Journal" followed roughly 200 patients from ages 10 to 60 for one year. Half of the patients were given hypnosis monthly and used autohypnosis daily. This group was compared to the other half, the control group, who were prescribed breathing exercises designed for progressive relaxation. Results showed that asthma improved in 59 percent of the hypnosis group compared to 43 percent in the control group.
