"How to increase oxygen level"
The feeling of being out of breath (dyspnea) is a sensation that is well known to those who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Although it is common for those experiencing shortness of breath to use oxygen therapy (oxygen tanks) to cope, the downsides can include fatigue, headaches, and dry or bloody noses. Further, when depending on oxygen tanks as a primary oxygen supplement, there exists a severe risk: the body can learn to actively suppress its natural respiratory system. Following is a list of 5 natural ways to improve your oxygen levels that should help in reducing your dependence on tanks.
Change Your Diet: Antioxidants allow the body to use oxygen more efficiently increasing oxygen intake in digestion. When looking to boost antioxidant intake, the foods to focus on are blueberries, cranberries, red kidney beans, artichoke hearts, strawberries, plums and blackberries, most of which can be consumed in various juices and smoothies. Another critical protein to consider are essential fatty acids like Vitamin F, which work to increase the amount of oxygen the hemoglobin in the bloodstream can carry. These acids can be found in soybeans, walnuts and flaxseeds.
Get Active: Exercise is key to a healthy life. Through aerobic exercise, such as simple walking, the body is able to better utilize oxygen while removing waste through the lymphatic system. As recommended by the American Heart Association, 30 minutes a day of regular walking has greater effects on the circulatory system than spending an hour or more in the gym 2 to 3 times a week. Aside from the physical health benefits, walking has been shown to improve mood, confidence, and reduce stress.
Change Your Breathing: Exercising your lungs regularly is crucial to maintaining ones respiratory health. However, what is often an impediment to one’s breathing is the method in which they breathe. It’s recently been discovered that sick people breathe using the upper chest and inhale more air, which causes reduced oxygen levels in the body. In contrast, the correct method to proper breathing, is slow, from the diaphragm, and through the nose, rather than the mouth.
Breathing is something we do without thinking, so it is easy to take it for granted. But as people age, they are more likely to develop respiratory complications and experience breathing difficulties. Along with this inability to breathe freely and sustain healthy blood oxygen levels comes a host of other ailments, including elevated anxiety and emotional stress, reduced energy levels, and compromised immune function. Caregivers can help their aging loved ones alleviate some of these symptoms through focused breathing exercises that increase oxygen saturation in the body and ease physical and mental stress.
Benefits of Breathing Exercises
Pulmonary rehabilitation is an important intervention for individuals with lung disease or other conditions that affect lung function. Respiratory therapists frequently teach their patients specialized breathing techniques, which can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with asthma attacks, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnea. According to the American Lung Association, “If practiced regularly, breathing exercises can help rid the lungs of accumulated stale air, increase oxygen levels and get the diaphragm to return to its job of helping you breathe.”
The benefits do not stop there, though. Even healthy individuals can experience the calming and rejuvenating effects of controlled breathing. In fact, breathing exercises can help improve overall respiratory health and lung capacity. Seniors and their caregivers can practice these techniques together to reap the benefits.
Types of Breathing Techniques
Try the three Exercises below to find one that is most useful for each of you.
Believe it or not, there is a right way to breathe, but most people don’t practice it. Patients with limited lung capacity often fall into the habit of taking short, shallow breaths into their chest. If a Person’s chest rises as they take a breath, it is a likely indicator of improper breathing. A proper breath will draw air into the lungs, pushing the diaphragm down and visibly expanding the belly. This is why diaphragmatic breathing is also called “belly breathing.” Follow these steps to engage in deep, Diaphragmatic breathing:
1. Sit up straight, with one hand on the stomach and the other on the chest.
2. Inhale slowly and deeply through the nostrils, feeling the stomach expand with each full, diaphragmatic breath.
3. Exhale slowly out of the mouth.
4. Repeat six or more times each minute for up to 15 minutes.
4-7-8 Breathing
The popular 4-7-8 breathing method has been touted as one of the most effective (and speedy) ways to fall asleep. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a person can drift off in less than a minute using this approach. Part of the 4-7-8 Technique’s success lies in its ability to ease tension and promote relaxation. Practicing the following focused breathing exercise twice a day will help reduce stress and anxiety, which may provide relief from insomnia, mood swings and food cravings.
1. Breathe out fully through the mouth, creating a wind-like “whoosh” noise.
2. Keeping the mouth closed, inhale through the nose and silently count to four.
3. Hold this breath while counting to seven.
4. Exhale through the mouth for a count of eight, repeating the “whoosh” sound.
5. Repeat steps two through four five times.
Thousands have reported relief from asthma, sleep apnea and hypertension by integrating this proven method, which balances the body’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, into their daily routines. As a note, it is best to have senior patients initially perform this exercise under supervision to avoid improper technique that can result in hyperventilation.
1. In a quiet, comfortable place, sit up straight and focus on breathing.
2. Keeping the mouth closed, inhale slowly through the nostrils to fill the lungs.
3. Exhale through the nostrils, slowly expelling air from the lungs, until you feel compelled to inhale.
4. Repeat steps two and three five times.
Practice Breathing Exercises Daily
When patients begin using daily breathing techniques and notice positive results, they often stick with the program. Missing a day or two is acceptable, unless it affects a person’s whole routine and causes them to slip back into old, shallow breathing habits. Tracking progress with a diary can help you stick to your routine, recognize improvements and note any significant changes in your health.
We breathe more than 25,000 times each day, so it is easy to get lazy when it comes to this largely involuntary process. Using these Breathing Exercises, seniors and caregivers alike can shake old habits and develop new ones that lead to improved physical health and a renewed sense of mental alertness and clarity in only a few weeks.
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