Fatigue is something that I have to fight on an almost daily basis. If you watch the video that I have posted you will hear me discuss a few ways that I try to deal with this daily challenge.
I left out many of the first steps that can be taken to rid ourselves of fatigue. That is what happens when one has dealt with a chronic disease over a long period of time. We sometimes forget some of the simple things. One of these things is to keep ourselves well hydrated. I have experienced that absolute death-defying fatigue that comes from dehydration. Though I loved teaching and hated to have to give up the profession that I love, teachers bear many pitfalls to good health habits. One of those things is being able to go to the restroom when needed and another is drinking when you need to. One year in particular I had a schedule that put me straight through the afternoon without a break. One day I said to the colleague next door that I did not know how I was going to drive home because I was so tired. She came back a few minutes later with a really cold can of coke. I drank as to not be impolite and to my amazement, in a few minutes I felt revived. The music teacher said to the health teacher, “All that you needed was a coke because you were dehydrated.” Coke would not have been the preferred beverage for the health teacher, but it did the trick.
We need to make sure that we remain hydrated to help ward off the fatigue. We also can do some diaphragmatic breathing and pursed-lip breathing to help us bring in the oxygen and get rid of the carbon dioxide. I like to combine the two techniques together. A lack of oxygen can cause fatigue. With COPD we deal with an obstructive disease which means that we have a problem getting the air out. This is why pursed-lip breathing helps because the basic premise is that we exhale 2 times as long as we inhale.
Ana Eyssimont explains it this way.
One of the reasons COPD patients often feel exhausted, is because they are not getting enough oxygen, yet, you still might not qualify for supplemental oxygen. If this is the case for you, it could be very beneficial to work with a respiratory therapist. These healthcare providers are trained to teach you more efficient ways to breathe, which are often referred to as breathing exercises.
Breathing exercises like pursed lip breathing can improve fatigue by:
- Slowing down your respiratory rate
- Getting rid of the trapped carbon dioxide
- Relieving shortness of breath
A person can try pursed lip breathing during and after any activity that causes shortness of breath and before bed. To do pursed lip breathing work through these 4 steps:
- Breathe through the nose for around 2 seconds
- Purse or pucker the lips, as if blowing out a candle
- Slowly breathe out through the pursed lips for 4–6 seconds
- Repeat the exercise
We will talk about more solutions tomorrow.