11 ms·

Daily 'Breath Training' can work as well as Meds to reduce high blood pressure

119 points by Trouble_007 4y ago

elnoxvie 4y ago
Daily meditation will help in reducing migraine, nerve related issues or stress, pain etc.
rajup 4y ago
Previously discussed here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31034740 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31034740
keepquestioning 4y ago
How about things like Expand a Lung? Can they improve cardio fitness?
1MachineElf 4y ago
>We found that doing 30 breaths per day
- Trouble_007 4y ago
  >We found that doing 30 breaths per day Yes, poorly written, 30x Inhalation & Exhalation resistance breaths per day. Would be far more appropriate!
Paedor 4y ago
Is there a physical difference between using the resistance device, and just breathing through a narrow straw? It seems a lot cheaper to just jury-rig something.
- Trouble_007 4y ago
  >through a narrow straw You can just use the palm of your hand over your mouth, however to determine if you you are making progress, you make like a meter to measure your performance. A Spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the Volume of air Inspired and Expired by the lungs : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirometer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirometer What Is an Incentive Spirometer? : https://www.webmd.com/lung/lung-incentive-spirometer https://www.webmd.com/lung/lung-incentive-spirometer Edit add; the palm of
  - reacweb 4y ago
    Maybe playing the recorder or inflating balloons is as effective.
    - Trouble_007 4y ago
      Inhalation & Exhalation resistance is required.
- wodenokoto 4y ago
  I thought the term was "jerry-rigged", but those are completely different. - Jerry-rigged: Not really a term, but a mistaken mash-up of jerry-built (cheaply or poorly built) and jury-rigged (built with what's on hand) - jury-rigged (built with what's on hand) https://www.dictionary.com/e/jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged/ https://www.dictionary.com/e/jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged/
munro 4y ago
Video from article > https://youtu.be/nd5U7mDhFi4 https://youtu.be/nd5U7mDhFi4 > The Power Breathe works for everyone: whether your young, old, fit, unfit, or even a top class athlete. > The Power Breathe was developed by leading sport scientists, and is scientifically proven to get results. > And after rigorous scientific and medical trials This has to be satire, I'm dead lmaoooo Also $650
- jsty 4y ago
  I had one of these a few years back and it was really helpful with developing breathing technique for high-intensity sports. I know a number of people with asthma found them very useful. $650 was way off the mark for what I paid, definitely under £100, and Amazon UK currently has them at £65.
  - munro 4y ago
    There has to be a low tech solution, like can I just try to breathe in with my mouth closed? Or breathe in through a plastic straw & pinch it? I really prefer calisthenics, I'd imagine the breathing exercises singers do are probably the best. It's also hard to believe any of the published findings of gimmicky devices like this [1]. Another paper says it doesn't provide any benefit [2], but then I question this paper, they only did 3 days. It takes me about of month of muscle training to really notice any effect. And now I feel I've already gave the POWERBreathe® too much attention then it deserves. ;) [1] https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/1/72 https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/1/72 [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306778/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306778/
- Trouble_007 4y ago
  Spirometer from Walmart cheapest $10 Spirometer from Walgreens most expensive $65
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- quantum_magpie 4y ago
zanderz 4y ago
"...those reductions are about what could be expected with conventional aerobic exercise..." "It could be beneficial for people who are unable to do traditional aerobic exercise ..." Title seems a little misleading
- TillE 4y ago
  Yeah, the takeaway for most people is just a reiteration of "aerobic exercise is good for your blood pressure".
- loco5niner 4y ago
  However, is also says this: "it would be a good additive intervention for people who are doing other healthy lifestyle approaches already."
nickd2001 4y ago
I wonder what the blood pressure record is for brass players then.... :)
- Trouble_007 4y ago
  >brass players Double Bassoon, Bassoon, Tuba, Sousaphone, Bass Saxophone? Maybe Glassblower? You still need Inhalation resistance.
achow 4y ago
Pranayama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama
- kordlessagain 4y ago
  "In some Buddhist teachings or metaphors, breathing is said to stop with the fourth jhana, though this is a side-effect of the technique and does not come about as the result of purposeful effort."
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
bilsbie 4y ago
Offshoot topic but I need medical advice from strangers. I get normal blood pressure readings at home but at the doctor it’s quite high. Is that pretty normal?
- fredophile 4y ago
  Yes. It's called white coat syndrome.
- garblegarble 4y ago
  White coat syndrome, as the sibling poster noted. However, if you or your doctor aren't satisfied and worry about the high measurements in their office, you can ask for a 24 hour monitor - you take it home and it measures blood pressure regularly throughout the day (and unfortunately throughout the night too)
- alexjplant 4y ago
  White coat syndrome as others have mentioned. I have this problem too (inherited from both sides of my family) and not a single doctor that I've seen pays attention when I tell them. Every year or so I spend a day or two testing myself at home and get normal readings but to them all that matters is the high systolic reading in the office. For some reason they find it inconceivable that an injured person who's in a building full of sick and dying people would exhibit an obvious symptom of stress like transient elevation of blood pressure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
isaacfrond 4y ago
Usually IMST training is done with a device that adds resistance to your breathing. If you want to try it without a device, just restrict airflow through your nostrils with your thumbs while inhaling. (and keep your mouth closed of course). It should be very difficult to inhale. You exhale freely
whalesalad 4y ago
Wim Hof <3
specialist 4y ago
Adjacently: I want a day time breath monitor. To nudge me when I hold my breath. I have chronic pain. I do all the usual pain therapy stuff (breathing, meditating, pacing myself, etc). However, I unconsciously hold my breath (and tense up) when my pain spikes. Noticing sooner, and nudging me, would be great. -- This Power Breathe looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely learn more about it. I've done some respiratory therapy stuff in the past. So I know this kind of thing can be really beneficial.
04rob 4y ago
Anyone able to tell if the study was funded by the device manufacturer?
nanomonkey 4y ago
Interesting, I was just listening to Tim Ferris' latest podcast with Bas Rutten, where he was promoting the O2 trainer, a similar device for exercising your breathing muscles and diaphram. I'm opting to just plugging whichever nostril is clear and using the constricted nostril instead. Seems cheaper and something I can do anywhere. Also helps me utilize my nose instead of being a mouth breather.

