
Suggest Remedy For Acute Bronchitis

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?
Yes, this will definitely give you low values on PFT.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Spirometry is part of PFT (Pulmonary Function Test).
FEV1, FVC etc are measured by spirometry manuere.
Spirometry is effort dependent technique.
Patient has to blow according to the need. Failing in that will give low values and hence wrong interpretation of results.
So false positive results are more common if person has not performed the test well.
So in your case if you have not breath in and breath out correctly, spirometry will definitely show poor values and hence indicates disease.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to you and your friend.
Thanks.


What about my friend who also had a lowish level and didn't have any infection?
If spirometry is not done properly, it is not considered diagnostic.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
As I said earlier, spirometry is effort dependent test. For proper diagnosis, patient has to follow the technique correctly.
For accurate results patient has to blow out air for atleast 6 seconds. This is the standard acceptance criteria.
If patient fails in doing so, results are not reliable and show false positive.
So please let me know
1. Have you exhale fir six seconds?
2. Can you send me picture of PFT report?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your and your friend.
Thanks.


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.
Yes, poor breathing technique can be the cause.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, poor breathing technique like shallow breathing can cause lower normal values.
And for both of you cause is mostly poor breathing technique.
No need to worry for lung size. Lungs are like balloon. If you breath properly, they will expand and work properly.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing good health to you and your friend.
Thanks.


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.
Both of you have these values due to poor breathing technique.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
In my opinion, both of you have slightly lower values due to poor breathing technique.
Asthma and bronchitis will have wheezing on exertion, not at rest.
Your wheezing is in the seating position and not in the moving position.
So possibility of bronchitis is less in your case. And your lower values are due to poor breathing technique.
And breathing technique is not due to smoking.
Please let me know
1. At what age you started smoking?
2. Do you have any previous PFT report for comparison?
3. How many cigarette s you smoked per day?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.


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.
Answer to all your questions is poor breathing technique and anxiety.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, your lower values are due to poor breathing technique only.
And no need to worry for bronchitis because you are not wheezing from lungs and comfortable while moving.
In bronchitis, wheezing is from lungs and more on moving (exertion).
So in my opinion, you are not having bronchitis.
Your wheezing is mostly due to stress and anxiety.
You also had panic attacks.
So possibility of stress and anxiety are more likely cause fir your wheezing.
Please let me know
1. What kind of stress you are having?
2. Did you have stressful childhood?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.


You don't think spirometry is smoking?
You don't think wheezing is from bronchitis infection, asthma or smoking?
Not all smokers develop bronchitis.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Smokers are at high risk of lung diseases.
But not all smokers develop lung diseases.
Some are smoking through out the life and not develop any lung disease.
Smoking related lung diseases have characteristic of worsening with exertion.
You are not having any trouble or wheezing while moving.
You are wheezing while sitting. This is not characteristic of bronchitis or asthma.
Diagnosis of bronchitis should be considered only if values like FEV1 and FVC are reduced to less than 80%of predicted. Your values are near normal. So possibility of lung disease despite of smoking is very less.
By all these facts, I think your wheezing is due to poor breathing technique and anxiety.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.


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).
Very poor posture means what?
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, 84 %is not showing any smoking related lung damage.
And yes your lower normal report is mostly due to poor breathing technique.
Ideally you should breath in from nose and breath out from mouth.
Actually inspiration is active process. You need to breath in actively.
While exhalation is passive process. You need not do anything for exhalation. It is done passively by elastic recoil of lungs.
And what do you mean by poor posture?
Please reply me answer of above asked question, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing you good health. Thanks.


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?
Yes, viral upper respiratory tract infection is common.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, viral upper respiratory tract infections are very common. And cold air can actually favours viral infection.
And this can cause sore throat and tricky sputum in throat.
Normally I:E (inspiration :expiration) ratio is 1:2.
Normal inspiration time is 1 second and normal expiratory time is 2 seconds.
So normally we take 18-20 breaths in a minute.
Nose breathing (inspiration) is best. Actually nose is meant for that only. It humidify the air, prevent dust and particles. So nasal inhalation is preferred.
I think you are too much conscious about your breathing. Normally you are not aware of your breathing. But anxious, stressed people are having subjective awareness of their breathing.
And this is the most likely cause for your problems.
So, I want to clarify few things
1. Have you ever checked by ENT doctor? If yes then what treatment was given for DNS?
2. Are you having stressful life? Work related or family related?
3. Have you ever undergone Pulmonary vaccination? Influenza vaccines are given annually to prevent recurrent upper respiratory tract infection.
So please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.


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.
Get done septoplasty as early as possible.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
I am glad that my advice is helping you and you are believing in me.
It's always encouraging for doctors to hear positive feedback from patients. So thanks again.
In my opinion, you should get done septoplasty as early as possible. With out this, your nasal breathing will not improve. This is mechanical obstruction and without removing it, you can not get cured.
Drugs will not be effective.
So get done septoplasty. It is very safe procedure. No need to worry much for this.
And avoid stress and tension. Be relax and calm.
Don't worry, you will be alright.
Hope I have solved your query.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.


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?
DNS if symptomatic should be corrected through surgery.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
DNS can be present since birth but it may show symptoms later.
So no need to think about the cause. Important thing is treatment. Whenever DNS is symptomatic, it should be corrected surgically. And after surgery, your almost all symptoms will improve.
About hyperventilation, you need to control by your own. Be relax and calm. Avoid stress and anxiety. Think about good things and divert your mind whenever you are hyperventilating. You can count numbers whenever you feel so.
No drug will be helpful in this.
If in future your values are less than 80% then at that time we need to see your symptoms first. If you are not having any problems while moving then no need to worry. And believe me after DNS surgery will improve in stress, anxiety and hyperventilation.
I would love to hear your progress.
Hope I have solved your query. If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wishing you good health. Thanks.


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?
No need to worry if your mouth is open at night.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, if you are symptoms on exertion and your values are less than 80 % then it is mostly due to smoking related lung damage.
No need to worry if your spirometry results remain same in future.
Yes, mucus in throat from nasal septum deviation can cause wheezing like feeling in throat. So better to get done septoplasty.
Don't count your breaths. Just relax and keep calm. Avoid unnecessary stress and tension. No need to worry if you breath from mouth in sleep.
Hope I have solved your query.
If you are not having further queries, then please close the conversation and rate my answer.
You can ask me directly on bit.ly/askdrkaushalbhavsar.
Wish you good health. Thanks.


So if I had no symptoms but level did drop then what does that mean - I just don't blow correctly?
For diagnosis of smoking related lung damage, symptoms should be there.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on HCM.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, if you have symptoms like cough, expectoration, breathlessness, wheezing then you will definitely have lower values and they are due to smoking related lung damage.
But if you don't have any symptoms and still have lower values then no need to worry much for smoking related lung damage.
Poor technique or effort during spirometry can also cause low values.
Please let me know
1. You had last PFT before how many days?
2. Have you breathed out (exhalation) for six seconds or it was less than six seconds?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

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