Normalizing your breathing through a specific technique known as the Buteyko method (named after K. Buteyko, who began to develop his breathing techniques in the 1950s) can help reduce a series of symptoms that result from over-breathing or hyperventilation. According to K. Buteyko, as oxygen is cycled through our bodies, we produce carbon dioxide which we release when we exhale. We do not, however, release all of the carbon dioxide that is produced. Some of the carbon dioxide remains in our cells to regulate the pH level of oxygen in our cells through what is known as the “Bohr effect.” If we breathe too much, or hyperventilate, oxygen levels are thrown out of balance and it becomes more difficult for the cells to process and use the oxygen that is contained in our hemoglobin. It becomes impossible to use all of the oxygen that is present, so that when we inhale too much we actually get less oxygen into the vital places where it needs to be to sustain optimal health and bodily functions.
When we breathe in too quickly, the body absorbs more oxygen than our bodies actually need, and we subconsciously create pathological symptoms in our bodies. Asthma, sleep apnea, snoring, grogginess, lack of energy, migraine headaches and many other chronic difficulties may be the result of taking in too much oxygen due to over-breathing or hyperventilation. The Buteyko method can be taught individually by a trained Buteyko practitioner to normalize and improve breathing. It is based on the simple idea that if we take in the correct amount of oxygen in order to sustain homeostasis—which means keeping our bodies running at their optimal levels with all of the oxygen being used fully in our various organs—then many of the symptoms from which we suffer will lessen or even disappear. Slowing down our breathing is therefore an essential technique that many people claim has been effective in improving breathing and reducing or even eliminating symptoms of asthma, sleep apnea, hyperventilation and other various forms of illness.
K. Buteyko discovered that the body also responds or compensates when we have a habit of hyperventilating, which can lead to other symptoms, ranging from a stuffy nose (the collection of excess mucous in order to slow inhalation) to sleep apnea and enlarged adenoids. A trained and licensed Buteyko practitioner can guide you through training modules in a one-on-one environment in order to normalize breathing, reduce oxygen intake, inculcate relaxation, and eliminate many of the symptoms and health risks that are associated with hyperventilation and over-breathing.
When you improve breathing, you improve your total health. The Buteyko Center offers a free breathing test online and a free Buteyko Health Evaluation report with our recommendations. The test will help you determine whether you hyperventilate or not—and, if so, to what degree—and how a trained Buteyko practitioner can help.