119 points by Trouble_007 4y ago

elnoxvie 4y ago

Daily meditation will help in reducing migraine, nerve related issues or stress, pain etc.

rajup 4y ago

Previously discussed here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31034740 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31034740

keepquestioning 4y ago

How about things like Expand a Lung? Can they improve cardio fitness?

1MachineElf 4y ago

>We found that doing 30 breaths per day

Trouble_007 4y ago
>We found that doing 30 breaths per day Yes, poorly written, 30x Inhalation & Exhalation resistance breaths per day. Would be far more appropriate!

Paedor 4y ago

Is there a physical difference between using the resistance device, and just breathing through a narrow straw? It seems a lot cheaper to just jury-rig something.

Trouble_007 4y ago
>through a narrow straw You can just use the palm of your hand over your mouth, however to determine if you you are making progress, you make like a meter to measure your performance. A Spirometer is an apparatus for measuring the Volume of air Inspired and Expired by the lungs : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirometer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirometer What Is an Incentive Spirometer? : https://www.webmd.com/lung/lung-incentive-spirometer https://www.webmd.com/lung/lung-incentive-spirometer Edit add; the palm of
- reacweb 4y ago
  Maybe playing the recorder or inflating balloons is as effective.
  - Trouble_007 4y ago
    Inhalation & Exhalation resistance is required.
wodenokoto 4y ago
I thought the term was "jerry-rigged", but those are completely different. - Jerry-rigged: Not really a term, but a mistaken mash-up of jerry-built (cheaply or poorly built) and jury-rigged (built with what's on hand) - jury-rigged (built with what's on hand) https://www.dictionary.com/e/jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged/ https://www.dictionary.com/e/jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged/

munro 4y ago

Video from article > https://youtu.be/nd5U7mDhFi4 https://youtu.be/nd5U7mDhFi4 > The Power Breathe works for everyone: whether your young, old, fit, unfit, or even a top class athlete. > The Power Breathe was developed by leading sport scientists, and is scientifically proven to get results. > And after rigorous scientific and medical trials This has to be satire, I'm dead lmaoooo Also $650

