Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

194 The Pulmonary System
See also BREATH SOUNDS; HYPERVENTILATION; RESPI-
RATION RATE.
breathing exercises Methods to improve lung
capacity. Breathing exercises are especially helpful
for people who have chronic or progressive lung
conditions such as CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY
DISEASE
(COPD), BRONCHIECTASIS, and PULMONARY
FIBROSIS. The pulmonologist or respiratory therapist
may prescribe specific breathing exercises to
accommodate an individual’s unique needs and
health status. General breathing exercises often
recommended include
• belly breathing, which uses the abdominal
muscles to help completely fill and empty the
LUNGS
• pursed lip breathing, which releases air through
lips formed as though to whistle and maintains
positive pressure in the airways with exhalation
(especially helpful for people who have COPD
and other obstructive diseases)
• measured breathing, in which the person
breathes in, holds the breath, and breathes out
for an equal count at each stage
YOGA breathing is also beneficial for pulmonary
health, with yoga breathing exercises to practice
in combination with yoga positions as well as simply
as breathing exercises. In yoga, the breath is
prana, the energy of life, and breathing exercises
are pranayama. Common pranayama include
• bellows breathing, in which inhalation is steady
and full, with exhalation forceful and rapid
• alternate nostril breathing, in which inhalation
is steady and full through one nostril with the
fingers holding the other nostril closed, and
exhalation through the other nostril, again
with the fingers holding the nonbreathing nostril
closed
• holding the breath, in which inhalation is
steady and full, the lungs hold the breath for as
long as is comfortable, and exhalation is steady
and slow
For people who have pulmonary health conditions,
breathing exercises are more challenging
than they sound. It is important to begin slowly
and progress steadily. The doctor should approve
any planned exercise effort, including breathing
exercises. Breathing exercises, including yoga’s
pranayama, are also highly effective for relaxation
and stress reduction.
See also AEROBIC EXERCISE; AEROBIC FITNESS; DIS-
ABILITY AND EXERCISE; OXYGEN SATURATION; WALKING
FOR FITNESS.
breath sounds Characteristic noises the flow of
air makes as it courses through the TRACHEA and
bronchi. The doctor listens to breath sounds using
the diaphragm (flat) side of a STETHOSCOPE placed
at various sites on the outside of the chest and the
back, a diagnostic method called AUSCULTATION.
There are four normal breath sounds, heard with
inhalation and exhalation:
• Tracheal breath sounds, hollow sounds heard
over the THROAT as air passes through the trachea
• Bronchial breath sounds, harsh sounds heard
near the sternum as air passes through the
bronchi (large airways in the LUNGS)
• Vesicular breath sounds, rustling sounds heard
in most locations on the chest and back as air
moves in and out of the alveoli
• Bronchovesicular breath sounds, a mix of harsh
and rustling sounds heard just to the sides of
the upper sternum on the chest and below the
shoulder blades on the back
Normal breath sounds are of nearly equal duration
with inhalation and exhalation and are particular
to specific locations. Normal breath sounds
heard elsewhere are abnormal and indicate the
possibility of pulmonary conditions such as ATELEC-
TASIS (collapsed segment of lung), fibrosis (SCAR tissue
in the lungs), or other circumstances that cause
the lung to shift its physical or functional presence
within the thoracic cavity. The absence of normal
breath sounds indicates that the segment or lobe of
the lung is not receiving air, usually as a result of a
significant bronchial occlusion (blockage of a
bronchus), severe atelectasis, or lung collapse.
Other breath sounds the doctor can hear
through the stethoscope are abnormal and indicate
INFECTION or disease. Doctors call these adventitious
breath sounds. Among them are