Tag: breathlessness

Health Education: Pneumonia Awareness Week 13-20 May

Keeping warm as the temperature drops morning and afternoon is key to staying well this week in Brisbane but we also need to keep an eye on our friends and family for symptoms that could be ignored as a simple cold.

Awareness of the symptoms Pneumonia, a serious condition, is one way you can help those you know and love who are considered to be at risk –  those with a chronic medical condition, a smoker, if they are 65 years or under 12 months of age.

Encourage them to get a medical check up with their practitioner if – difficulty breathing; fever; chest pain; cough; and fatigue. And if in doubt get it checked out, anyway.

For more information you can find a brochure on the Lung Foundation website at: www.lungfoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lung-Foundation_Infographic_Pneumonia_Final.pdf

 

Factors Affecting Breathlessness: Reduced Activity

A big question  people with breathlessness face is how much activity is too much?

We need to take a look at what they are doing, how breathless they get and what measures are in place to manage that and return to a pre-activity level when the task is finished. The bottom line is the need to keep moving. If you say I’m breathless and stop then you will decondition and the breathlessness will increase. You need to be active to a level you can use techniques to control the breathlessness and not let it get out of hand in order to keep daily activities  maintaining muscle conditioning. Muscles that preserve your balance, help you breath and maintain mobility and independence.

Factors Affecting Breathlessness: Thoughts (3)

I mentioned in my last post that thoughts affect behaviour. A great way to manage breathlessness is to keep moving. So here is where your thoughts come into play. The activities you choose to keep moving in have to be meaningful, they have to be something you get positive feelings and thoughts from, they need to matter to you. So if nature moves you then find something that engages that meaningfulness. It could be gardening, going for a walk by a stream, having breakfast with a view of the trees and flowers blowing in the wind, the clouds scudding across the sky. Positive and meaningful activity will keep you moving through your breathlessness.

Community Connections – Newsletter Article

This May is Lung Health Awareness month and the May issue of the LungNet News includes an article I wrote to help you get back on your feet after a flareup or exacerbation of your pulmonary condition. Its called, ‘How to Grade your Return following an Exacerbation’. You can find it in the newsletter on the link below.

https://lungfoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/XANZOO180328_LungNet-May_Web.pdf

 

Factors Affecting Breathlessness: Thoughts (2)

Thoughts are funny things, they can affect our feelings and behaviour in many ways. For instance, if we get anxious about our breathlessness then we may feel a little overwhelmed. A good way to deal with this is in keeping yourself well informed about your condition. Information on things such as breathing techniques and postures can empower and give you back that sense of control thereby helping defeat those negative thought patterns and focus on the things you value most.

Factors Affecting Breathlessness: Thoughts

Breathlessness can cause thoughts of anxiety and distress leading to greater levels of breathlessness. Relaxation is an important part of managing these thoughts. Try relaxed breathing, tai chi, light gentle exercise in your chair or go for a walk or even try some hydrotherapy with your exercise specialist.