Question: I recently had a bout of acute bronchitis for the first time and had spirometry which was just under normal range and was told that would be because of the bronchitis infection at the time of the test. However my question is a question to do with my breathing technique. Since being born I have never breathed correctly and have been told by many doctors that I breath shallow and rapidly. I generally inhale and exhale every 1 - 2 seconds. I was told I do not breath slowly and do not diaphragm breath and therefore do not fill my lungs. I know I have always done this as all my life I have never been able to exhale for more than 2-3 seconds. If I try to exhale any longer I have to stop and am then gasping for air. For example since being born to now as an adult I have never been able to blow a balloon, blow out candles, swim underwater for more than one stroke at a time, dive into water deeply, blow any form of musical instrument, hold a singing note, blow into a breathalyser, or hold my breath all for more than 3 seconds. I was told to learn to breath using my diaphragm so that my lungs would fill up and empty fully. Yoga was suggested. I also have a friend who has the exact same problem and is an anxious person to so breaths very shallow and quickly. When doing yoga in the time they do one deep breath in and then slowly out she has to breath 3-4 times as she too can't hold breath long because she takes a shallow breath. I had asthma as a child but outgrew 20 years ago. My friend has never been asthmatic.
My question is would the fact I can't inhale deeply therefore have very little air to exhale cause the spirometry to be low? I know I had bronchitis but as both my friend and me also attempted to blow a peak flow meter and struggled I wonder if the FEV1 and FVC reading (how much we can exhale and how quickly) is affected by the fact we both do not use a correct breathing technique?

So you are saying that is indicating the bronchitis infection??
What about my friend who also had a lowish level and didn't have any infection?

I don't have the results. Both mine and my friends FEV ratio were 67 and 69 and the range was 70.24 - 81. They are both above 80% of predicted so are ok but we just wondered if our poor breathing technique in general (not just in spirometry) is the reason we on the lower level of the normal range?
Or can people have varying size lungs or weak/lazy lungs that make it difficult to inhale deeply?
Or is it we are both just shallow breathers who by the time the inhaled oxygen reaches our neck we exhale again so it never fills our lungs properly?
I had asthma as a child. My friend never had asthma or any problem and has strong immunity. Both of us are in reasonable fitness, not overweight and do walking, tai chi and yoga.

Thanks for replying.
So for my friend you think the 67/70 is just due to poor breathing technique?
And for mine is my 69% of 70% is breathing technique or bronchitis?
Based on our previous discussions as I have had asthma before and since bronchitis have had wheezing at times (usually when sitting not when moving) do you think my score would be asthma (temporary or permanent) or just the bronchitis or poor breathing technique?
I assume my past smoking isn't why. As I said before I have breathed incorrectly since I was a child, had mild asthma and allergy as a child, and until bronchitis I had no problems ie wheezing or shortness of breath. That is only since bronchitis. Hence I would assume being 1% under is more my breathing technique not expanding or the bronchitis (not asthma or smoking)?
If my breathing technique was from smoking I would have had a smoking disease from birth. My poor breathing technique was for 20 years before I ever started to smoke and hasn't worsened at all anyway.

Right so you are saying my 69/70 score is from poor breathing technique not bronchitis, is that correct?
I would agree as I assume I would have always had a lower level in normal due to my incorrect breathing technique but I have never done the test before this.
The doctors didn't think anything was wrong based on xray other than bronchitis but just did spirometry at appointment. They said spirometry should not have been done till after bronchitis was clear though.
I have smoked on and off for 20 years and approx 5 cig per day (1mg).
So to confirm you are saying -
1. My breathing technique is wrong as I breath shallow and rapidly correct?
2. My poor breathing technique is the reason of low level normal spirometry correct?
3. So even though wheezing was never before bronchitis, wouldn't that confirm wheezing is just left over from bronchitis?
I can't see it would be from anything else as I didn't have before (unless it is anxiety as the cause)


I will add that the wheezing appears to be from my throat as at times I have mucus in my throat from sinusitis.
Chest is clear and GP cannot hear any wheeze in my chest.
I am prone to upper resp infections in my larynx in winter never chest.I think it is anxiety as I always worry about medical things as it all began when I had xray. Since then I have had panic attacks, hyperventilating which I never did and pins and needles aswell. None of these I had before. Probably also just a combination of sinus and maybe left over bronchitis or hypersensitivity post bronchitis as I am not tolerant to cold air now - makes me get tickly cough.
Had no problem with that before bronchitis either.

