| Asthma |
| The treatment and management of asthma has hardly changed over the past 50 years but for increased and more vigorous medication. Whereas few used to die of asthma, today the death rate of young and old increases year by year. This may in part be due to the fact that the underlying cause of asthma is not being addressed, treatment is symptomatic and some would say contra-indicated, in other words the treatment often leads to worsening of the condition long term. The suggestion is that asthma is often, if not always, associated with over breathing (hyperventilation), which leads to lowered levels of carbon dioxide which causes muscle spasm, reduced oxygen transport, and the bodyıs self-defence action of narrowing airways in order to cut down the air flow and restore normal carbon dioxide levels again. We all know oxygen is vital for life but we have forgotten, or never realised, that carbon dioxide is also as vital for life. The other aspect of asthma is the high mucous secretions caused by inflamation of mucous membranes, caused by irritants being breathed in through the mouth.Most asthmatics breathe through their mouths. The nose is the breathing organ which filters, warms and moisturises the air before it reaches the lungs, the mouth is for eating and speaking! We donıt eat through our noses, neither should we habitually breath through our mouths!. The Buteyko Method addresses these two major problems. Download Asthma Leaflet |
| Sleep Apnoea |
| There are many causes of this distressing condition, but hyperventilation is perhaps one of the commonest.With overbreathing a stage is reached when the brain detects the carbon dioxide levels are dangerously low, often resulting from mouth breathing and/or heavy snoring. A message is sent to stop the diaphragm. Breathing stops, CO2 levels rise and the brain allows the breathing to start again. The following breaths are usually deep gasps which lower the CO2 levels again and the whole cycle is repeated. There can be up to one a minute of these events causing disturbed sleep and exhaution. Where hyperventilation is the prime cause learning how to breath properly can establish normal CO2 levels to solve the problem. See the case history details of a severe sufferer helped with Buteyko.Download Sleep Leaflet Case History |
| ME Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
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A major stress such as an illness, toxic overload or viral infection usually occurs before ME / CFS starts, but there is no one thing common to all sufferers and many people experience similar events without developing the syndrome, which leaves the exact source a mystery to medical science.We know severe prolonged stress is debilitating , stress causes hyperventilation, hyperventilation causes stress and that it is easy to maintain chronic hyperventilation. Buteyko teaches how to break the viscious cycle by restoring normal breathing patterns, removing excess stress, developing good dietary habits and having adequate good sleep. |
| Snoring |
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Often the underlying problem behind snoring is a combination of mouth breathing and too much breathing which causes the soft tissue at the back of the throat to rattle. Once the volume of air being breathed is restored to normal and nose breathing is established the condition usually clears. The Buteyko Method addresses these two problems. |
| Bronchiectasis |
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A condition involving lung damage, dilation of bronchi susceptibility to infection and high mucus production all resulting in difficult breathing and impaired activity & health. Buteyko breathing technique helps by improving oxygenation of the blood, reducing mucus production, and the general better use of the functioning respiratory system. |
| Allergies, hayfever, sinusitis |
| Whenever anything enters the human body, be it through the mouth, nose, eyes or skin, and the body is not comfortable with this substance it will try to get rid of it. The reaction is usually to coat the offender with mucus or other secretions and then expel it. This explains why we sneeze, cough, vomit, develop diarrhoea or break out in angry bumps or welts. Every one of these reactions is accompanied by the release of adrenalin and/or histamine and/or other chemicals which cause our breathing rate to rise. If this becomes chronic, such as with hay fever, rhinitis, sinusitis, coughing, sneezing and other allergic reactions, our breathing rate will be constantly increased and the brain will alter the trigger point, as previously explained. We then become overly sensitive to these triggers and they affect us at a far lower level than would normally cause a problem, if our breathing trigger was set at the normal response. Constant coughing and sneezing further lowers the CO2 level and the condition becomes worse, leading to more spasm in the smooth muscle tubes in the nose, throat and lungs. The Buteyko Method can reduce the frequency and intensity of these problems through better breathing habits. |
| Eczema |
| Eczema is commonly found associated with asthma and other breathing problems. It is also very often found in people who are stressed. The skin is the largest organ of the body and is the furthest away from the heart. The nutrition and oxygenation of the skin relies on normal breathing and hyperventilaion leads to reduced oxygen supply due to lowered CO2 levels. The regeneration of new cells is impaired. Improved breathing leads to relaxation and normal oxygen supply to the skin. |
| High blood pressure |
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The circulatory system is made up of arteries, capillaries, veins, arterioles comprising over thirty thousand meters of vessels. The majority of these vessels have a smooth muscle coating. When CO2 levels are low smooth muscle becomes tense and vessels are constricted. This in turn causes blood pressure to rise to overcome this resistance. It was in fact Dr Buteykoıs own high blood pressure in his 30ıs which led him to develop his breathing technique. With the Buteyko Method ,breathing is normalised, CO2 levels return to normal and vessel constriction is reduced, blood pressure falls. |
| Emphysema |
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Although severely damaged lung tissue cannot be regenerated it is possible to increase the efficiency of the remaining tissue through breathing better and hence reducing muscle spasm and improving oxygen transport whilst reducing mucus production. As the lung function is improved it is possible to reduce medication and hence any of their adverse side effects. Most sufferers of emphysema who have learned the Buteyko Method find they are more physically active, have fewer breathing problems, are able to reduce their medication and generally have an improved quality of life. |
| Anxiety and panic attacks |
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This very common modern problem involves the flight/fight response to a host of possible trigger factors. The consequence is increased breathing rate, lowered CO2 levels, muscle spasms affecting chest tighness, stomach cramps raised blood pressure and generalised distress. The raised breathing rate can become an established pattern making the next attack more likely. Improved breathing can reverse this effect. |
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