Andrey Novozhilov - Buteyko Breathing Manual: Stop Any Breathing Problems & Improve Health

Buteyko Breathing Manual

Holistic & Drug-Free Metho d
for Health Improvemen t

Andrey Novozhilov, MD

This book is for people who are suffering from asthma and breathing difficulties.

www.breathingcenter.com

Buteyko Breathing Manual

Holistic & Drug-Free Metho d
for Health Improvemen t

Andrey Novozhilov, MD

Illustrations by Victor Lunn-Rockliffe

This book is an introduction to the patented Buteyko method. It is strongly recommended to apply it only under the supervision of a certified Breathing Normalization Specialist. Do not make any changes to your medication without consulting your primary physician.

www.BreathingCenter.com

Andrey Novozhilov, M D
Illustrations by Victor Lunn-Rockliff e

Buteyko Breathing Manual

Breathing Center

Copyright 2009 Breathing Cente r
All rights reserved .
Sixth, revised edition, 201

Previously published as: Asthma Cure Manual and Living Without Asthma

Editor: Tusha Yakovleva

Table of Contents

Foreword

Forew ard by T. D. Yakovlev-Fredricksen 5
Preface by K. P. Buteyko 9

Introduction
Theoretical Basis
Asthma A Defense Mechanism
The Hyperventilation Provocation Test
The Development of Asthma & Standard Therapy
The Buteyko Breathing Snake
CO2 Levels in the Lungs and in the Blood
How to Measure the Control Pause
Possible mistakes in measuring the Control Pause
The Morning CP
Extended and Maximum Pauses
Key points about breath-holds
Buteyko Breathing Exercises
Minute Volume
When and for how long you should do the Buteyko breathing exercises
What to do, if you are not experiencing symptoms
Consult your Buteyko practitioner
How you can tell that you are doing the exercises correctly
Choice of Exercise
Exercise 1 How to reduce depth of breathing through relaxation
Approach 1 Awareness of the breathing process
Approach 2 Extraordinary sense of well-being
Approach 3 Just hint at reduction of airflow
Notes for Exercise 1 Approach 1, 2 and 3
Conscious breath control Less is more
Exercise 2 Holding your breath
Exercise 3 Holding breath during physical exercise
Exercise 4 Many short breath-holds throughout the day
Important rules for all Buteyko exercises
Emergency exercises to combat asthma attacks
Emergency exercise 1 Many small breath-holds
Emergency exercise 2 Relaxation instead of exhalation
Emergency exercise 3 Relaxation during the exhalation
The more you practice the greater the progress
Cleansing reactions
Tips for everyday life
How to prevent hyperventilation during sleep
How to stop coughing
If you are suffering from chronic rhinitis
Sneezing
How to use physical exercise to control asthma
How to prevent hyperventilation when speaking
How to keep motivated to practice the Exercises
The Buteyko Method and diet
Teaching children the Buteyko Method
The story of the little mouse
The story of asthma lurking outside the door
Games with many small breath-holds Teach by example
The story of the little mouse (illustration)
The story of asthma lurking outside the door (illustration)
Buteykos quick and safe steroid course for asthma
Warning
Principles
What types of steroids are suitable?
When to take steroids?
Example 1 Do I need to take steroids after a night of asthma attacks?
Example 2 Will this be a low-dose, short-term course or not?
Protocol for steroid therapy in the Buteyko treatment of asthma
The first day of steroid therapy for asthma
How to determine if the dose is correct (neither excessive nor insufficient)
First day setting your initial dose (when you are not already on steroids)
Correcting the dose if you are already on steroids
The second day of steroid treatment for asthma
Summary of the dosing process
Dose reduction and termination of steroid therapy
Buteyko therapy compared with traditional treatment for asthma
The quick and safe Buteyko steroid course
Frequently asked questions
Measuring the CP correctly
Asthma and extreme physical activity
Asthma within the family
Relaxation versus conscious control
Dr. Buteykos laboratory
Learning the method
Difficulties in following the recommended steroid protocol
Appendix
About Dr. Buteyko 66 Andrey Novozhilov
The Buteyko Clinic
Trademark of the Buteyko Clinic
Buteyko Land

Foreword

by Thomas Yakovlev-Fredricksen, M.S.; C.A.S.E.; C.B.M.S.

My Nightmare

For many months, night after night, I had a recurring nightmare: I am standing by the door to my house as if I am going somewhere or waiting for someone. My heart is raci ng out of control. I am grasping for breath. My lungs feel as If I am suffocating, but I cannot exhale. My mind is in total panic. I turn to my wife, Sasha, who asks me again and again if she should call 911. I say, No, though I know I should say yes.

My Reality

I would then wake up in my bed, gasping for air and in ultimate fear. The fear would hit me because this nightmare was my reality. What I was in was not a bad dream, it was my life. The worst part was that there was nothing at all I could do about it.

The coughing fits and suffocation made my life a living hell. Most nights, I coughed for many hours at a time, praying for it to stop, and being more frightened than I have ever been in my life. Eventually it would stop, and for a re ason that still doesnt make sense to me, I would feel safe. I must have thought it would never happen again, though that thought was not at all rational because the coughing would come back the next time I slept, the next time I went out into the cold, got too close to our dog, or tried to do any physical work or exercise. Almost anything could trigger the attack, even feeling stressed, which was an all too common experience at that point.

My Story

In 1978, I became sick with Legionnaires disease, which turned into a severe case of pneumonia. Although many people die from this illness, I survived. When it was over, the doctors said my lungs had been damaged and I would be asthmatic for the rest of my life.

I was still in my twenties and soon felt health y again. Once in a while, a flu or cold would cause my breathing to sound raspy. If it was particularly bad, Id use a rescue inhaler, which would clear everything up and I would forget all about it. I would throw the inhaler into a kitchen drawer or a glove compartment, and it would be left there until I became sick again in a year or two. I moved through my adult life as an active, energetic person. I achieved the rank of Black Belt in American Karate. I lifted weights and ran in competitions. I swam and surfed and played hard. I had mild asthma, So what? I thought. I accepted my inhaler as a necessary part of life. I got a little worse each year but, after all, I was getting older.

In 2007, when I suddenly became sick with a severe flu, I wasnt su rprised when I needed to use an inhaler. My doctor also recommended I take a course of antibiotics. When the flu continued and I needed a second dose, I thought nothing of it, just that it was another dose, which would help me get on with my life... but I did not get on with life. Instead I became breathless and continued to feel as if I was suffocating.

My doctor then recommended a stronger rescue inhaler. I agreed, expecting it to cure me. I also took all the medication that was now prescribed to me. The n, I was told I had to take steroids. What followed next was a prescription for the stomach problems caused by the steroids. And then, the dosages of all medications were increased.