Do not take a deep breath.

• Position: Asthma Sufferers

Asthma patients taught to resist the urge to take deep breaths when experiencing symptoms are rewarded with healthier lung function, according to a study from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

The results suggest asthma patients using behavioral therapy in conjunction with their daily asthma medicine can improve their lung health over the long term and potentially reduce their dependence on emergency medication, such as rescue inhalers, indicate principal investigators and clinical psychologists Thomas Ritz and Alicia E. Meuret.

Asthma can be a life-threatening disease if not managed properly, cautions the American Lung Association. Nearly 26,000,000 Americans have asthma. One of the most common chronic disorders in childhood, asthma is the third-leading cause of hospitalization among children under 15.

Asthma attacks typically provoke sufferers to gulp air and take deep breaths to relieve the frightening fear of asphyxiation. In addition, they tend to breathe deeply even when not experiencing symptoms. However, Ritz and Meuret found that deep breathing is exactly the wrong thing to do.

For their study, one group of asthma patients used biofeedback to monitor their breathing for reassurance they were getting sufficient oxygen. The patients practiced shallower, shorter breaths to increase their intake of carbon dioxide. A second group also practiced slower breathing, but without...