So you definitely don't think my inflammed airway in xray was from smoking?
You don't think spirometry is smoking?
You don't think wheezing is from bronchitis infection, asthma or smoking?

Ok so my Fev was 84% of predicted so that does not show any smoking disease correct?
And my 84% of predicted is normal for a person who doesn't breath properly correct?

I just walked for 30 mins at a brisk rate. I did not wheeze and am not wheezing now either. I take a couple of minutes to recover after the walk and walking up 150 stairs, is that ok?
I tested my breathing and found I inhale for 2 seconds and exhale for 2 seconds. I tried doing both for 3 seconds each but felt easier going to shorter breaths. So is that my poor breathing technique as that is my lifetime way of breathing?
If so please advise how I can improve this and whether I inhale and exhale through mouth or nose to slow down?
Note I tend to nose breath but as my sinus is blocked I find I can't inhale for long through my nose which is why I then need to exhale so I can inhale again. This probably is partly the reason I don't breath well (and I have very poor posture).

That's good news. Poor posture as in I slouch over which squashes my lungs and means I again don't inhale fully. Also forward neck posture too.
So as my upper nose passages are blocked from deviated septum if I don't feel I can breath enough through nose can I inhale through mouth? How many seconds ideally should I inhale and exhale? It is okay when consciously counting breaths but as most times you are busy so breathing happens automatically it goes back to shallow again, so how do I get my automatic breathing to slow down without having to count?
I am very glad to hear my other symptoms are anxiety but if I hyperventilate and no paper bag how do I stop (nose or mouth? Hold breath?)

One other question besides sinus, since bronchitis my throat seems to me more sensitive to cold air or air conditioning and causes a dry, tickly cough. Is hypersensitive throat common from virus?

Ok I will continue to inhale through nose and try to breath in a bit deeper and longer and then will exhale through mouth. Generally I breath 25-30 breaths per minute so too fast and shallow.
Yes my sinus and throat get irritated easily and since bronchitis my throat is much more sensitive to cold temp or air. Yes I get annual flu vaccine and had pneumonia vaccine but will need to get the booster whooping cough one.
Yes I did see an ENT and he said to try nasal spray but said unlikely to help as not sinus from allergy but from narrow septum so he said I would really need septoplasty to fix but it sounded horrible so I didn't do. I will add that at times especially with a cold my nasal passage gets very inflamed causing further blockage, constant mucus in throat, tickly cough and bleeding nose. As for stress, I am always stressed. Have severe anxiety disorder and is worsened by fear of illness. I started seeing a psychologist but when having severe anxiety about a medical concern nothing helps (except talking to you). I have not taken any sedatives before.

I don't know why I have deviated septum, I assume I must have born that way as I never had accident or injury to nose but for some reason only started getting the mucus in throat and tickly cough five years ago.
I will look into surgery again.

In regards to the extra sensitive throat since bronchitis and cold temperatures causing tickly cough what can I do to help or stop that? I take codeine linctus if cough won't stop or wear mask over nose and mouth.

Please let me know how to stop hyperventilating when occurs?

Last question, if my Fev ever dropped below 80% of predicted what would that mean? Incorrect breathing still or only a smoking problem?

Thank you. So to clarify if goes below 80% of predicted would have symptoms on exertion if is a smoking disease? What if I redid spirometry in 2 months and it is the same as this time except no more bronchitis infection.?

With regards to nasal sinus problem, the mucus that at times sits in my throat can that cause a throat wheeze?

And with the new breathing technique I understand when you say automatic but how do I slow it down if not consciously ensuring it example if I am asleep I don't know if my mouth is open to exhale or how fast I am breathing?

Ok so if my levels ever drop then that would definitely be from past smoking? Not breathing technique or asthma or infection? But you also say I would have noticeable symptoms on exertion I assume shortness of breath, wheezing or constant productive cough is that right?
So if I had no symptoms but level did drop then what does that mean - I just don't blow correctly?