Suffering from pneumonia can be a very severe ordeal. Once you've recovered, it's a good idea to strengthen your lungs so you can get back in control of your breathing and life. See Step 1 below for instructions on how to strengthen your lungs after you have pneumonia.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Doing Breathing Exercises
Step 1. Do deep breathing exercises
Breathing deeply can help restore lost lung capacity. You can do this in a standing or sitting position. Place your hands on your waist in a relaxed manner. Inhale as much air as possible. When you reach maximum capacity in your lungs, hold your breath for 5 seconds. Then let out as much air as possible. Make sure you exhale slowly and completely empty your lungs or as much as allowed based on your health condition.
Repeat this procedure 10 times for each set. It is recommended that you do 3 to 4 sets of deep breathing exercises throughout the day
Step 2. Breathe by pursed lips
Breathing with pursed lips can help increase the intake of oxygen into the lungs, and at the same time can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide. Start by relaxing the whole body. This can be done in a standing or sitting position. Breathe in through your nose for 3 seconds. Before exhaling, purse your lips as if you were about to kiss someone. Exhale through your pursed lips for 6 seconds. Inhale and exhale slowly. Do not take in and out of the lungs with sudden movements.
Repeat this procedure. Breathing with pursed lips was completed if the patient had shortness of breath. This breathing exercise should be repeated until the shortness of breath is reduced
Step 3. Try breathing from your diaphragm
The diaphragm is a muscle that pushes and pulls air in and out of the lungs. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath. Let the lower abdomen and ribs lift and make sure the upper chest cavity does not move. This is a challenge that must be overcome when performing diaphragmatic breathing. You should inhale the air for about 3 seconds. Then exhale for about 6 seconds. You should purse your lips and control your breathing better.
Repeat the whole procedure. At first, this exercise may be difficult to do. However, by doing more exercises and reps, you can work your diaphragm and ultimately increase your lung capacity. Over time, diaphragmatic breathing will become easier to do
Step 4. Perform huff-cough breathing
Huff-cough breathing will help get rid of bacteria and respiratory secretions by triggering the cough reflex. If you can't get up, you can sit up or lift your head out of bed. Relax and prepare yourself. How to do the huff-cough exercise:
- Step 1: Do 3 to 5 deep breathing exercises. Combine your breathing with pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing. Exhale as if you were coughing. When you've done 3 to 5 rounds of deep breathing, open your mouth but don't exhale first. Hold your breath, and tighten your chest and stomach.
- Step 2: Exhale the air from the lungs in a rapid motion. If done correctly, you will perform a cough reflex and loosen the blockage of secretions in the respiratory tract. If any phlegm comes out, spit it out and repeat the whole procedure.
Method 2 of 3: Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Drink lots of water
If you are an adult, drink 8 glasses of water a day. For children, the amount of water needed depends on body weight. Water helps the mucus in the lungs to become more fluid. Fluids or water help remove mucus from the lungs as well as the nose and mouth more easily. This makes your breathing better.
Step 2. Do exercise regularly
Doing sports and physical fitness exercises on a regular basis will help the lungs in overcoming the disease. For most people who exercise at sea level locations, the lungs will saturate arterial blood with oxygen more effectively than people outside of that altitude. This means that if you have difficulty breathing from exercising at high altitudes, or when asthma or chronic lung disease worsens, people who are actively exercising will have additional ventilation to take advantage of.
Running, walking, swimming, and cycling are all great ways to restore lung strength. Before practicing, do stretching and bending (bending) first. Each training session should last about 20 to 30 minutes. Stop the exercise if you are short of breath or your heart is racing
Step 3. Quit smoking
Smoking is known to be harmful to health. And if your lungs get pneumonia, your condition will get worse. One of the effects of nicotine is the constriction of the terminal bronchioles of the lungs, which can block the flow of air into and out of the lungs. If you've been suffering from breathing difficulties, you certainly don't want your lungs to get narrower.
