PLB - Pursed Lip Breathing

[Guest guest]

I had been on my own for 3 years before I got the PF diagnosis and had developed

the breathing techniques on my own. I had gone through a cleansing breath tape

sessions with a fellow car-pooler. His father in law evidently had some issues

with breathing and gave all of his family members audio cassettes (kinda dates

me doesn't it) on breathing exercises. It had instructions for both the

diaphragmatic and pursed lip breathing techniques. It was designed for

commuters as it would instruct you to grab the steering wheel, exhale

completely, inhale in puffs, hold momentarily and then blow out with an extra

puff out at the end. Those tapes have been so helpful to me. The exercises

would call for you to raise one arm over your head (you would have to bend your

elbow as most vehicles do not permit an arm straight up in the air). Put this

image in your head... you are commuting to/from work, look over at the car

traveling down the freeway and two idiots are in the front seat (one male, one

female)... with their right arms up and over their heads... and they have their

cheeks puffed out... LOL And you are so right, it helps one regain control of a

scary, breathless situation for most of us. My instructor at the University

said he had several pulmonary patients tell him it was beneficial, but when he

was taught it he was told it was only for obstructive patients. The more you

learn, the more you learn what you don't know...

Stefani 61 year old Utahn

ILD 2/2006, NSIP (cellular) 6/2009, UIP 9/2009, Diabetes II 2/2006, Sleep Apnea

4/2009