Читать книгу Asthma-Free Naturally: Everything you need to know about taking control of your asthma - Patrick McKeown - Страница 22

It was outlined earlier how a reduction in carbon dioxide levels causes an increase in mucus secretion and constriction of the airways. The nose forms part of the air system and is usually the first part to become constricted. The following is a simple exercise which will unblock the nose in as little as five minutes. It is based on temporarily increasing carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which will in turn open the nasal passages. This exercise is the same for both children and adults. At this point it is worth practising the exercise before you read further.

♦ Sit upright on a straight-backed chair.

♦ Normalise and calm your breathing. Take a small breath (two seconds) in through your nose, if possible, and a small breath out (three seconds). If you are unable to take a breath in through your nose, take a tiny breath in through the corner of your mouth.

♦ Pinch your nose and hold your breath. Keep your mouth closed.

♦ Gently nod your head or sway your body until you feel that you cannot hold your breath any longer. (Hold your nose until you feel a relatively strong need for air.)

♦ When you need to breathe in, let go of your nose and breathe gently through it, in and out, with your mouth closed. Avoid taking a deep breath when you breathe in, and calm your breathing as soon as possible by focusing on relaxation. Repeat to yourself ‘relax and breathe less’.

♦ Continue to do this exercise until you can breathe through your nose fully. If your nose does not become totally unblocked, wait about two minutes and perform this exercise again. Initially you may need to do this a number of times before your nose is completely unblocked. This is yet another case of ‘practice makes perfect’.

Unblocking the nose

After doing this exercise a few times your nose will be unblocked. If you continue to overbreathe, or take a deep breath, you will lose the additional carbon dioxide and your nose will become blocked again. Perform this exercise each time that your nose becomes blocked. Even if you have a cold, make sure to breathe through your nose. You may think you can’t clear your nose when you have a heavy cold, but you can.

Holding the breath traps additional carbon dioxide which has been produced from the physical activity involved in moving the muscles. It is quite common for the nose to become blocked again shortly after doing this exercise. This is because the underlying breathing has not been changed and the body has not become accustomed to the increased carbon dioxide level. However, after some time, and with regular practice of breathing exercises, the body will adapt to a higher level of carbon dioxide and the nose will remain unblocked.