- Nicotine also paralyzes cilia, which are hair-like projections that sit inside the cells that line the airways. Cilia help get rid of excess fluid and particles. So when paralyzed, the cilia stop helping to get rid of excess fluid in the airways caused by pneumonia.
- Another effect of smoking is the irritation caused by smoke which causes increased secretion of fluid into the airway passages.
Step 4. Take the prescribed antibiotics
Even if you think you're feeling better, don't stop taking antibiotics unless your doctor tells you to. You are at risk of developing drug resistance if you suddenly stop using this drug or do not take it on time. This means, giving antibiotics will not be effective if you do not follow the prescription given by the doctor.
Step 5. Consume adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals
Good nutrition will help fight disease, and a well-balanced diet can supply the vitamins and minerals you normally need. For a little extra, take a multivitamin or vitamin C tablet once a day to help your immune system.
- You need vitamins such as vitamins A, B complex, C, E, folic acid, and iron such as iron, zinc, selenium, and copper, all of which must be in sufficient quantities. All these vitamins and minerals act as antioxidants and will help the immune system to fight disease, especially infectious diseases such as pneumonia.
- Zinc sulfate is very useful for reepithelialization, or for repairing the lining of the airways.
- Vitamin D and beta-carotene supplements can also boost the immune system.
Method 3 of 3: Preventing Disease Relapse
Step 1. Don't drink alcohol while you're recovering
Alcohol can reduce the sneeze and cough reflexes needed to remove mucus from your lungs, and interfere with the effectiveness of the antibiotics or other medications you take when you have pneumonia.
Step 2. Don't be late for vaccination
There are a number of vaccines that can be used to prevent pneumonia. Influenza (flu) and pneumococcal vaccines are some examples of vaccines that can be given. A number of vaccines are given to children on a regular basis, but under certain conditions, adults will also be advised to be vaccinated.
- There are two types of influenza or flu vaccines. One such vaccine is the "flu shot," which contains a killed influenza virus that is inserted into a muscle using a syringe. This vaccine is given to patients over the age of 6 months, including healthy people and those with chronic medical conditions.
- Another type is the flu vaccine in the form of a nasal spray, which contains a live, attenuated virus. Because the virus has been weakened, it doesn't have enough strength to cause disease, but the body will be able to fight off the virus. This vaccine can be used in healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49, but who are not pregnant.
Step 3. Cover your mouth when coughing or when someone coughs
Covering your mouth when coughing or when someone else is coughing will help prevent the spread of germs, thereby reducing the chances of pneumonia coming back. You should also wash your hands whenever you are around someone who is sneezing or coughing.
Some ways that you can apply to cover your mouth and nose include using tissue paper, upper sleeves, or wearing a face mask
Step 4. Wash your hands regularly
We can receive and spread pathogens (microorganisms that cause disease) through our hands when we use them to cover our mouths when we cough, turn doorknobs, handle food, rub our eyes and hold our children. Without washing our hands, pathogens will multiply on our hands and spread to anything we touch. The following are proper hand washing techniques as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Wet your hands using clean, running water.
- Apply soap and foam to the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails by rubbing your hands together.
- Keep rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse your hands well with clean running water.
- Dry your hands.
Step 5. Regularly and thoroughly, clean all objects that you touch frequently
As explained in the previous step, hands can be an effective tool for spreading pathogens. So you can prevent the spread of disease by cleaning things that are often touched by your hands.
Items to clean include: door knobs, light switches and remote controls
Tips
- Lung capacity can be increased when you are in an upright position or leaning forward by placing a pillow on your lap.
- Rest often. While you're recovering from pneumonia, it's a good idea to take frequent breaks so your body can repair itself.
- You should do breathing exercises throughout the day with greater emphasis in the morning. Your lungs will be filled with accumulated respiratory secretions at night, so it's a good idea to do some breathing exercises when you wake up in the morning.
