Asthma is a reversible lung condition, not a disease. The Buteyko Breathing Method is by far the most effective asthma management plan in the world today; it is more effective than any other form of complimentary medicine and can begin to reverse the symptoms of asthma within a few days of starting a programme.

Extensive patient based medical trials throughout the world have scientifically proven that considerable reductions in asthma medication can safely be achieved and sustained using the exercises taught during a Buteyko course, and a greater quality of life achieved, with an increase in energy, more restful and deeper sleep.

The method is completely safe, and the exercises taught are all easily done sitting comfortably in a chair. Full instructions are given over a period of five days and usually during this time clients begin to gain tangible benefits and relief from their symptoms.

There was once a theory that people grew out of their asthma, but now this is known to be untrue, what actually happens is that the asthma can go into remission for a number of years and may return at a time of trauma or life changes; which can be a key factor in the return of asthma symptoms, or trigger the beginning of what is know as ‘late onset of asthma.’ This is due to the stress response in the body, which in turn leads to hyperventilation or overbreathing, which is the one single main factor in the cause of asthma.

How the Buteyko method works is by putting the clients asthma naturally into remission by gently increasing the levels of carbon dioxide in the body. Carbon dioxide acts as a natural bronchodilator by relaxing all the smooth muscle in the body, especially the muscles of the respiratory system. Over a longer period of time the clients breathing normalises and the likelihood of asthma symptoms occurring again become less and less. In most cases people are usually able to reduce the amount of medication they use considerably, and live a much healthier and more relaxed life without the burden and worry of the debilitating effect that asthma has on their lives.

Given the fact that people live such busy lives these day, most people want a quick fix so that they can simply get on with their lives again, but when that quick fix lasts for years with long term, ongoing financial costs, and unknown physical costs, the so called ‘quick fix’ of medication begins to show its true colours.

People often ask the question why there are so many new cases of asthma in the world today, with the UK topping the bill with the highest counts of asthmatics anywhere, costing the healthcare system several million pounds each year. The answer is simple: our lifestyles have changed, people eat richer foods and more ‘junk’ food, take less exercise, live in overheated housing and work places, often wear too many clothes, spend too little time outside in the fresh air, drink too little water, all of which lead directly to hyperventilation or overbreathing, which simply exacerbates asthma.

Of course there is one other major factor involved: Evolution. As life was evolving on the planet several million years ago, carbon dating shows us that there was a lot more CO2 in the lower atmosphere where we breathe than there is now, back then there was approximately 7%, now in the modern world, despite the increase in greenhouse gases, there is still only 0.03%, which means that as living beings we need to retain about 6% in our systems to stay healthy. For most people in the modern world, their level of carbon dioxide is likely to be lower than this, due to what professor Buteyko termed hidden hyperventilation or overbreathing.

When clients overbreathe they throw out the blood gas balance, in other words they breathe in too much oxygen and out too much carbon dioxide, and the end result is that they begin to suffer physical symptoms. If a client has a genetic predisposition to asthma, in other words a person has inherited the asthma gene, then low CO2 levels will induce asthma symptoms, until breathing is normalised.

Other conditions such as hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Panic Attacks (Hyperventilation Syndrome), Hayfever, sinus problems, such as Sinusitis, Rhinitis, lung conditions like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), such as bronchiectasis (scaring of the lung tissue), and emphysema (Permanent Lung Damage), and sleep disorders such as Insomnia and Sleep Apnoea can all be greatly relieved using the Buteyko method.

This again is based on the simple premise that with a gentle and steady increase in carbon dioxide in the body, using the Buteyko breathing method, all the body’s smooth muscle, (which is replete in the body, and can be found in any hollow such as the Respiratory System, the Circulatory System, except for the smallest capillaries, the Digestive System, the Urinary and Reproductive System’s), responds positively by relaxing.

It doesn’t take much to imagine the effect this must have on the body overall if the body is generally more relaxed at a deeper level. A further biochemical result of having more CO2 in the system is a greater diffusion of oxygen into the cells of the body. With more oxygen available to the cells of the body, all the systems in the body begin to become healthier and operate more efficiently, the clients energy level increases and a greater sense of wellbeing is felt.

As was stated at the start, asthma is a reversible lung condition that can easily and safely be reversed by using this simple breathing method. In short, what have you got to lose, except your asthma symptoms!