Precautions & Contraindications

POWERbreathe IMT breathing training is drug-free, suitable for almost anyone and should cause no harmful side effects when used properly. Please read the following precautions and contraindications to ensure that POWERbreathe IMT is used safely and appropriately. You must always consult your healthcare professional before embarking on any new form of exercise and this includes POWERbreathe breathing training.

Precautions:

• The patient must not make changes to any prescribed medication or prescribed treatment programme without consulting their doctor.
• Do not use the POWERbreathe whilst taking part in other activities where you may become distracted, such as walking, running and driving.
• POWERbreathe should not be used if the patient is suffering from a ruptured eardrum or any other condition of the eardrum.
• It is not recommended to use POWERbreathe if you have suffered from or are likely to suffer from Costochondritis.
• To prevent the potential transmission of infections, we recommend that POWERbreathe is not shared with other users, including family members.
• This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
• POWERbreathe is designed for exercising the inspiratory muscles only. No other use is intended or implied.
• Anyone who is under the age of 16 should only use POWERbreathe with supervision from an adult. POWERbreathe contains small parts and is not suitable for children under 7 years.
• Whilst training with POWERbreathe the patient should feel resistance when inhaling but it should not be painful. If the patient feels pain whilst using POWERbreathe they should stop immediately and consult their doctor.
• Some users may experience slight ear discomfort when training with POWERbreathe, especially if they are recovering from a cold. This is caused by inadequate equalisation of pressure between the mouth and ears. If symptoms persist, patients should consult their doctor.
• If a patient is suffering from a cold, sinusitis or respiratory tract infection, we advise that they do not use POWERbreathe until symptoms have disappeared.
• If you start to feel dizzy using POWERbreathe IMT, please pause until recovered and take longer gaps between breaths.

Healthcare Professional should take into consideration the following conditions before patients use POWERbreathe:

1. A history of spontaneous pneumothorax (a collapsed lung that was not due to traumatic injury e.g. broken rib), as it may lead to a recurrence of the condition.
2. Pulmonary hypertension or large bullae on chest x-ray.
3. Marked osteoporosis with history of rib fractures.
4. Desaturation during or following IMT (<94%).

Contraindications

Inspiratory muscle training, such as training with POWERbreathe, is not recommended for patients with certain conditions, including the following:

• Patients who have undergone recent abdominal surgery and those with an abdominal hernia.
• Asthma patients who have a very low symptom perception and suffer from frequent, severe exacerbations or with an abnormally low perception of dyspnoea
• If a patient is suffering from a ruptured eardrum or any other condition of the ear
• Patients with marked elevated left ventricular end-diastolic volume and pressure
• Patients with worsening heart failure signs and symptoms after RMT / IMT
• If you are suffering from a cold, sinusitis or respiratory tract infection, we advise that you do not use your POWERbreathe IMT device