Assessing the Impact of Breathing Techniques on Asthma Symptoms and Quality of Life

Abstract

Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition affecting 1%-18% of the global population, leads to significant morbidity, healthcare costs, and around 180,000 deaths annually. Despite advances in pharmacological treatments, many individuals still experience persistent symptoms, reducing their quality of life. This study aims to assess the impact of breathing techniques as adjunct therapy on asthma-related quality of life. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 80 participants, divided into an intervention group (40) and a control group (40). The ACT and AQLQ were used to evaluate asthma control and quality of life. Following two weeks of training in diaphragmatic and pursed-lip breathing, data were analyzed using SPSS with paired and independent t-tests. Results showed a slight improvement in the intervention group, with AQLQ scores increasing from 3.25 to 3.36 (p = 0.002). However, the control group had better asthma-related quality of life, with higher mean AQLQ scores (3.60 vs. 3.13) and a greater improvement in post-test scores. More participants in the control group reported minimal or no impairment. While breathing techniques slightly improved the quality of life in the intervention group, they were less effective than the overall improvements in the control group. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of breathing techniques compared to other interventions