It seems that the world will live with the new epidemic of the Corona virus, which causes Covid-19 disease, for a short period, and for this reason we will give you tips for the health of the lungs, useful exercises for those recovering from the Corona virus, and also we will warn you about some misinformation that you may hear on this topic on social media.
Our journey today is long and detailed, and we will review video breathing exercises, and we will review important medical sources, so come on, and we confirm that all our advice is for public awareness, so before doing any exercise you should consult a doctor.
According to Dr. Ayman al-Hajj Zain, assistant professor at the College of Health and Biosciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, clinical evidence shows that Covid-19 infection sometimes progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome, as the air sacs of the lungs are filled with fluid, moreover, despite recovery The vast majority of patients have some lung fibrosis and scarring, which leads to respiratory problems in the long run.
He adds that when leaving the hospital, the patient is advised to refrain from strenuous exercise due to damage to the lungs and respiratory muscles, and in the framework of the recovery process, doctors encourage pneumonia patients to perform breathing exercises, and they are advised to stop smoking.
refutation
We will first start by refuting inaccurate and incorrect information, perhaps the most notable of which was a video that circulated last April to a doctor from Queen's Hospital in London, in which he presented "a breathing technique to assist Corona patients".
Dr. Sarfraz Munshi initially recorded the video for his friends and family, but it spread to YouTube, reaching more than 3 million views, according to the BBC.
The technique involves taking 5 deep breaths (the doctor took it from the mouth), holding the breath each time for 5 seconds, and in the sixth deep breath you have to cough, and repeat this cycle once, also after that, lie on your face and breathe a little deeper for 10 minutes.
The truth is that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that this technique helps patients with the emerging coronavirus.
At the time, Laura Breach, a spokeswoman for the ACPRC Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care, stated that while the exercises are supposed to be harmless to healthy individuals, they will not advise them to do so, and they can To make symptoms worse for a person suffering from shortness of breath, according to the Guardian.
Britch added that the technique presented by the video is incorrect, as it is sufficient to take 3 or 4 breaths in order not to get tired and dizzy, but if you are suffering from symptoms of the Corona virus, you do not need to cough as part of the exercise.
She also advised British to breathe from the nose (not from the mouth as the doctor did), because the nose is important in moisturizing the air we breathe.
An important point is that it is true that coughing helps remove phlegm from the respiratory tract, but most people who develop cough with Covid-19 suffer from dry cough (cough without phlegm), so coughing will not benefit them greatly, as they do not already suffer from accumulation Phlegm.
It is the fallacies that you may also hear that deep breathing or breathing in a certain way helps reduce the possibility of infection with corona, or that breathing in a certain way treats the Corona virus, and this is not true, as breathing exercises will not prevent people from contracting corona, and the only way to reduce the risk of infection is to follow Social separation and personal hygiene procedures.
As for having a corona, you should refer to the doctor and follow his instructions, as the breathing method cannot treat the disease, so monitor your symptoms and report them to the doctor, and do not try to self-treat yourself with breathing exercises.
What about exercises that might benefit Covid-19 patients?
If we agree that breathing exercises do not protect or heal corona, there are exercises that may help patients who are recovering from the disease and have passed the critical or difficult stage and have returned home to recover, and once again we confirm that this is after consulting your physician.
We'll start with an exercise by Dr. Matthew Schmitt who recommends an exercise to help remove mucus buildup from the lungs when recovering from Covid-19 or other respiratory illnesses, with clarification that this applies if the person has an accumulation of sputum, or if his cough Java is likely to be of no use.
In the video published by CNN, the doctor recommends taking 3 deep breaths from the nose for 5-10 seconds each breath, and after completing the third breath the person counts 3 coughs, then the process is repeated 3 times.
And the doctor stresses that the person should do this exercise away from others so that he does not transmit any infections to them during his cough.
Exercises using a special device
We come to a medical guide published by the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Irving Medical Center at Columbia University and the Weill Cornell Medical Center on recovery from Covid-19.
The guide provides breathing exercises using a special tool called the "incentive spirometer".
The evidence says that the muscles that help you breathe need to be strengthened while recovering from a lung infection, and these include the diaphragm and the chest wall muscles.
He adds that the patient will receive a breathing stimulator upon discharge from the hospital, and this device helps to strengthen the breathing muscles and open the air spaces in the lungs.
The respirator should be used for 15 minutes throughout the day, and it can be divided into 3 sessions, each session for 5 minutes.
The following video shows the appropriate use of the device
- Sit upright on a chair or on the edge of your bed.
- Place the respirator in an upright position, and breathe normally.
- Place the mouth piece in your mouth and tightly lock your lips around.
- Breathe as slowly and deep as possible, and note that the ball or plunger rises toward the top of the shaft.
- Hold your breath for as long as possible (for at least 5 seconds).
- Take the tongue out of your mouth and exhale slowly, and let the plunger come down to the bottom of the column.
- Rest for a few seconds, and repeat the previous steps at least 10 times.
- After each set of 10 deep breaths, make your lungs clear.
More general exercises
The American Lung Association provides breathing exercises to help lung patients in general, and says that breathing exercises can help increase oxygen levels. Consult your doctor before exercising.
Pursed Lip Breathing
The association says that this exercise reduces the number of breaths that you take, and makes your airways open for a longer period, and to practice this simply breathe through your nose and breathe at least twice through your mouth with the lips.
Belly Breathing
Start breathing through your nose, pay attention to how your stomach is filled with air, and you can lightly place your hands on your stomach until you are aware of your abdomen rising and falling, exhale from your mouth at least 2-3 times throughout your breathing period.
How do we protect the lungs?
When the lungs are in good health and the body is also in good health, the probability of developing Covid-19 disease to serious complications is less, so we offer you the following advice to protect the lungs, in addition to the most important advice and above all, commitment to social divergence, personal hygiene and wearing masks according to the recommendations of the health authorities in Your country.
- Do not smoke, and if you smoke, quit smoking.
- Exercise daily.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Follow a varied and balanced diet that contains lots of vegetables and fruits.
- Rest as soon as you start noticing any respiratory symptoms, and see a doctor.
- Drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day, and more if you go outside or work out.