---
title: What if I can’t hold my breath for the recommended 15 second breath hold time?
description: I cant hold my breath for the recommended 15 seconds, what do I do?
---

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# What if I can’t hold my breath for the recommended 15 second breath hold time?

## I cant hold my breath for the recommended 15 seconds, what do I do?

We recommend that if you are unable to hold your breath for the recommended 15 seconds, to hold your breath for 10 seconds before exhaling into the device. However, it is still advised that a 15 second breath hold time is favourable where possible. It has been shown by studies that a minimum breath hold time of 15 seconds allows the CO in the breath to equilibrate with the CO in the blood(1), giving a much more accurate CO result.

 If the problem persists or has not been resolved by the information provided above, please contact your local distributor for more information. Find out who your local distributor is from our website [here](https://www.bedfont.com/find-my-distributor). 

### References

1\. West, R., 1984. The effect of duration of breath-holding on expired air carbon monoxide concentration in cigarette smokers. *Addictive Behaviors*, 9(3), pp.307-309.

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