About Breathing Difficulties and Asthma (FAQs)

I have had asthma for 40 years. Can the Buteyko Breathing Method help me?

Yes. Many of our students have had breathing problems since childhood. According to K. P. Buteyko MD-PhD, the root cause of asthma is over-breathing or hyperventilation.Once a student has eliminated over-breathing with the Buteyko Breathing Method – no matter how long the student has had breathing problems, he or she will lose most or all of their symptoms. Many students become completely drug-free. Please read our testimonials and watch the video testimonials.

I have coughing fits, wheezing, suffocation attacks, excessive mucus, and other issues. Will the Buteyko Breathing Method help with these symptoms?

Yes. Dr. Buteyko discovered that chronic over-breathing can be very dangerous or even lethal. In order to protect itself, the body creates various defense mechanisms to reduce hyperventilation. Coughingwheezing, suffocation attacks, excessive mucus, and a stuffy nose are just a few of these mechanisms. The purpose of each of these symptoms is to reduce hyperventilation, thereby protecting the body from even greater harm. When a person reduces their hyperventilation voluntarily, these symptoms are no longer needed. Many people greatly reduce such symptoms within the first few weeks of beginning the Buteyko Breathing Normalization Method course. Ultimately, many people lose their symptoms completely.

People with breathing difficulties are often told to take a deep breath. Is this wrong?

From the perspective of the Buteyko Method, it is wrong. While the concept of deep breathing, or just taking a deep breath, has become a part of our popular culture, excessive breathing could be harmful to people with breathing difficulties and others. K. P. Buteyko MD-PhD pointed out (based on the Bohr Effect)  that oxygenation of the vital organs decreases when breathing increases. In fact, deep breathing can easily provoke various breathing problems and worsen other health conditions. 

Will I suffocate if I breathe less following Buteyko instructions?

No. For most students who are new to the Buteyko Breathing Method, the concept of breath reduction may seem counterintuitive. Many have spent their lives fighting to breathe enough air. However, breathing less triggers relaxation and dilation of the smooth muscles along the bronchial tubes, which gives an asthmatic or any person with breathing difficulties relief from their symptoms.

To understand it is beneficial for asthmatics to breathe less, visit this page.

I have asthma. What is the best way for me to begin learning Buteyko?

There are many options designed for various situations. Visit the Buteyko Breathing Success path page to find the answer to your question.

Also, reading Breathe To Heal book is a good place to start learning the Buteyko method for asthma.

Can the Buteyko Breathing Method help with breathing difficulties in general?

Absolutely! Dr. Konstantin Buteyko’s discovery revolves around balancing the body’s use of oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is the imbalance of these two elements that causes reactions in the body, which in turn creates the majority of breathing difficulties and problems we experience. By applying the Buteyko Breathing exercises and lifestyle techniques, the system balance is restored, and breathing difficulties are defeated.

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

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

How is a Buteyko practitioner going to treat my asthma?

We are not medical doctors, and we do not treat asthma or any diseases; instead, we help people to build their health and overcome various health disorders naturally. We educate people on the Buteyko Breathing Method and teach them how to eliminate their over-breathing. Ordinarily, the Buteyko Method leads to significant improvement in many bodily systems and overall functioning. As a result, a person becomes much healthier and commonly loses some or all of their symptoms, especially breathing difficulties and other respiratory problems.

To understand better how the Buteyko method impacts asthma, please read Breathe To Heal: Break Free From Asthma book.

I am planning on having a baby. Can the Buteyko Breathing Method help me and my new child?

Yes, we can. We strongly recommend that all women who are planning on becoming pregnant take our Buteyko Breathing Normalization course or at least learn some basic information about Buteyko Breathing. It is much easier to give birth to a healthy baby than it is to improve the health of a baby who is born unhealthy. Applying the Buteyko techniques before pregnancy will ensure that your child will not be born as a hyperventilation. According to Dr. Buteyko, if a child is born with good breathing, then they are in perfect health.

