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By Patricia Apr 19, 2021
If you’ve been struggling with clogged sinuses lately, surely all you want is to breathe easy once again. While there are many different methods to clearing your sinuses, today we’ll discuss some breathing exercises. Trying breathing exercises is the best way to start your journey to sinus relief as it is free and easy to do. After trying these exercises, if your sinuses still feel clogged, you may need to try out some additional methods or visit your local ENT doctor. If you live in or near Detroit, trust the specialists at our ENT clinic Detroit Sinus Center — we’ll find a way to fix your sinus problems and help you breathe with ease.
1. Sit upright with your shoulders back and start by taking a few focused breaths.
2. Breathe in through your nose for two seconds.
3. Breathe out through your nose for three seconds.
Note: If your nose is so blocked that breathing through it isn’t working, you can slightly open the corners of your mouth and breathe in and out through there instead.
4. Gently pinch your nose closed, close your mouth, and slowly nod your head up and down while holding your breath for as long as possible.
5. Once you can’t hold your breath any longer, be sure to breathe using your nose again and try to keep your breaths calm and focused.
6. Wait a few minutes to see if you can breathe easier through your nose. If not, repeat the exercise.
How This Works:
This exercise works for sinus relief as it trains your breathing and focuses it through your nose. More specifically, holding your breath actually can encourage your nasal passages to naturally widen. Once you do feel relief from this exercise, be sure to keep breathing through your nose to prevent the blockage from coming back. Breathing through your mouth can simply cause more mucus production, leading to a blocked nasal cavity once again.
1. Sit upright with your shoulders back and begin with a few short but focused breaths while closing your eyes.
Note: For this one, you’re going to want to make sure that you are in a calm, quiet environment, that you are comfortable, and that your body feels relaxed.
2. Place your index fingers on the cartilage between your cheek and ear.
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose for three seconds.
4. Slowly exhale through your nose and make a humming noise like a bee while gently pressing on your ear cartilage to close your ears — you can keep them closed from here on out or press the cartilage in and out with each breath.
5. Repeat steps three and four about five to ten times.
How This Works:
This humming breathing exercise is also known as the “bee breath” method, based on an old yogic breathing technique (Bhramari pranayama). It’s said to help calm your mind and refocus your nerves and has even been shown to relieve symptoms of chronic sinusitis. This breathing technique is used, of course, during yoga classes, but also as a way to help calm down anxiety, to de-stress in general, and to prevent tension and anger — in short, it helps calm an agitated mind.
It works as a breathing exercise for sinus relief in a similar way to the first exercise, by training your nasal passages to widen by calmly breathing in and out through your nose. Try out the “bee breath” breathing exercise to help clear your sinuses or whenever you’re feeling a bit stressed out — you can practice it up to ten total times per day and there are many different variations including laying on your back.
For some, breathing techniques may work perfectly. But for others, specialized treatment is required to properly clear blocked sinuses. If you live in Detroit, trust Detroit Sinus Center — we’ll come up with the perfect solution to treat your clogged, uncomfortable sinuses. We can help with everything from nasal steroids and medical therapy, to balloon sinus dilation and endoscopic sinus surgery. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for sinus relief at our Allen Park or Southfield locations in Michigan.