Persistent shortness of breath is a common symptom for people affected by lung disease, an umbrella medical term that covers a myriad of chronic lung conditions that restrict respiration, undermine pulmonary function, and impair circulation. Lung disease can affect:
Depending on the form it takes, lung disease can cause shortness of breath when you exert yourself or make it feel like you’re always breathing through a straw or wearing a tight vest that stops you from taking a deep breath.
At Fivestar Pulmonary Associates in Allen, McKinney, and Plano, Texas, our board-certified pulmonologists are committed to delivering comprehensive, high-quality care that alleviates respiratory symptoms, slows lung disease progression, improves breathing function, and restores a better quality of life.
Here, Dr. Anthony Nebor, Dr. Asif Najmuddin, and Dr. Deepthi Gandhiraj explain what low blood oxygen levels mean and offer five effective strategies for improving your oxygen flow when you breathe.
Everyone knows that breathing is vital to life — without oxygen, your brain and your body stop functioning very quickly. But have you ever wondered how oxygen supports your health and vitality at the cellular level? Let’s take a closer look.
When you draw fresh air into your lungs, oxygen molecules quickly make their way into your bloodstream, where they bind with your red blood cells and travel through your body to reach every organ, tissue, and cell.
Once there, your body cells convert the oxygen into energy and release a waste material called carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide molecules also bind to your red blood cells, which carry them back to your lungs for you to exhale.
At the cellular level, oxygen supplies your body with energy, replaces worn-out cells, supports immune system function, and more. When your oxygen levels are lower than they should be because of lung disease, your breathing — and your health — suffers.
We use various methods to measure blood oxygen levels, depending on your specific condition and treatment needs. One of the fastest oxygen saturation tests uses a small, noninvasive device called a pulse oximeter.
When it’s clipped to your finger or earlobe, this device uses light and a sensor to determine how much oxygen is in your blood by measuring the ratio of oxygen-carrying red blood cells to empty red blood cells. A healthy, normal blood oxygen saturation level is 95–100%; a lower reading can indicate the need for oxygen therapy.
If a comprehensive oxygen evaluation reveals that your lung disease and shortness of breath are causing low blood oxygen levels, we can help. If your condition isn’t severe enough to warrant supplemental oxygen use, you may be able to boost your oxygen saturation naturally. We recommend that you:
Elevating your blood oxygen levels doesn’t have to be complex. Something as simple as opening your windows or heading outdoors for a walk can effectively increase the amount of oxygen you breathe in, which in turn increases your overall blood oxygen level.
If you smoke cigarettes, quit. We know that smoking cessation can be challenging, but with our help, your circulation will improve substantially just two to three weeks after your final puff. Within one to nine months, your shortness of breath will diminish, and your oxygen saturation numbers will rise.
Just like aerobic exercise promotes improved heart function and strength training tones your muscles, breathing exercises can make your lungs more efficient and help boost your blood oxygen levels.
Our team can teach you how to practice “pursed-lip breathing,” a respiration technique that reduces the number of breaths you take by lengthening each exhale, all of which keeps your airways open longer.
We can also teach you how to practice belly breathing, otherwise known as diaphragmatic respiration. This deep-breathing technique retrains your diaphragm to take on the work of filling and emptying your lungs.
If you have trouble breathing, you may not be able to engage in vigorous or even moderately intense exercise. Luckily, even basic, regular movement, like taking a daily walk around your neighborhood, can improve your respiration, increase your circulation, and boost your blood oxygen levels.
Poor posture has a direct link to impaired diaphragm mobility, restricted chest expansion, and reduced alveolar ventilation, all of which leads to impaired respiratory capacity and reduced oxygen levels.
You can improve your respiratory function, and in turn, your oxygen saturation, by practicing good posture (neutral spine, shoulders back, chest lifted, ears over your shoulders).
If you’re ready to start breathing better, our expert team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates can help. Call or click online today to schedule a visit at our nearest office.
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