Asthma-Free Naturally: Everything you need to know about taking control of your asthma. Patrick McKeown
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aware of your bad breathing can you take steps to correct it. During our clinics, we outline people’s breathing traits. More often than not they are totally unaware of these and while some people find them alarming, more often most find them quite amusing.
Awareness of our own incorrect breathing can also be increased by observing other people who are perhaps breathing with their mouths open, panting when shopping, or at bus stops; it is also possible to notice a person’s breathing characteristics over the telephone. Even though all of these people may seem to enjoy good health, many of those who have bad breathing actions may already have or are likely to develop health problems in the future.
♦ Step Two
Learn to breathe through your nose. Breathing through your nose at all times is the correct and only way to breathe.
The immortal message that ‘the pint of plain is your only man’ was brought to us by Flann O’Brien. However for those with asthma, nasal breathing is your only man, accompanied by the correct volume of breathing that will be discussed later on.
Some people seem to spend most of their lives with a blocked nose and many have tried, without success, every nasal spray and therapy on the market. In this book those very people will be taught an effective exercise for unblocking the nose in a matter of minutes. This will be the first step on the road to permanent and comfortable nasal breathing.
♦ Step Three
It has already been explained how the respiratory centre can accept a low level of carbon dioxide as the norm, despite the stress it may place on various organs. All the breathing exercises featured in this book involve breathing less air than the body has become accustomed to. Over time this helps reset the respiratory system to accept the higher levels of carbon dioxide that it really should have. Remember, when the volume of air breathed in is reduced the carbon dioxide in the lungs accumulates and this in turn will readjust the carbon dioxide threshold.
When asked for a simple definition of his theory, Professor Buteyko said it is this: the reduction of the depth of breathing by the relaxation of the respiratory muscles to create a little air shortage. Two words he directed at his patients were ‘breathe less’. This is the very essence of Buteyko breathing.
Throughout this book each exercise and how it should be practised will be examined. However, it is important to always be aware of what is being achieved and why. Remember that overbreathing will trigger asthma and the intention is to learn to breathe a more correct volume by relaxation. Breathing can primarily be reduced by relaxing all the muscles involved in respiration. It is very important to relax the muscles because increased tension leads to overbreathing, reduces blood flow and therefore oxygenation.
A quote from sixth century BC philosopher Lao Tzu states: ‘The perfect man breathes as if he does not breathe.’ Through the Buteyko Method the individual learns to breathe in a calm, silent and still manner.
A diagram illustrating breathing patterns will accompany many of the exercises. The following symbols are used for each diagram. Refer to this diagram periodically in order to understand those that follow.
How to interpret breathing instructions
Nasal breathing. Why?
The nose has a number of features designed to bring cold dry outside air to a more acceptable condition before it enters the lungs. The mouth, however, is not intended to condition atmospheric air – it is merely for talking, eating and drinking.
Air that is drawn in through the nose passes along turbinates and spends a longer period of time in the body. This serves to warm the inhaled air far more effectively than drawing it in through the mouth.
Air is filtered by the turbinates and tiny hair-like structures that work to prevent pollen, dust and bacteria from entering the lungs. The sticky mucus blanket within the nose traps a significant proportion of all the bacteria and allergens contained in air. On any one day, a person with asthma may inhale from 10,000 to 20,000 litres of air laden with foreign particles including many triggers. Whereas the nose can remove these deposited particles within fifteen minutes, it takes 60–120 days for them to be removed from the small air sacs (alveolus) within the lungs.
Lungs require a warm moist environment and therefore it is imperative that the air drawn into the lungs meets this
Frontal view of interior of the nose
condition. The nose humidifies inhaled air by increasing moisture content. A sign of good health is a moist nose while a dry nose can be a sign of dehydration. Take a moment now to think about a dog. Why a dog? Well, it’s common knowledge that when Fido’s nose is cool and moist, he’s most likely to be healthy, but when his nose is dry and hot, his owner is probably facing a trip to the vet!
It is just as important to breathe out through the nose as it is to breathe in through it, despite a common conviction, particularly among sporting professionals, to the contrary. By breathing out through the nose, part of the moisture contained in the exhaled air is retained, thus reducing moisture loss. Breathing out through the mouth results in a greater loss of carbon dioxide and may lead to dehydration. This can be observed by breathing onto a pane of glass and then checking the residue of moisture left.
Nasal breathing helps to regulate volume. All mouth breathers overbreathe and as a result suffer some symptoms of hyperventilation. The nose is a smaller channel to breathe through, and therefore it helps to reduce the volume of air as there is about fifty per cent more resistance. It is possible to overbreathe through the nose but to a lesser extent.
Western research has concluded that the volume of air passing through the lungs of a person with asthma is usually between two and four times the norm.1,2,3 From this it is possible to deduct that the quantity of allergens inhaled by a person with asthma is far greater than that of a person with healthy breathing. By switching to nasal breathing and reducing the volume of air taken in, the quantity of the allergens inhaled will be dramatically reduced, resulting in less exposure to triggers.
Some people will instinctively hold their breath whenever they come across a trigger, and this is a good idea. For example, if you are walking in the street and a bus emitting a large volume of fumes passes by, just breathe out, and try to hold your breath until you have walked away from the pollution. When you recommence breathing, reduce the volume so that the amount of polluted air entering the airways will be reduced.
A partially blocked nose is common with nasal breathing, one nostril will be partially blocked while the other is free to work. Check to see which of your nostrils is blocked by placing your finger over one nostril and breathing through the other; then repeat using the other nostril.
You will find that after three or four hours the blocked nostril will usually clear and the previously clear nostril will become blocked. This is a natural pattern which enables one nostril to rest at a time. During physical activity such as walking or light jogging, both nostrils will open up to allow more air into the body. When lying down at night, usually the lower nostril will be blocked and the upper nostril clear.
Mouth breathing results in irregular and erratic breathing while switching to nasal breathing brings more rhythm to the process.
The importance of breathing through the nose tends to receive very little attention from the medical profession. It seems to be accepted without question that some people will breathe through the mouth and others through the nose. However, breathing through the mouth is detrimental to your health and this is emphasised to all patients who learn breath retraining. Mouth breathers have generally poorer health and may go through life with an uncomfortable and