Asthma-Free Naturally: Everything you need to know about taking control of your asthma. Patrick McKeown

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СКАЧАТЬ under the direct supervision of an experienced qualified Buteyko Clinic practitioner: diabetes; (a reversal of hyperventilation will reduce blood sugar levels which may in turn lead to a coma, exercises must be performed only with an experienced Buteyko practitioner in conjunction with an endocrinologist) severe asthma; emphysema; epilepsy; schizophrenia; unsatisfactory blood pressure levels or chest pains or pain in the heart region.

      ♦ If you have any of the above conditions, or if you experience any distress, or are in any way unsure, please refrain from doing exercises involving holding the breath beyond the first feeling of a need for air. Exercises involving holding the breath include nose unblocking, maximum pause, breath-hold during physical exercise and Steps. If you are in any doubt as to whether breath retraining may be suitable for you, please contact Asthma Care (see Appendix 6 for contact information).

      What to expect

      Roughly two thirds of those who apply breath retraining will experience a cleansing reaction within the first two weeks and each time the control pause increases by ten seconds. Reduced breathing leads to an increased blood flow and better oxygenation of all internal organs especially eliminatory organs. Cleansing reactions are indicative of the powerful physiological change which the body undergoes.

      For people with asthma, the most common reaction is excess mucus from the nose and airways. For a few days and weeks, the nose may be runny, especially during physical activity with nasal breathing. It is also possible to experience an increased amount of mucus moving up from the lower airways. Mucus that was previously trapped is released by a dilation of the airways and is brushed upwards to the throat. If it is green or yellow, spit it out. Most importantly, do not force the mucus to the throat. If necessary a gentle throat clearing will suffice. Let the mucus come up naturally because forcing mucus up without addressing hyperventilation will only lead to the creation of more mucus.

      In addition, you may experience other symptoms such as a slight headache, diarrhoea, nausea, excessive tiredness with increased yawning, mild depression, general flu like symptoms, insomnia, a bad taste from the mouth, foamy saliva, coloured urine, a greatly reduced appetite or a general feeling of being unwell. People who have been on a large course of steroids may be able to smell the tablets/medicine through their skin.

      Do not be alarmed if you do experience some symptoms. This is simply your body readjusting to a healthier way of life. Symptoms are, in general, not disruptive and will pass in two or three days. Like any detoxifying process of the body, there is a short adjustment phase. Many people look forward to the reaction because it is direct feedback as their body cleanses itself after all those years of bad breathing.

       Do the following to help reduce the intensity and duration of cleansing reactions:

      ♦ Drink warm water regularly throughout the day.

      ♦ Continue with reduced breathing by relaxation.

      ♦ Take pain relievers, such as a headache tablet, if necessary.

      Most importantly, do not stop doing the exercises when you experience a cleansing reaction. The symptoms are a direct result of overbreathing and the control pause (explained later) will increase when the cleansing reaction has passed.

      On a positive note, everyone will experience signs of health improvement including: fewer asthma symptoms; less coughing, wheezing and congestion especially in the mornings; increased calmness and concentration; better sleep and more energy, and reduced appetite and cravings for coffee, chocolate and other foodstuffs.

      Nose unblocking exercise

      It was outlined earlier how a reduction in carbon dioxide levels causes an increase in mucus secretion and constriction of the airways. The nose forms part of the air system and is usually the first part to become constricted. The following is a simple exercise which will unblock the nose in as little as five minutes. It is based on temporarily increasing carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which will in turn open the nasal passages. This exercise is the same for both children and adults. At this point it is worth practising the exercise before you read further.

      ♦ Sit upright on a straight-backed chair.

      ♦ Normalise and calm your breathing. Take a small breath (two seconds) in through your nose, if possible, and a small breath out (three seconds). If you are unable to take a breath in through your nose, take a tiny breath in through the corner of your mouth.

      ♦ Pinch your nose and hold your breath. Keep your mouth closed.

      ♦ Gently nod your head or sway your body until you feel that you cannot hold your breath any longer. (Hold your nose until you feel a relatively strong need for air.)

      ♦ When you need to breathe in, let go of your nose and breathe gently through it, in and out, with your mouth closed. Avoid taking a deep breath when you breathe in, and calm your breathing as soon as possible by focusing on relaxation. Repeat to yourself ‘relax and breathe less’.

      ♦ Continue to do this exercise until you can breathe through your nose fully. If your nose does not become totally unblocked, wait about two minutes and perform this exercise again. Initially you may need to do this a number of times before your nose is completely unblocked. This is yet another case of ‘practice makes perfect’.

      Unblocking the nose

      After doing this exercise a few times your nose will be unblocked. If you continue to overbreathe, or take a deep breath, you will lose the additional carbon dioxide and your nose will become blocked again. Perform this exercise each time that your nose becomes blocked. Even if you have a cold, make sure to breathe through your nose. You may think you can’t clear your nose when you have a heavy cold, but you can.

      Holding the breath traps additional carbon dioxide which has been produced from the physical activity involved in moving the muscles. It is quite common for the nose to become blocked again shortly after doing this exercise. This is because the underlying breathing has not been changed and the body has not become accustomed to the increased carbon dioxide level. However, after some time, and with regular practice of breathing exercises, the body will adapt to a higher level of carbon dioxide and the nose will remain unblocked.

      Warning call

      Your nose is your first warning call – it is the first part of the airways to constrict if you are beginning to hyperventilate.

      For example, much of my work involves presentations to groups of people: this can involve talking for up to four hours at a time. Frequently it happens that, towards the end of the four hours, I feel my nose becoming a little blocked. This is a direct result of the loss of carbon dioxide from excessive talking. My blocked nose is my indicator that I am breathing more than I should, so I take a break from talking and normalise my breathing.

      Talking involves continuous air exhalation through the open mouth and the continuous loss of carbon dioxide. With a short period of reduced talking, or not talking, breathing will begin to normalise and the nose will unblock automatically.

      Breathing too deeply through the nose will result in it becoming partially blocked. However it will not become fully blocked unless the switch is made to mouth breathing. This is because of the body’s breathing defence mechanism. As soon as the nose becomes partially blocked, the volume of air is decreased; this causes СКАЧАТЬ