Welcome to this series of films which have been produced by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Long Covid Service to help with your breathing following infection with COVID 19.
This film is designed to help you understand more about normal breathing and why you may be feeling more breathless following an infection with COVID 19.
We will give you strategies to help improve your breathing pattern to reduce your symptoms of breathlessness and irritable cough, as well as guidance on how to return to activity and exercise.
We will also provide you with tools to help clear your chest of secretions, if this is a symptom that you are experiencing.
For the first time viewing these films, we suggest that you watch them in order. After that, feel free to come back to re-watch whichever ones you’d like to refer back to.
Film 1.1 - Introduction to Breathing Pattern Disorder
This film explains the two types of breathing pattern disorder; hyperventilation or ‘over-breathing’ and dysfunctional breathing. How changes to our breathing pattern can lead to a number of symptoms.
Film 1.2 - The Nervous System
To understand why people who are experiencing Long Covid also have breathing pattern disorders, we first need to understand a little about the autonomic nervous system.
Film 1.3 The Diaphragm
In this film we look at the muscles we use for breathing, particularly the diaphragm as it’s the main muscle of respiration, and also different breathing patterns.
Film 1.4 Demonstrations
This film includes a demonstration to show how to assess your own breathing to see how your breathing pattern fits with what we’ve learnt in the previous three sections in this series of films.
Film 1.5 Nose Breathing
In this film we look at the importance of breathing through the nose and why it is a healthier and more efficient way to breathe, as well as explaining some breathing techniques.
Film 2.1 Starting to retrain your breathing in lying
In this film we look at how effective it is to breath with your upper chest in comparison to breathing with your diaphragm.
Film 2.2 Retrain your breathing in lying – demonstration
This film includes a demonstration on how to achieve a good breathing technique in lying.
Film 2.3 Practice breathing in lying for yourself
This film will help you to practise ‘breathing in lying’ for yourself and includes top tips for retraining your breathing.
Film 2.4 Cough Suppression
This film identifies the different types of coughs, how to identify the triggers, and how to use techniques to help control this coughing.
Film 3.1 Retrain your breathing while sitting
This film demonstrates how to achieve a good breathing technique while sitting.
Film 3.2 Diaphragmatic breathing while sitting
This film shows how to practise relaxed, diaphragmatic breathing in sitting.
Film 3.3 Retrain your breathing while standing
This film demonstrates an optimal breathing technique in standing.
Film 4.1 Breathing and Exercise
This film will help you to become more aware of your breathing and to maintain nose breathing for as long as you can. This can help you to do more exercise and reduce your fatigue levels.
Film 4.2 Shortness of Breath on Exertion
This film demonstrates some techniques that you may find helpful when short of breath in various situations.
Film 4.3 Productive cough and airway clearance
This film looks at our respiratory system and the natural journey of air in and out of our body, including the natural defences that exist to prevent our lungs from infection. It also covers the importance of clearing these secretions from our lungs to prevent and aid recovery from infection.