Efficacy of Breathing Exercises on daily living activities of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Improving breathing pattern and reducing disease progression including exacerbation frequency is a target goal for all COPD patients. Aim of the present study to assess efficacy of breathing exercises on daily living activities of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Research design: A quasi experimental design. Sample: A convenience sample of 70 patients with COPD. Tool consists of three Part I: Interviewing questionnaire to assess the socio-demographic data. Part II: Physical examination sheet. Part III: An assessment of patient’s difficulty of breathing during daily living activities (DLA). Results: Revealed statistical significant difference of the total mean scores before breathing exercise and after 3 months of breathing exercises training. Conclusion: There was positive efficacy of exercises on respiratory patient’s outcomes with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as evident with improvement in performing the daily living activities. The study recommended that government officials as well as nongovernmental organizations should encourage and support home-based training especially for patients with insufficient income. Further experimental study is suggested to compare between two groups of COPD one apply breathing exercises and another take antibiotic to demonstrate effect of exercises intervention on of purulent sputum.