Breathing exercises after pneumonia

Although pneumonia is not an extremely serious disease, it belongs to the category of serious diseases with a number of serious consequences. Many doctors recommend adding physical procedures, in particular breathing exercises, to the main medical treatment in the treatment of pneumonia and eliminating its consequences.

Respiratory gymnastics is an innovation and has been successfully used both in Soviet medicine and after. In addition to an effective addition to drug treatment, breathing exercises are aimed at maintaining and strengthening immunity, and contributes to the speedy return of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract to normal.

Why do you need breathing exercises

Pneumonia is included in the category of infectious diseases. During the development of the disease, the infection deals a tremendous blow to the lung glands - the alveoli and bronchioles. These glands perform the main function in the body, namely, they produce gas exchange processes, that is, the saturation of all internal organs and cells with oxygen.

Even after a drug attack on an infection, the lung glands remain weak and need time to recover. After pneumonia, a person experiences such discomfort as weakness, shortness of breath, hypoxia, shortness of breath and low performance in general. And in especially severe cases, there is a risk of brain pathologies and the development of chronic respiratory diseases.

The development of pathologies after the treatment of pneumonia is fraught with a strong thickening of the pulmonary glands, as a result of which the passage of oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide becomes difficult. Blood, which is also present in the lungs, tends to stagnate and thicken due to difficult passage. In this case, you can forget about full breathing.

Also, against the background of the disease, there is a general weakening of the work of the chest, as a result of which, sometimes a person cannot even cough up, which makes it difficult to remove unwanted mucus from the lungs, which contributes to the formation of new inflammatory processes.

Thus, in addition to drugs, in order to reduce possible complications, restore metabolic processes, strengthen the pulmonary apparatus and restore the normal functioning of the entire respiratory system, it is vital to carry out breathing exercises.

Of course, breathing exercises have only an auxiliary effect, drugs are the main treatment, but according to statistics, helping the body with breathing exercises, the risk of complications drops by 80%. Experienced doctors recommend introducing gymnastics after the body returns to normal temperature.

After especially severe forms of pneumonia, people experience discomfort in the respiratory tract for a long time, but regular exercises help to pass the rehabilitation period faster with minimal discomfort.

The effectiveness of breathing exercises

Many years of clinical observations have found certain relationships in the relationship between recovery processes and breathing exercises. By the way, exercises are recommended for everyone, not only those who have had an illness, since shallow breathing is characteristic of almost every second person, as a result of which the body experiences an oxygen deficiency, although it may not show pronounced symptoms.

Respiratory rehabilitation exercises are suitable for both adults and children. It is worth doing them correctly and regularly. At first, patients perform gymnastics under the supervision of the attending physician.

Thus, as a result of observations, it was found that, observing the conditions for performing exercises, the process of blood circulation, drainage of accumulated lymph is enhanced, exudate is better absorbed, the amplitude of movement of the thoracic region increases, the volume of the lungs expands, the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide returns to normal, muscle tone increases. respiratory organs.

To enhance the effect of breathing exercises, therapeutic massage is used in parallel.

Also, the following examples of breathing practice can be used as a prevention of the development of colds and runny nose, to strengthen immunity, restore cell metabolism, increase hemoglobin and cleanse the respiratory apparatus.

What is breathing exercises

There are several methods of breathing exercises. Among them, the classic generally accepted and increasingly popular exercise technique according to Strelnikova is more distinguished. The classic version of the exercises is described below, since there is a whole video breathing course according to Strelnikova on the Internet.

By the way, Alexandra Nikolaevna Strelnikova was a budding singer who, having been ill with pneumonia, lost her voice. In the process of applying various treatment methods, Alexandra Nikolaevna noted how different the effect of various elements of numerous methods is, which prompted her to form her own more progressive, as many believe, program. If, respected in medical circles, the technique seems more effective, you should consult with your doctor about the full transition to this program.

So, initially, the classical generally accepted breathing exercises begin to be performed lying down. Of course, this is meant at the beginning of classes after the restoration of the temperature regime, when the person is still weak. Only after the patient's condition improves, can he begin to practice sitting.

