Asthma, Allergies, Sinus, Hay Fever, Eczema, Emphysema, Bronchiectasis, C.O.P.D.

“Asthma is a word I no longer fear”

What is Buteyko ?

Reading this could be your first step to better health. Buteyko is a natural, drug-free way of improving health by normalising breathing and reducing symptoms of asthma, allergies, hay fever, panic, snoring, sinus, eczema and sleep apnoea.

What can Buteyko do for You?

Buteyko is successful in reducing symptoms of asthma and allergies because it addresses the cause and it involves a total approach to health.

The Buteyko programme includes special breathing exercises and principles about exercise, food and sleeping that Dr. Konstantin Buteyko considered vital to good health.

Breathing is our most basic requirement for life and good health yet it is the least likely to be considered simply because it is so basic. Breathing affects every cell in your body and like blood pressure it is easy for breathing to become abnormal without you being aware of it. Breathing incorrectly can have devastating results on your health in the long term.

Hyperventilation or over-breathing means breathing more air than your body needs at a particular time. Examples of hyperventilation include breathing through your mouth whilst driving a car or watching television. Studies show that people with asthma breathe 2-3 times more air than normal even when they do not have symptoms. Buteyko can correct this problem.

Common Symptoms of Hyperventilation

Clinical Studies
Buteyko is not a quick fix solution, there is no silver bullet to ‘cure’ your asthma or allergies, but Buteyko undoubtedly works.

Asthma is extremely common, affecting more than five million people in the UK alone.

People with asthma breath a greater volume of air than people who do not have asthma, i.e. they hyperventilate. Hyperventilation or over-breathing, is breathing more than the body requires at that time. The person will not usually know that they are breathing too much, so this is hidden hyperventilation.

The respiratory system is often the first to show symptoms related to bad breathing and many people with hidden hyperventilation have narrowed airways and/or increased mucus production. This can give you mild symptoms like a blocked or running nose or more serious conditions such as asthma, hay fever, chronic allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, coughing, and difficulty swallowing.

Several small clinical studies have shown that the Buteyko method is effective for asthma control, alleviating symptoms, reducing the need for medication and improving quality of life. The British Guideline on the Management of Asthma 2008 grants permission for British health professionals to recommend Buteyko, stating that the method "may be considered to help patients control the symptoms of asthma". The guideline grades clinical research on Buteyko with a 'B' classification - indicating that high quality supporting clinical trials are available. British Thoracic Society & Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). British Guideline on the Management of Asthma. Guideline No. 101. Edinburgh:SIGN; 2008. (Full PDF, Summary PDF)

NOTE Buteyko is not about throwing away medications. You are strongly encouraged to consult with your GP. You must not reduce your prescribed steroids without medical supervision.

Drug Therapies are Less Effective
Many people take medication for asthma and allergies yet still have symptoms because conventional treatments of asthma and allergies only mask the problem and do not address the cause. Some drugs are so powerful that they effectively suppress the symptoms but the person experiences side effects.

Medical trial results show that use of reliever medication over long term or in heavy doses may make it worse!

Do you get asthma or have trouble breathing through your nose when lying down or sleeping?

Do you get short of breathe when exercising or doing every day tasks?

Does your condition dictate your lifestyle?
Eg. Do you avoid activities, foods, or going places to have fewer symptoms.

Do you take medication yet still have symptoms?

Do you take reliever more than three times a week?

Does your condition cause you to miss work or school?

Are you using more medication than you were five years ago?

Are you concerned about possible side effects from your medication or do you already suffer from them?

Eg. Racing heart, tremor, worsening symptoms, more infections or nose bleeds, husky voice, oral thrush, easy bruising, thinning skin or nasal tissue.

If you answered ‘Yes’ to four or more questions then enrolling in a Buteyko course could make an enormous positive change to your life.

If you answered ‘Yes’ to three - four questions then Buteyko could greatly improve your health.

If you answered ‘Yes’ to two or fewer questions your condition is well controlled, but Buteyko can help with sports performance, improved sleep patterns, reduce tension and stabilise the appetite.

For the person enrolling in a Buteyko course perhaps even more important than trial results is the fact that Buteyko has been used continuously for more than 50 years and the people who have learned the techniques confirm its success.

“I have been very impressed with the benefit to me with the Buteyko technique. Also the continuous support when I wanted advice. I had been on medication (relievers and preventers) for over 10 years since I was found to have had the disorder. My asthma did not trouble me significantly, and I took the course because I wanted to give up having drug treatment. After two months I was off all medication and tapered off and stopped the exercises a few weeks later (in January 1998).

One thing that really impresses me is that on the infrequent occasions when I feel uncomfortably ‘tight’ in my chest one double set of exercises gives me adequate relief at once, equal or better than the benefit I got from using drugs in the past.”