Yoga breathing exercises, such as pranayama, could provide relief to individuals suffering from mild asthma and potentially lower their dependence on low-dose inhalers during wheezing episodes.
Researchers from the Respiratory Medicine Unit at City University, Nottingham, are advocating for more studies into breathing control techniques, which have been largely overlooked by Western medicine.
Although yoga practitioners have long endorsed pranayama for its benefits to asthmatics, formal research on the subject has been challenging. However, using a device called the Pink City lung—designed to encourage slow breathing and simulate pranayama techniques—scientists conducted a hospital-based trial to assess the effects of controlled breathing.
Two specific pranayama exercises were examined:
- Slow, deep breathing.
- Exhaling for twice as long as inhaling.
Asthma, a condition where airways narrow and make breathing difficult, affects over three million people in the UK, including both children and adults. It accounts for approximately 2,000 deaths annually.
During the trial, standard clinical tests were used to measure patients’ lung function and airway irritability. Results showed that controlled breathing exercises made the airways twice as less irritable after practicing pranayama techniques.
While patients with asthma should not discontinue their prescribed medication, integrating breathing exercises like pranayama into their routines may offer additional benefits in managing the condition.
