Taking A Deep Breath Is Not As Bad As You Think, Here's The Reason!

JAKARTA - Taking a deep breath affects the volume of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. Medically, taking too many deep breaths will also affect oxygen levels in the brain.

But is taking a deep breath good for health?

Launching from UCHealth Today, breathing works involving various organs. Starting from the trachea or windpipe which functions like a tree trunk, explained Dr. James Hoyt, a pulmonologist at the UCHealth Pulmonology Clinic, Harmony Campus in Fort Collins.

From the trachea the airways divide and divide again like a tree branch. At the ends of tree branches there are leaves, that is, bronchioles which have alveoli. The alveoli are known as air sacs, where gas exchange occurs.

In the alveoli, the newly inhaled oxygen is flowed to the blood which is then pumped throughout the body. These air sacs also absorb carbon dioxide and are then expelled through breathing. The other part that is involved in the breathing process is the diaphragm.

The diaphragm is a thin muscle that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities. This muscle tightens and pulls down when inhaling. On exhaling, the diaphragm pushes the air out and moves upward.

When you take a deep breath, the rhythm of your breath will be more efficient later. Long breath or deep breath allows the body to exchange incoming oxygen with carbon dioxide that comes out.

According to Hoyt, deep breating has been shown to slow down the heart rate, lower and balance blood pressure and reduce stress.

If someone often takes deep breaths when they are tired or under a lot of stress, Hoyt suggests practicing breathing. For a relaxing breathing system, find a place to sit or lie down that relaxes your body.

"Taking a few deep breaths will not increase your lung capacity," explains Hoyt.

He continued, "But deep breathing is the best way to reduce stress and relax."

Quoted from the Healthline page, taking a deep breath can optimize the performance of the alveoli. However, medically healthy breathing is breathing normally.

That is, sighing that generally occurs when anxious only provides a temporary relief effect.

To reduce tension with breathing, it takes practice. For example, breathing exercises with a count of 6-8-10 as in meditation practice. Six counts for inhaling, 8 counts for keeping before 10 counts for exhale.

Launching from IndiaTimes, proper breathing is also important for body harmony. Plus, proper breathing releases endorphins, hormones that are responsible for mood-boosting and natural pain relief.