Studier om Covid-19: Andningsrehabilitering gynnar återhämtningen

Respiratory rehabilitation benefits the Covid-19 patients

Summary of international studies 2020. Text: Ilpo Kuronen, PhD

Slow recovery from the Covid-19 appears to be related to the dysfunctional respiration and may last for several months after the acute phase of the disease. Especially the elderly seems to suffer from the very slow recovery and poor quality of life consequently. It has been postulated that respiratory rehabilitation may speed up the recovery [1] with better quality of life, but until now, no clinical evidence for the possible improvements have been available [2]. According to the recently published clinical study [2] respiratory rehabilitation improves respiratory function, anxiety, and quality of life of the elderly recovering from the Covid-19.

The authors studied effects of the six weeks rehabilitative intervention which included respiratory muscle training, cough exercise, diaphragmic training, stretching exercise, and home exercise. The results indicated that the estimates used in the study improved faster in the intervention group than in the control group in which many estimates improved only slightly or not at all during the follow-up period. The estimates included pulmonary function tests, exercise capacity test, and validated quality of life questionnaire. No side effects were reported.

The methods used are common in respiratory physiotherapy. The authors did not assess the wight of the different methods on the final outcomes. Therefore, it remains unclear what particular method should be preferred, but the methods chosen are intended to strengthen exhalation and coughing power, improve chest mobility, and assist diaphragmic deep breathing technique.
Respiratory muscle exercise usually harbours both expiratory and inspiratory muscle power regimes with the airflow resisting threshold devices. In case of the obstructive diseases such as asthma and COPD, the benefits of the regimes having both expiratory and inspiratory training are shown to be more efficient than either alone. In acute phase of the Covid-19, high negative counter pressure is not a choice, but in the convalescence phase it may provide additional value to improve breathing mechanics as it does for the COPD patients.

For the elderly, faster recovery means better and more active life and independency from the home care services. The true economical value of the faster recovery concerns the working population since one sick leave day costs app. 250 – 300 €. Returning to work weeks earlier has a huge meaning in forms of saved direct and indirect incurred costs to the societies. Therefore, delayed recovery from the Covid-19 is a socio-economical issue which needs to be solved as fast as possible.

Development of the new preventive regimens for the Covid-19 is of utmost importance but the therapeutic methods which can be taken in use faster than new vaccines or drugs should be also addressed. In this respect, the authors show us a way to follow.

Matson et al [3] reported just recently that half-life of the Covid-19 virus on mucus and sputum layers reduced dramatically along with the increased humidity and temperature. Their finding explains why the virus spreads more vigorously at low temperature and humidity environments. It would be interesting to see the effect of increased temperature and humidity on viral replication and infectability on the mucous membranes of upper airways.

References: 1. Severin R., et al. Respiratory Muscle Performance Screening for Infectious Disease Management Following COVID-19: A Highly Pressurized Situation. The American Journal of Medicine (2020) 000:1−8. 2. Liu K., et al. Respiratory rehabilitation in elderly patients with COVID-19: A randomized controlled study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 39 (2020) 101166. 3. Matson JM et al. Effect of environmental conditions on SARS-CoV-2 stability in human nasal mucus and sputum. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 26, No. 9, September 2020.

WellO2 – Andningsträning med motstånd och ånga

WellO2 är ett andningsredskap som kombinerar träning av andningsmuskulaturen vid både in- och utandning med varm ånga, vars motstånd och temperatur kan justeras.

Andningsträning förbättrar andningskapaciteten, lugnar andningsrytmen och balanserar längden på utandning och inandning. Motståndsandning aktiverar djupandningen, vilket ger en lugnande effekt som förbättrar återhämtningen och sömnkvaliteten.

När du återhämtar dig från en lunginfektion förbättrar WellO2 lungventilationen, återfuktar slemhinnorna i luftvägarna och löser upp slem som kan ha samlats i luftvägarna – vilket orsakar andfåddhet eller irritation.

WellO2 är säker att använda tillsammans med mediciner. Andning med motstånd används ofta vid rehabilitering och behandling av andningssjukdomar, men det som är innovativt med WellO2 är motstånd vid både in- och utandning, samt är justerbar för att gradvis öka muskelstyrkan. Dessutom vårdar ångan slemhinnorna och gör träningen mer behaglig.

WellO2 passar även äldre som är svagare, eftersom övningarna kan göras sittande. Hos äldre, utan underliggande lungsjukdomar, beror oftast andningsproblem på nedsatt muskelstyrka. Högre styrka i andningsmuskulaturen ökar kapaciteten, som ger mer energi och en förbättrad vardag. Ofta förbättrar djupandningen också sömnkvaliteten, vilket ger ett piggare tillstånd under dagtid.

Det finns inga kontraindikationer för WellO2 från andra mediciner och ingen övre begränsning hur mycket den kan användas.

Text: Katri Lindberg, produktchef WellO2.
Katri Lindberg har omfattande arbetserfarenhet inom specialistvård. Hon har arbetat som sjuksköterska och rehabiliteringsinstruktör för lungpatienter och har gedigen erfarenhet av olika lungsjukdomar och deras behandling och rehabilitering. Dessutom har Katri specialkompetens inom hjälpmedel för behandling av andningssjukdomar.