Don't Hold Your Breath

Parkinson's is a chronic condition. The disease doesn't kill you, but the symptoms can. One of those symptoms is restrictive airway; scary to be sure. Because PD sufferers tax their brains thinking about the things most of us do automatically (like breathing, walking, moving), they will often not realize they're holding their breath, or breathing less deeply than what is needed. Shallow breathing can lead to a lung issue called Dyspnea, a product of pulmonary and respiratory muscle function impairment. 

Dyspnea is troublesome enough, but add to that, a diagnosis of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) like my poor husband just got, and you have a recipe for added stress. Life-threatening stress! 

Just contemplate this for a moment. How many times a day do you think about breathing? Zero? That's most of us. For those with Parkinson's, concentration on breathing takes up much of their thoughts. With all of the other things they are dealing with, they have to think actively about things we take for granted. Because of this, breathing becomes shallow, or takes a back seat to what seem like more pressing issues. Re-building strength in the lungs, and expanding lung capacity is of utmost importance to those with Parkinson's or COPD.  But, how do you do that?  Exercise of any kind is beneficial, but breathing exercise is imperative for the COPD or Dyspnea sufferer.

Try this:

Lay on your back, on the floor (or your bed if you cannot get down that far), with your knees bent, and feet flat on the floor/bed. Make sure the small of your back is touching the floor/bed.  Place one hand on your navel. Inhale slowly, making sure the hand over your navel, rises. This assures you are breathing from your diaphragm, exactly as you should be. Lying on your back should help relax you enough that the air will automatically go into your diaphragm, but, if your navel isn't rising, practice diaphragmatic breathing by forcing the breath out of your body, as if you are pushing out your last breath before dying. Keep pushing the air out until your body forces an inhale. This should get your system to force the air into your deep belly, or diaphragm. Remember to push your navel toward the floor/bed while you're doing this. If you have Parkinson’s,  your body's rigidity will fight breathing correctly, so be patient, and keep trying.

Once you have mastered diaphragmatic breathing, you can do it sitting or standing as well. Try these exercises:

• Inhale deeply for a count of four (4)
• Hold your breath for a count of four (4)
• Exhale for a count of four (4)
• Hold your breath for a count of four (4)

Do this set of breathing four times in a row, four times a day, to help your breathing with Parkinson’s or COPD.

Other things to help strengthen your lungs:

1. Blow into a party blower (you can get these at the dollar store)
2. Take up the harmonica 

3. Pick up a Breath Builder from your doctor and practice blowing the balls all the way up to the top 

The main thing is NOT to give up! We all need to breathe, so don't ignore your symptoms. And, it won't hurt to do this even if you don't see symptoms. 
Be proactive and breathe easier!