The intensity of classes must be increased gradually. The attending physician should observe the first classes and suggest the intensity of implementation, bearing in mind the severity of the disease. In general, the medic looks like this:

• in the supine position, you need to take 50 breaths and exhalations. In this case, the back should be flat, you need to lie with straight legs and arms extended along the body. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth;
• further, depending on how the patient's condition allows, you need to take a sitting or standing position. We put our elbows bent at the elbows in front of us and rotate the limbs about 8 times. Then we stretch our arms as high as possible, while taking a deep breath. Then we return to the starting position. We carry out these manipulations about 5 times;
• in a prone position, you can also sit, on the inhale we bend the feet, on the exhale we unbend. Repeat about 10 times;
• we spread our arms to the sides while inhaling and return to the place while exhaling, repeat about 5 times;
• after lying down, you need to take your hands on the belt and bend your legs at the knees, as if dragging them along the bed without tearing off your heels, first one leg, then the other. You need to breathe as calmly as possible. Repeat 5 times;
• in a supine position, still on your back, you need to get up, leaning on your elbows, you need to bulge the thoracic section up while inhaling, and return to the starting position while exhaling. Do these manipulations about 5 times.

Next, it is recommended to take a break, some may need to cough up sputum, about 5 minutes and continue with the following exercises:

• we spread our arms to the sides, while sticking out the chest, when we spread our arms we take a breath, returning to the starting position we slowly exhale. Repeat about 5 times:
• in the prone position, alternately raise the legs, inhaling, lowering the leg, exhaling. 5 reps per leg;
• raise your hands up, you can in any position, while trying to reach out to something, at this moment a breath is taken, returning to the starting position, you need to exhale. About 5 times;
• repeat the first paragraph. This allows the body to relax and the breath to calm down.

Starting this complex, one should not be too zealous and should carefully listen to what the body says.

Rules and safety precautions for performing breathing exercises

Immediately after overcoming the severe stage of the disease, you can start exercising, do not worry too much if dizziness, ringing in the ears or stars in the eyes occur during breathing exercises. In this case, you should slightly reduce the intensity to continue the lesson after a short rest.

In order for the result to be positive, classes should be started gradually. Perhaps the best option would be to start with a couple of movements, adding one exercise daily to the complex, increasing the intensity later.

If it is difficult to perform exercises in a sitting position, you do not need to be too zealous. In this case, it is better to focus on the correct execution of the execution technique in the prone position.

As has been repeatedly said, it is necessary to start classes in the presence of a doctor. If it gets worse during the session, there may still be inflammation and the doctor should make sure that they are present.

You always need to be concentrated on breathing, inhalation should occur through the nose, as deeply and loudly as possible. The exhalation should be distributed for the entire time of returning to the starting position. You need to exhale through your mouth.

Exercises for children

Very often children become patients with pneumonia or pneumonia. Since gymnastics helps not only in rehabilitation, but also has a preventive effect, parents of frequently ill children should instill breathing exercises in their child.

Perhaps, due to the young age and the inability to coordinate their movements sufficiently, some exercises will be incomprehensible to the kids. So, if any exercises cause difficulties, they can be replaced with tilts to the sides and back and forth. In this case, the parent should carefully monitor the breathing of the baby.

If in the process of performing the child will have coughing fits, you can massage the chest to facilitate the withdrawal of sputum.

For older children, the above exercises should not be difficult, but the execution technique should be supervised by one of the adults. If the child is too weak, you can try to speak long tongue twisters with the child, sometimes they can be very effective.

What are the contraindications

Despite all the benefits that gymnastics has, there are also some contraindications for its implementation.

So, contraindications are patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system, people with severe exhaustion of the body, patients with shortness of breath even at rest, people with mental illness who are unable to do exercises on their own.

It is forbidden to do exercises when the disease is in an acute stage.

Conclusion     

As you can see, breathing exercises are of great benefit, greatly facilitating and speeding up the overall treatment process. And the exercises themselves do not carry strong physical exertion and even a child can perform them.