Pursed-lip Breathing

A breathing technique in which the person inhales gently through the nose and exhales slowly through lightly pursed lips, with the exhalation lasting at least twice as long as the inhalation. The prolonged exhalation against pursed lips creates positive back-pressure in the airways, which helps prevent premature airway collapse and reduces dynamic hyperinflation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pursed-lip breathing is a standard at-home rehabilitation exercise for COPD and is recommended in clinical practice guidelines as a self-management strategy for breathlessness.