Breathlessness

After having COVID, some people find it harder to breathe during everyday activities.

This page shares information to help you understand your breathlessness and learn easy ways to manage it.

Information from Nottinghamshire Healthcare

Breathlessness and Long COVID

This booklet explains:

• Why normal breathing is important
• How to check your own breathing
• How to retrain your breathing
• Tips to manage breathlessness
• How to manage a dry or chesty cough

Useful links from other sources

A Breathing Guide to help you recover from COVID-19 (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

The long-term effects of COVID-19 are many and varied. Usually, the severity of an illness affects recovery, but with COVID-19, this is not always the case, and for many, including those who did not need to go to hospital, the recovery period is slow and extended.

Your Guide to Chest Clearance Techniques (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

The respiratory system has a coating of mucus from the nose to the smallest air-sacs. There are small cells (goblet cells) that produce sputum and small hair-like cells (cilia) that move the sputum along the tubes, into the back of our throat where it is usually swallowed along with the saliva in our mouth.

Your Guide to Cough Control (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

Coughing is a reflex action that protects the lungs by clearing the throat of mucus or foreign bodies.

Your Guide to Good Breathing (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

'Good breathing' means moving air in and out of the chest with the minimum of effort and the right muscles. This gives you the correct amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide you need to live and feel well. 

Your Guide to Nose Breathing (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

We have two routes for getting air in and out of our lungs either through the nose or the mouth. Breathing through the nose is a healthier and a more efficient way to breathe.

 

Your Guide to Over-Breathing - Also Known as Hyperventilation (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

Exactly as it sounds, over-breathing is breathing more than is necessary to meet the body's natural requirements. 

Your Guide to Relaxation (Physiotherapy for Breathing Pattern Disorders)

There are many times in our lives when we will feel stressed. This maybe a physical stress, such as pain from an injury or illness, or emotional stress such as bereavement. Sometimes stress or pressure encourages us to react in a positive way to overcome whatever is worrying us, i.e. focusing on revision. 

Long COVID Service Breathing Pattern Disorder Educational Videos (NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight)

Here you can find a series of videos in relation to Breathing Pattern Disorder developed by the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Long Covid Service.