Effect of Alternate Nostril Breathing Exercise versus Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise on Dyspnea and Fatigue among Asthmatic Patients

Abstract

Background: Dyspnea and fatigue are common symptoms among participants with asthma, significantly affecting their overall well-being. Breathing exercises, such as alternate nostril breathing and diaphragmatic breathing have gained popularity as complementary approaches to managing these symptoms. Aim: To evaluate the effect of alternate nostril breathing exercise versus diaphragmatic breathing exercise on dyspnea and fatigue among asthmatic patients. Design: A quasi-experimental research design with pre-and post-test was employed for this study. Setting: The study was conducted at the chest inpatient department and outpatient clinic of Cairo University Hospital. Sampling: A purposive sample of 60 participants with severe asthma, were randomly assigned to either group (1) that received alternate nostril breathing exercise or group (2) that received diaphragmatic breathing exercise. Tools: Three tools were used: (1)Participants' socio-demographic and medical related data, (II)Arabic version of the dyspnea-12 questionnaire, and (III)Arabic version of the brief fatigue inventory scale. Results: Post intervention, the total mean score of dyspnea in group 1and group 2 significantly decreased to(22.7±4.8;20.4±5.3)respectively compared to (33.0±3.3;33.9±4.7)respectively pre intervention. There was statistically significant difference in total mean score of fatigue(p=0.000**)pre and post intervention for both studied groups. Moreover, post intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between group 1 and group 2in dyspnea total mean score (p=0.090), while there was statistically significant difference between group 1 and group 2 in fatigue total mean score (p=0.005*). Conclusion: Both alternate nostril breathing and diaphragmatic breathing exercises can effectively improve dyspnea and fatigue among asthmatic participants, while, diaphragmatic breathing exercise demonstrated a superior effect on reducing fatigue compared to alternate nostril breathing exercise. Recommendations: Incorporating breathing exercises into the management of asthma could offer a non-pharmacological approach to alleviate dyspnea and fatigue, moreover, enhance participants' quality of life.