General Breathing Problems

At one time, all the parts of our body assembled to debate as to who is supreme and as to who is doing the most important work. When every part of our body was staking its claim for supremacy, the committee decided that each part would go on leave for about a month to see what happens. First it was the turn of the eye. It went on leave for a month and returned. Well, during the month the body was put to lot of inconvenience but it survived. Next it was the turn of the ear and so was the inconvenience but the body survived. After sometime, the turn of nose came. It went on leave. But even before it could leave the room, the entire body started gasping for breath and every part realized that without breathing none of them could survive. Immediately all the parts rushed to the nose and requested him not to go on leave.

That is the importance of breathing.

Our respiratory system starts with nose and ends with Alveo­li in the lungs. We inhale and exhale air which consists of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

At the time a child is born its respiratory rate is 30 to 40 times per minute with heart beat of 140 to 150 per minute. This steadily reduces and gets standardised at adult stage with 14 to 18 times of breathing rate and 70 to 80 times of heart beat per minute. These can be measured and the normalcy of lung and heart can be checked.

The Respiratory centre in our body is part of our brain and any block to the respiration could affect one’s brain. That is the reason why, if a person stops breathing, then immediately artificial respiration should be given to him. Otherwise his brain could get affected. So, there is prime need to keep this life line running smoothly.

Gasping

Many times, even normal people gasp while climbing stairs, or while going some steep roads or up the hill. Some people gasp for breath in winter and at other times are functioning well. Here are some expert advice on tackling gasping.


When you are about to climb stairs

· Climb the first two stairs breath in
· When you climb the next two, breath out
· Keep this rhythm of two in and two out

When you walk up the hill

· Breath in first three steps
· Breath out the next three
· Keep this rhythm of three in and three out

In winter

· Take quick short breathing for thirty seconds
· Then slow and full breathing for next thirty seconds
· Repeat this sequence

Congestion/bleeding in nose

1 To relieve nasal congestion in children
Crush a fistful of ajwain seeds and tie up in a cotton napkin
And place it near the pillow

2 To check bleeding nose
Make juice from fresh coriander leaves and use as nasal drops
Or you can drop into nostrils, drops of lemon juice

3 fry 2 tsp of dried sundaikkai and fry in little ghee and powder. Take this with rice thrice daily

4 For sinus congestion, grind thippili, clove and rock salt and add 1 tsp to 1 cup boiling water and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes. Filter and drink while still warm

In this connection it would be advantageous to read the following article:

Solutions for Breathing Problems

By Robert Elias Najemy

Breathing difficulties can seriously handicap our ability to function and enjoy life. Air is our most vital source of energy and vitality. When we suffer from asthma, bronchitis, allergies, frequent colds or simply insufficient oxygen intake, we are prone to a lack of energy, vitality and /or mental clarity. Every cell within our body depends on an abundant supply of oxygen for proper metabolism and vitality.
Some Causes of Breathing Problems
1. Hereditary weakness may make our lungs or other organs of respiratory apparatus weak points in our system. Thus when tired, overworked, anxious or stressed, these parts of the body can start to malfunction.
2. Environmental factors may also aggravate the condition. Cold and humid weather tend to accentuate breathing problems. Pollen and other particles in the air may cause allergic reactions. Occupational conditions such as working in a dusty area or in a smoke filled room may also aggravate the problem. Pollution irritates our nasal passage and lungs. Smoking cigarettes obviously damages our lungs, cutting off our supply of oxygen.
3. An over production of mucus clogs up the breathing passages, obstructing breathing. Foods, which tend to cause excess mucus, are all dairy products, white flour, white rice and sweets.
4. A lack of sufficient liquid intake causes the mucus to thicken and cling to the lungs and other breathing passages. This creates a favorable environment for microbes to reproduce.
5. Blockages in the spinal vertebrae or tension in the muscles of the upper back may also obstruct the flow of nerve impulses and bioenergy to the lungs. This may inhibit the proper functioning of the lungs.
6. Emotional blockages are directly connected with our breathing. People, who experience anxiety, depression, fear, nervous tension or a poor self-image, tend to subconsciously hold their breath. Thus their breathing is tense, shallow, and sometimes spasmodic. Long-term emotional blockages may also affect the adrenal glands and thus hormonal disorders may also play their part in the problem. Negative emotions also depress or disturb the functioning of the immune system.
7. A lack of proper education in breathing is another reason why people suffer from breathing problems. It is entirely possible for us to learn to use our lungs more effectively for greater energy, vitality, peace and clarity of mind. This should be learned from an experienced breath coach.
Some Solutions
Surround yourself with large green leafed plants, which produce oxygen and absorb pollution. . Get out of the city frequently. Go the sea or mountains and breathe fresh clean air. Use regular deep breathing to clean out and rejuvenate your lungs. Deep breathing while walking can clean out a considerable amount of pollution from the lungs. If you smoke, then - love yourself - and stop.
2. Avoid all diary products, white sugar, sweets, white flour and white rice. When the problem has subsided, then we can start taking small quantities of dairy products while watching the body's reaction. b. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drink plenty (6 or 8 cups per day) of warm liquid daily. This may be water, herb teas, or water with lemon. Do not drink refrigerated or iced drinks.
3. When one has a cold, an onion and garlic soup spiced with pepper, cinnamon ginger and cloves, opens up the nasal passages and allows the congestion to flow out.
4. Facing emotional factors is essential for healing the cause of the breathing problems. There are various ways in which we can find relief from these emotional factors and then eventually analyze them and transcend them. a. Self-analysis or objective-self observation can free us from various emotional attachments and fears. Positive thinking, affirmations, and positive thought projection can neutralize negative emotions and tendencies.
5.With the help of various exercises and techniques under proper care of experts, we can seek to: remove the blockages and tensions To start with we can simply practice deep breathing exercises. These exercises will give us relief from tension and may even bring the cause for our emotional tension to the surface so that we may see it more clearly and objectively. Deep relaxation techniques are also very effective for relaxing the whole system so that the muscles of breathing may function more freely.