Question: Will I suffocate if I breathe less?

Answer: No. For most students who are new to the Buteyko Method, the concept of breathing reduction may seem counter-intuitive. Many have spent their lives fighting to breathe enough air. However, breathing less triggers a relaxation and dilation of the smooth muscles along the bronchial tubes, which gives an asthmatic relief from their symptoms. We recommend to read Dr. Buteyko's Letter About Asthma.

Question: I've read about the Buteyko Method. Is it a good idea to start experimenting with breathing reduction on my own?

Answer: No. Attempting to retrain your breathing on your own could be hazardous to your health, or you may not have any results at all. You should seek out expert supervision, and find a Buteyko Practitioner certified by the patent holders of the Buteyko Method to work with. Dr. Buteyko always insisted that his method was best learned under the supervision of a competent practitioner.

Question: I have asthma and allergies. What is the best way for me to begin learning the Buteyko Method?

Answer: The best way to begin learning the Buteyko Method is to do a Preliminary Consultation, which could be done in person, via Skype or telephone. During this individual consultation, a Buteyko specialist will learn your health history and respond to any questions you may have about the Buteyko Method or our educational programs. Click here to register for the Preliminary Consultation.

Question: Where can I find more information about your programs? 

Answer: If you have further questions about our programs, they may be answered on our Frequently Asked Questions Page. Or, you might find the information you are looking for on our Learn Page. Still need more info? Call our Center anytime (845) 684-5456, or you may email us at buteykocenter@gmail.com.

Question: Which of your programs is best for asthmatics?

Answer: The most effective program is our main educational course, Buteyko Method and Lifestyle. This is an opportunity for you to learn the Buteyko Method one-on-one with a Buteyko Method Specialist certified by the patent holders of the Buteyko Method. The course will be tailored to your individual needs and your progress will be carefully monitored by your practitioner.

Question: Breathing difficulties: can the Buteyko Method help?
 
Answer: Absolutely! Dr. Buteyko's discovery and Method both revolve around balancing the body's use of oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is the imbalance of these two elements that causes the reactions of the body, which, in turn, create the majority of breathing difficulties we experience. By applying the Buteyko Method properly, the system balance is restored and breathing difficulties defeated. There is more information on this subject in the book written by Clinica Buteyko's Medical Director A. Novozhilov, M.D. This book is written for people with asthma and other breathing difficulties. The book is available in our store to download and in paper format.

Question: What are the Buteyko Breathing Exercises?

Answer: The Buteyko breathing exercises are the core of the Buteyko Method, which is a natural, drug-free, holistic technique for the treatment of asthma, allergies and breathing difficulties, as well as many other diseases. The exercises were developed by Dr. Konstantin Buteyko as well as Ludmila Buteyko, Ph.D. and Anderey Novozhilov, M.D. Many clinical trials have shown that Buteyko breathing exercises can safely reduce asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, excessive mucus and the need for reliever medication and also greatly increase the overall quality of life. The Buteyko breathing exercises are most successful when tailored to the client's individual condition and rate of improvement. It is strongly recommended to use the breathing exercises only under the supervision of a Buteyko Practitioner certified by the patent holders of the Buteyko Method.

Question: Can you give me any advice right now?

Answer: Yes. Always breathe gently through your nose only. This will greatly reduce hyperventilation, which, as Dr.Buteyko discovered, is the major contributing factor into the development of asthma and breathing difficulties.

Question: I wake up each morning with a stuffy nose; will this method help me?

Answer: Yes, if you apply it! By making your nose stuffy, your organism protects itself from over-breathing: it simply narrows air channels. We will teach you how to reduce your breathing and that will eliminate the root of your problem. Aside from that, you will learn a special technique, which Dr. Buteyko developed for clearing nasal passages. You can use it any time you feel a need to unblock your nose. It is a gentle technique and, unlike many others, does not cause additional hyperventilation and mucus creation.

Question: I have had asthma for 40 years. I am on inhaled steroids and rescue inhalers. Can the Buteyko Method help me?

Answer: Many of our students have had asthma since childhood. According to Dr. Buteyko, the root cause of asthma is hyperventilation. Once a student has eliminated his hyperventilation with the Buteyko Method – no matter how long he has had asthma – he will lose most or all of his symptoms. Many students become completely drug-free.

Question: My daughter has asthma. I am worried about the long-term effects of medication and about her suffering from asthma her whole life. Can the Buteyko Method help her?

