Buteyko breathing means an end to runny nose and asthma

Buteyko breathing means an end to runny nose and asthma

Buteyko breathing is a clinically proven method for treating asthma. However, did you know that it can also stop a runny nose or unblock a constantly stuffy nose?

A study was presented in the September 2008 issue of the Lancet Medical Journal that showed a link between rhinitis (runny nose, in medical terms) and asthma in adults. The authors of the study, examining various population groups in Europe, found that adults who suffer from a cold have an increased risk of developing asthma. The authors concluded that “rhinitis is a strong predictor of asthma in adults even in the absence of atopy.” Atopy is a sensitivity to some type of allergen - it can be pollen, dust mites, dander, etc. The list of potential allergens is long and many people are affected by several.

This is an interesting and not unexpected finding by these medical researchers and also relates to the work of Dr. Konstantin Buteyko. The Buteyko breathing method, developed in the 1950s by Professor Buteyko of Russia and now used worldwide to treat asthma, is based on the theory that asthma is caused by chronic hyperventilation (over-breathing). Many of us unknowingly hyperventilate continuously. In fact, published reports suggest that between 5 and 10% of the population experience signs or symptoms of hyperventilation to some degree. According to Buteyko, people who are predisposed to asthma, that is, have hypersensitive airways, respond to this prolonged hyperventilation by developing asthma symptoms.

This theory is supported by two pieces of evidence. First, hyperventilation is known in medical circles to cause bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the airways). Second, there are studies that show that people with asthma hyperventilate. A normal tidal volume (volume of air inhaled in one minute) is 3-5 liters per minute. Several studies have shown that asthmatics breathe between 10 and 19 liters of air per minute, even when they are having an asthma “attack.” During an acute asthma episode, respiratory volume increases even further.

Overbreathing and overbreathing by asthmatics causes the airways to narrow. However, what does this have to do with runny noses? Professor Buteyko argued that the airways swell during asthma (one of the main problems in asthma is inflammation of the airways) to reduce further loss of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is blown off when you exhale, and overbreathing or hyperventilation results in too much loss of carbon dioxide. Buteyko viewed this as a protective mechanism of the body, since the loss of too much carbon dioxide affects both the body's acid-base balance and the uptake of vital oxygen organs and tissues.

This theory can be extended to include the nose. Many of us are mouth breathers, and mouth breathing promotes hyperventilation because more air can be sucked out through the mouth than through the nose. When you breathe through your mouth, one of the ways your body can respond to the overbreathing it causes is by causing swelling and mucous buildup in the nose to prevent more carbon dioxide from being lost - your nose blocks or runs so you can't lose more carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, this also makes it difficult to breathe through your nose, creating a vicious circle.

The Buteyko breathing method is not difficult to learn and there are many certified practitioners around the world who teach this method. They can be found on the web. The method has received significant press and regulatory recognition since receiving a “B” rating from the British Thoracic Society. This confirms that the health and symptom improvements achieved by learning to breathe and breathe through the nose (essentially what you learn as a habit with the Buteyko breathing method) are a direct result of using the Buteyko method.

Anyone with asthma or anyone who has difficulty breathing through the nose might usefully consider learning some strategies for clearing the nose, breathing through the nose, and breathing with reduced volume via the Buteyko breathing method.

Inspired by Brenda Stimpson