jsty 4y ago
I had one of these a few years back and it was really helpful with developing breathing technique for high-intensity sports. I know a number of people with asthma found them very useful. $650 was way off the mark for what I paid, definitely under £100, and Amazon UK currently has them at £65.
- munro 4y ago
  There has to be a low tech solution, like can I just try to breathe in with my mouth closed? Or breathe in through a plastic straw & pinch it? I really prefer calisthenics, I'd imagine the breathing exercises singers do are probably the best. It's also hard to believe any of the published findings of gimmicky devices like this [1]. Another paper says it doesn't provide any benefit [2], but then I question this paper, they only did 3 days. It takes me about of month of muscle training to really notice any effect. And now I feel I've already gave the POWERBreathe® too much attention then it deserves. ;) [1] https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/1/72 https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/1/72 [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306778/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4306778/
Trouble_007 4y ago
Spirometer from Walmart cheapest $10 Spirometer from Walgreens most expensive $65
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
quantum_magpie 4y ago

zanderz 4y ago

"...those reductions are about what could be expected with conventional aerobic exercise..." "It could be beneficial for people who are unable to do traditional aerobic exercise ..." Title seems a little misleading

TillE 4y ago
Yeah, the takeaway for most people is just a reiteration of "aerobic exercise is good for your blood pressure".
loco5niner 4y ago
However, is also says this: "it would be a good additive intervention for people who are doing other healthy lifestyle approaches already."

nickd2001 4y ago

I wonder what the blood pressure record is for brass players then.... :)

Trouble_007 4y ago
>brass players Double Bassoon, Bassoon, Tuba, Sousaphone, Bass Saxophone? Maybe Glassblower? You still need Inhalation resistance.

achow 4y ago

Pranayama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama

kordlessagain 4y ago
"In some Buddhist teachings or metaphors, breathing is said to stop with the fourth jhana, though this is a side-effect of the technique and does not come about as the result of purposeful effort."

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

bilsbie 4y ago

Offshoot topic but I need medical advice from strangers. I get normal blood pressure readings at home but at the doctor it’s quite high. Is that pretty normal?

fredophile 4y ago
Yes. It's called white coat syndrome.
garblegarble 4y ago
White coat syndrome, as the sibling poster noted. However, if you or your doctor aren't satisfied and worry about the high measurements in their office, you can ask for a 24 hour monitor - you take it home and it measures blood pressure regularly throughout the day (and unfortunately throughout the night too)
alexjplant 4y ago
White coat syndrome as others have mentioned. I have this problem too (inherited from both sides of my family) and not a single doctor that I've seen pays attention when I tell them. Every year or so I spend a day or two testing myself at home and get normal readings but to them all that matters is the high systolic reading in the office. For some reason they find it inconceivable that an injured person who's in a building full of sick and dying people would exhibit an obvious symptom of stress like transient elevation of blood pressure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

isaacfrond 4y ago

Usually IMST training is done with a device that adds resistance to your breathing. If you want to try it without a device, just restrict airflow through your nostrils with your thumbs while inhaling. (and keep your mouth closed of course). It should be very difficult to inhale. You exhale freely

whalesalad 4y ago

Wim Hof <3

specialist 4y ago

Adjacently: I want a day time breath monitor. To nudge me when I hold my breath. I have chronic pain. I do all the usual pain therapy stuff (breathing, meditating, pacing myself, etc). However, I unconsciously hold my breath (and tense up) when my pain spikes. Noticing sooner, and nudging me, would be great. -- This Power Breathe looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely learn more about it. I've done some respiratory therapy stuff in the past. So I know this kind of thing can be really beneficial.

04rob 4y ago

Anyone able to tell if the study was funded by the device manufacturer?

nanomonkey 4y ago

Interesting, I was just listening to Tim Ferris' latest podcast with Bas Rutten, where he was promoting the O2 trainer, a similar device for exercising your breathing muscles and diaphram. I'm opting to just plugging whichever nostril is clear and using the constricted nostril instead. Seems cheaper and something I can do anywhere. Also helps me utilize my nose instead of being a mouth breather.