The Concept Behind Buteyko Breathing Exercises
The Buteyko method is a set of exercises that is used to treat asthma. The Buteyko breathing techniques can also be used to calm down a person when experiencing panic or hyperventilation. This is recognized by many health professionals worldwide because it effectively reduces asthma and asthma attacks.
Like many alternative treatments out there, theories should be fully understood before starting the treatment. This article discusses the concept behind Buteyko breathing technique.
To realize the concept behind Buteyko breathing techniques in full, we should first comprehend the concept behind three scientific things: Hyperventilation, the Vertigo Effect and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
Hyperventilation is when someone inhales and exhales more frequently than what is needed (not necessarily normal – I will discuss that later). Hyperventilation makes a person breathe in more oxygen and breathe out more CO2.
Vertigo is when you feel dizzy when you breathe in too much. Actually, it is not because you are too flushed with oxygen, but you lack it. See, CO2 actually helps the oxygen atoms to get to the cells because it acts as unbinding material between the hemoglobin and the oxygen.
CO2 is barely in the air (it is mainly nitrogen) and the body creates CO2 as a by-product from energy synthesis.
With these facts combined we can say that the more a person hyperventilates, the less oxygen his cells get, although he has a lot of that in his body, because he lacks CO2.
Most people breathe in and out than what is necessary, and it is normal to them. It is still hyperventilation.
With those support theories clear, let’s say an asthmatic hyperventilates by default. Since he hyperventilates innately, he will eventually exhale enough CO2 for his body to crave for oxygen. Of course, his body does not want to die, so what does it do?
The air passages thicken and the lungs create more mucus. Coughs begin and because the lungs are full of mucus and are constricted, you can hear whistling sounds. That is an asthma attack.
Feed the body the thing that it desired in the beginning: more oxygen by adding more CO2 in the body, and the bodily symptoms will start disappearing and will be triggered back less often in the future. That is the concept of Buteyko breathing techniques.
For more information about Buteyko breathing and a free video on how to relieve an ongoing asthma attack using this set of exercises, check his article, Buteyko breathing techniques.