My daughter has asthma. Can the Buteyko Breathing Method help her?

Definitely.  The Buteyko Breathing Method can be successfully taught to children of all ages. In fact, children often understand the method more quickly than adults, and they can often shift their breathing and asthma symptoms more easily than adults. However, in most cases, a parent or guardian must learn the method along with their child, in order to support and mentor their child outside of the formal sessions.

The best approach will be to take our Buteyko Breathing Normalization training together with your daughter.

Read our testimonials about asthma.

Also, it could be very beneficial for you to read a section for parents in Sasha’s book Breathe To Heal: Break Free From Asthma

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

Yes. For example, all immediate family members can be present for the Buteyko Breathing Normalization course.  While attention will be paid primarily to the asthmatic student for whom the family enrolled, all family members will have the opportunity to learn the method. We highly encourage families to take our educational courses together, as this creates the best environment for the primary student, as well as all other family members, to benefit from the method.

My nose often runs or gets stuffy. Can the Buteyko Method help me with this?

Yes! By making your nose stuffy, your body protects itself from over-breathing: it simply narrows its air channels. We will teach you how to reduce your breathing, and this will eliminate the cause of your problem. Aside from that, you will learn a special technique that Dr. Buteyko developed for clearing nasal passages. You can use it anytime you want to unblock your nose. It is a gentle technique and, unlike many other methods, it does not cause additional hyperventilation or create mucus.

More information about congestion

Will Buteyko Breathing specialists advise on when to stop taking my medicine for breathing difficulties? 

Buteyko Breathing specialists are not medical doctors and do not give advice regarding medication. We help our students to normalize their breathing, and as a result, they often lose most or all their primary symptoms. Decisions about medication and dosing are between students and their primary health physicians. However, often when symptoms are reduced, and standard medical diagnostics deems the asthmatic condition improving, physicians will recommend a reduction in medication. To learn more about Dr. Buteyko’s view regarding medication, read the Letter About Asthma written by him.

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

The best way to begin learning this breathing method is by signing for a free Preliminary Consultation, which could be done in person, via Skype or telephone. During this individual consultation, a Buteyko Breathing specialist will learn your health history and respond to any questions you may have about Dr. Buteyko’s Breathing Normalization method or our educational programs. Click here to register for the Preliminary Consultation. Another good option is to learn this method by watching our DVD ‘The Breathing Normalization Method’. To know about it or to purchase this 5-disc DVD set, visit our online store.

Which of BreathingCenter’s  programs is best for asthmatics?

The most effective educational program is our Main Breathing Normalization Course. This is an opportunity for you to learn the Breathing Normalization method one-on-one with a Breathing Normalization  Specialist certified by Clinica Biyteyko Moscow. The course will be tailored to your individual needs and your progress will be carefully monitored by your practitioner. To learn more about this program or to register, click here.

Breathing difficulties: can the Buteyko Breathing method help?

Absolutely! Dr. Buteyko’s discovery and breathing 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 people experience. By applying the Breathing Normalization 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.

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

Yes, if you apply it! By making your nose stuffy, your organism protects itself from over-breathing: it simply narrows air ways. Buteyko Breathing specialists 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.

Why is the Buteyko Method often called “a natural asthma cure”?

Dr. Buteyko’s approach is primarily known for reducing and stopping symptoms of asthma as well as other breathing difficulties and problems. With this so-called natural asthma treatment, many asthmatics have been able to stop their suffocation attacks, coughing fits, excessive mucus and other breathing problems by switching to gentle nasal breathing. Please see testimonials of our clients who suffered from asthma but were able to improve their breathing and overall health by learning and applying the Buteyko Breathing Method, which is often casually called natural asthma cure.  Dr. Buteyko believed that asthma is a reaction to over-breathing or hyperventilation. To learn more, please read an interview with Dr. Novozhilov.