Not much new news. My brother continues to ask every time we talk “Are you deep breathing?” He still urges me and my mother to do “10 deep breaths every hour.” I can’t say I get to it every hour, but I do remember several times a day.

(Speaking with a friend today – 24 April, 2020 – who has epilepsy, she cautioned that in those with the condition, repeated deep breathing has the possibility of triggering an epileptic episode. She said it is safer to take a deep breath, then a few normal breaths, and only then another deep breath.)

He said that the worst cases he sees are in people with pre-existing respiratory and breathing issues. And that COVID in the lower lungs is what creates the the breathing problems – which as I understand is the bulk of the severe problems. (see previous post on Deep Breathing) I’m wondering if it has to do with the TYPE of breathing – i.e. deep vs shallow breathing. I think many of us – myself included – don’t breathe as deeply as we could! And maybe a lot less than we should for optimal health.

Important thing about the breathing re: COVID – as I understand – is to get the air into the bottom of the lungs, as this is where COVID does the worst damage. In my learning, it is diaphragmatic breathing that he’s referring to – the kind that makes the sides of your waist expand and contract when you breathe… NOT the kind that makes you shoulders raise and lower! You can put your hands lightly on the sides of your waist and feel it while you breathe. I believe this exercise gets air in to the lungs, and also help to expand capacity.

There is a breathing technique called the Buteyko Method. It was controversial when I first ran across it some years ago. I’m not sure where it stands now. I believe it was designed to help with asthma. One of the experts in this breathing system has a special page on this kind of breathing and its possible efficacy in relation to other coronaviruses. It struck me because he discusses “surfactants” in the lungs, as did my brother.

I’ll post it here, and you can make your own assessment of it (as indeed of everything I post here!)

Stay safe. Be well.