Breathing Easier

Using a different position will allow your breathing muscles to work better and help you to feel less short of breath. You might find one position works best for you. Feelings of panic will often make your breathlessness worse so trying to relax in your preferred position will also help. Lying on your front (prone lying) can help reduce breathlessness if you are recovering from coronavirus (COVID-19). Adding pillows under your chest or pelvis may make this position more comfortable. Only use this position if you feel comfortable and it helps your breathing.

Sit in a relaxed position in a chair with your back well supported. Place one hand on your tummy. Slowly take a deep breath in through your nose. As you breathe in, allow your tummy to rise up and then feel it relax down as you breathe out slowly. This may take some practice but can be very useful to help reduce breathlessness.

Breathlessness can be a scary experience, especially if you have not experienced it before. It often causes people to feel anxious leading to a panic attack. Anxiety and panic themselves can lead to more breathlessness creating a vicious cycle. The breathing techniques above can help to reduce the feeling of breathlessness and so lower anxiety levels.

This can be useful to control breathlessness when you are walking or being more active. Take a breath in through your nose then gently breathe out through your mouth with your lips pursed, just like are whistling or blowing out a candle. Try to breathe out for longer than you breathe in.

Breathe in before you start to move, then breathe out when you are making a big effort, such as bending down, lifting something heavy or going up stairs.

Hold a small hand held fan about 15 centimetres away from your face, aim to feel the air on the centre of your face above your lip, the cool air can help you feel less breathless. A desk or free standing fan can also be used. 

Here are some tips to help clear secretions in your chest that you find difficult to get rid of:

• Drink water regularly throughout the day.
• Limit the amount of tea and coffee you drink.
• If your mouth feels dry your airways are dry too so drink some water (Note: Some medical conditions mean you have to restrict fluid intake, if you think this applies to you discuss and check this with your GP)
• Avoid alcohol as it can make you dehydrated.
• Steam or humidity can also help loosen and clear secretions. A warm shower can often be useful.
• Moving around can be one of the best ways to clear secretions as activity makes you breathe deeper. This can help loosen and move secretions making it easier to clear. Remember that after illness you may find yourself more tired, breathless and low in energy even when just walking. So take your time and build up activity gradually and rest when you need to. You can find some simple activities and exercises to get you started on the physical activity pages.

Coughs can be caused by different of things like smoking, allergies, heartburn (acid reflux) or infections like COVID-19. Further information and guidance on managing a cough can be found from NHS Inform