Answer: Definitely. The Buteyko Method can be successfully taught to children of all ages. In fact, children often understand the method much more quickly than adults, and can shift their breathing and asthma symptoms more easily than adults. However, in most cases, a parent or guardian must learn the method alongside their child, in order to support and mentor their child outside of the formal sessions. Would you like to discuss your case in all details with a Buteyko Method Specialist? If so, register for the Preliminary Consultation.

Question: My son has asthma. My other son has allergies and my husband snores. I think we could all benefit from learning the Buteyko Method. Can families attend your individual educational courses together?

Answer: Yes. For example, all immediate family members may be present for the Buteyko Method and Lifestyle course sessions. While attention will be paid primarily to the asthmatic student (child) for whom the family enrolled, all family members will have the opportunity to learn the Buteyko Method. We highly encourage families to take educational courses together, as this creates the best environment for the primary student (child), and all other family members, to benefit from the Method. In most cases, there is no additional charge for the family members.

Question: I am planning on having a baby. My first child is asthmatic, and I don't want the next one to suffer from breathing difficulties. Can the Buteyko Method help me?

Answer: We strongly recommend all women who are planning on becoming pregnant to take our Buteyko Method and Lifestyle course. It is much easer to give birth to a healthy baby than it is to improve the health of a baby who is born unhealthy. Applying the Buteyko Method before pregnancy will ensure that your child will not be born as a hyperventilator. According to Dr. Buteyko,if a child is born with good breathing, then they are in perfect health.

Question: I have a newborn baby with breathing difficulties. Can the Buteyko Method help my child?

Answer: Yes. Children of any age can learn the Buteyko Method. In the case of young children and newborns, a Buteyko Practitioner will teach you the Method, and you can teach your child as they develop.

Question: What is the core principal of the Buteyko Method?

Answer: Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, a renowned Ukrainian scientist working in Russia, created a revolutionary theory that asthma symptoms (as well as COPD symptoms) are the result of chronic hyperventilation. Physiologically, asthma is characterized by both chronic inflammation in the lungs and bronchial spasm. Severe asthma and COPD are further characterized by structural damage to the lungs, leading to poor gas exchange in the alveoli (air sacs). Dr. Buteyko's theory was that the deep/heavy breathing of asthmatics (chronic hyperventilation or over-breathing) and the coughing, wheezing, chest pain, mucus and suffocation attacks (asthmatic symptoms) are related in a unique way.

Based on the laws of physiology, we know that hyperventilation depletes the level of CO2 in the lungs. While CO2 is a by-product of metabolism, and some needs to be removed from the body, it is in fact an absolutely essential component of life, which regulates many functions in the human body. To begin with, proper oxygenation of the brain, heart, kidneys and other vital organs and tissues relies on appropriate amounts of CO2 remaining in the body (due to the Bohr Effect). When CO2 levels fall below a certain threshold, the body experiences systemic oxygen deprivation. This is very dangerous for the body. Dr. Buteyko theorized that acute and chronically low CO2 levels in the lungs can cause pH shifts in the body, which create a cascade of negative biochemical reactions, with deleterious effects on metabolism, the immune and nervous systems, and most other body systems.

Dr. Buteyko's theory is that chronic hyperventilation is so dangerous and damaging to human health that the body creates defensive/survival mechanisms in order to adapt to this constant stress. Asthmatic symptoms (coughing, wheezing, chest pain, excessive mucus and suffocation attacks) may in fact be a defensive/survival mechanism to protect against over-breathing. Specifically, these symptoms, unpleasant and scary as they may be, have an overall effect of reducing respiration, and therefore maintain alveolar CO2 levels within an acceptable range. Though these symptoms can cause great suffering, this mechanism actually allows the body to maintain essential biological constants necessary to life.

Dr. Buteyko thought that modern pharmaceutical treatments to eliminate bronchial spasm, though effective in temporarily removing symptoms, were, in fact, disturbing the body's defensive/survival mechanism. This may explain why asthma symptoms often get worse with prolonged medicating. Over time, medication may be creating an even more powerful asthmatic response, in order to maintain the body's protective mechanism. However, Dr. Buteyko theorized, if hyperventilation could be eliminated, and breathing normalized, then perhaps the symptoms of asthma and other breathing difficulties would no longer be 'needed' by the body to protect itself.

This is the central principle of the Buteyko Method treatment for asthma and other breathing difficulties. By systematically normalizing air consumption and consequently CO2 levels in the lungs, through the use of the Buteyko Breathing Exercises, and certain lifestyle changes, Dr. Buteyko found that symptoms of asthma could be tamed, a profound healing could take place in the lungs, and a person could regain their health.