Breathe Better: How Pulmonary Rehab Helps You Increase Your Lung Capacity

Your lungs and the rest of your respiratory system are responsible for helping you breathe. They also take in oxygen and remove excess carbon dioxide from the air you breathe in and out.

If you have a chronic lung disease, your breathing muscles are weakened, causing you to have shortness of breath and an inability to breathe with ease. And since every cell in your body needs oxygen to function, chronic lung diseases can have some serious negative effects on your overall physical health.

You may not be able to do much of anything without getting severely winded, which can limit your ability to move around or complete daily tasks. And the less you move around, the weaker your lungs become.

Thankfully, at Respacare in Bridgewater, New Jersey, our team led by Nehal Mehta, MD, FCCP, FAASM, and Prashant Patel, MD, offers pulmonary rehab to not only optimize your lung function but also strengthen your breathing function and restore your quality of life.

This month’s blog explores what pulmonary rehab is, what lung diseases it can help with, and how the treatment works to help you breathe better.

Understanding pulmonary rehab

Pulmonary rehab is a customized health program that helps improve any and all symptoms of chronic lung diseases. At Respacare, our team of specialists provides you with both education and exercises that can help you become more aware of your lungs and your breathing.

Common chronic lung diseases that can be addressed with pulmonary rehab include:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Asthma
Cystic fibrosis (CF)
Pulmonary hypertension (PH)
Lung cancer
Recovery from lung surgery

In many cases, these programs can be offered in a group setting to surround you with others who have similar conditions, allowing you to support each other along the way.

What’s included in pulmonary rehab?

Since your health needs are going to be specific to you, what’s in your pulmonary rehab plan depends on your symptoms and your goals.

Let’s take a closer look at the list of things our rehabilitation plans can include:

Exercise

One of the most important pulmonary rehab components is physical exercise. Things like flexibility training, respiratory muscle training, endurance training, and weight training allow you to slowly build up breathing endurance and muscle strength under direct medical supervision.

Education

When symptoms of your chronic lung disease strike, you need to know how to handle them effectively, especially when you’re on your own. We review how to utilize any necessary medical devices properly and discuss how to make the most of any medications you’re taking.

Breathing retraining

If shortness of breath makes it difficult to take the stairs or complete household tasks, we can teach you controlled breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, and different positions that make breathing easier.

Ready to improve your breathing?

Don’t let your chronic lung disease steal your breath any longer. Schedule a consultation today to learn if pulmonary rehab might be right for you by calling our office or using our online booking feature.