What is shortness of breath?
Shortness of breath (also called as a medical term – dyspnea) is a very common matter which happens to you and makes you complain from time to time. Shortness of breath is a term used to describe the situation that you find difficult to get enough air to breathe.
What causes shortness of breath?
Normally, there are various matters leading to breathlessness. Some of them should be listed below:
- Consequences of some diseases such as: heart disease, chronic bronchitis, anemia, allergies and respiratory infection or disease.
- This may also occur when you have any excessive activities like walking, climbing up stairs, or running.
- Moreover, any problem happening to either of the lungs or heart will affect your breathing.
- Smoking is considered as a major risk factor leading to shortness of breath.
What are symptoms of shortness of breath?
The symptoms of this problem may range from mild, medium or severe. Some common signs caused by breathlessness can be listed:
- High fever
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Troubles in sleeping
- Lips or fingertips turning blue
- Tightness in the throat or chest
- Wheezing
- Breathlessness that does not end after 30 minutes of resting.
Moreover, in some cases, an examination and further tests may be required for certain patients to diagnose whether they are suffering dyspnea or not. The treatment depends on the causes and duration of symptoms.
However, most cases are not serious that you must have much concern. In fact, shortness of breath can be treated successfully with some home remedies. This following writing will point out some natural methods which are helpful in fighting against breathlessness.
However, you are advised to make an appointment with your doctor if breathlessness does not decrease with treatments or accompanied by other symptoms seriously.
- Diaphragmatic breathing
The first and foremost tip in this list is among effective techniques in enhancing your condition. This technique is known as diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing. This type of deep breathing can help you in controlling shortness of breath.
Diaphragmatic breathing is especially useful in supporting you to overcome breathlessness caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also called COPD).
How to apply:
- Firstly, you should lie down on your back, place your hands on abdomen while relaxing your muscles
- Through your nose, take a deep breath; enlarge the abdomen, then fill your lungs with air
- Keep the breath for a while
- Slowly exhale through your mouth and deflate your lungs completely
- Perform this again in 5 to 10 minutes
- Repeat this technique a few times on a daily basis.
- Pursed-lip breathing
The second breathing technique is pursed-lip breathing.
This technique helps you decelerate your breathing pace as well as reduce stress effectively.
How to apply:
- Take a seat comfortably while relaxing your shoulder and neck muscles.
- Press your both lips together tightly except the center
- Inhale for a few seconds by your nose
- Breathe out slowly by the pursed lips while counting to 4
- Repeat this in 10 minutes.
- Steam inhalation
The next tip is steam inhalation. This method is particularly helpful in improving the condition of breathlessness as it can contribute to decongest the nasal passages. Moreover, heat and moisture from steam help in the mucus breakdown process in order to expel easily.
How to apply:
- Prepare a bowl of hot water
- Drop some essential oil such as eucalyptus or peppermint oil
- By using a towel over your head, place your face above the bowl
- Deeply breathe in the steam for a few minutes
- Perform this tip anytime you are about to have breathlessness.
- Coffee
For long, coffee has been regarded as one of common drinks, which people often have to start a brand new day. Coffee gives you various health benefits due to its antioxidants and abundant source of nutrients. Also, caffeine in coffee helps remove the fatigue of respiratory and enhance the function of airway better.
How to apply:
- Include 1 to 2 cups of coffee in your daily routine to soothe breathlessness.
- You should not consume coffee excessively because it may increase the blood pressure and heart rate.
Note: You are advised to use black coffee for the best results.
- Fennel
It will be a mistake if you ignore the next remedy. With an aromatic and sweet taste, fennel is among the brightest stars in the medical world. In breathlessness treatment, fennel can prevent phlegm and cure some of the respiratory disorders like coughs, bronchitis, and congestion thanks to the expectorant properties in its content.
How to apply:
- Prepare 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
- Pour it into a cup of hot water
- Let it steep for 5 to 10 minutes
- Strain and add some honey to improve your taste
- Consume this mixture 2 or 3 times on a daily basis
Otherwise, you can also chew some roasted fennel seeds to get relieves for shortness of breath.
- Beetroot
The last but not least remedy in this list is beet-root. In case you are suffering breathlessness due to anemia, which results from iron deficiency, Beetroot is believed to be a great choice for you.
Nutritionally, beetroot contain high amount of iron as well as essential vitamins and calcium, potassium which are useful in improving your condition effectively.
How to apply:
- Prepare 1 moderate-size beetroot, 3 carrots, some spinach and ½ a sweet potato
- Extract all these above ingredients to get the juice
- Consume this mixture once a day
Alternatively, taking 1-2 beetroots to roast. Cool, peel and eat them with salt and pepper.
