Asthma

How severe is your asthma?

• Do you miss days off work or school because of your asthma?
• Does asthma limit your ability to enjoy sporting activities?
• Is your asthma worse at night and does it disrupt your sleep?
• Have you had an attack severe enough to warrant a hospital visit in the last year?

If the answer yes to any of these questions then your asthma is not well managed and you are putting yourself at risk of a life-threatening attack. 

You cannot afford to be complacent.  With advances in the management of asthma no one should die from asthma.  It is, however, important that you understand your condition: why you get asthma in the first place, what your triggers are and how to best manage your asthma. 

The British Guideline on the Management of Asthma 2008 granted permission for British health professionals to recommend the Buteyko Method. No other complementary therapy has ever been endorsed by this strict body for the treatment of asthma.

The pages below provide information on asthma and how the Buteyko breathing method can help.

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Why do some people get asthma?
Asthmatics are genetically predisposed to the condition... [more]

Asthma Symptoms
Learn about the different symptoms of asthma and levels of severity... [more]

Asthma Types
There are a number of recognised variants of asthma... [more]

Asthma Triggers
A number of factors can trigger an asthma attack... [more]

Asthma Attacks
Some people may go for months without experiencing any symptoms and then get struck down with an asthma attack. Others may feel continually breathless... [more]

Asthma Treatment Options
Conventional and complementary therapy options... [more]

Asthma Medication
Preventer and reliever medications for asthma - how they work and can they ever be discontinued?... [more]

Warnings on Common Asthma Drugs
There is now a large body of evidence documenting the role of bronchodilators on asthma exacerbations. Countless studies going back to the 1970s have highlighted the danger in over-using asthma medication... [more]

Asthma Relief with Buteyko
Buteyko is a strategy to retrain dysfunctional breathing based on the postulation that asthma results from an abnormal breathing pattern. Asthma is believed to be the bodys responses (a defence mechanism) to hyperventilation or in simple terms, over-breathing... [more]

Breathing Techniques for Asthma
Ten years of published studies 1998 - 2008. It surprises many people to learn that, according to medical literature, no other treatment for asthma has ever achieved better results than Buteyko's Method... [more]

Asthma Peak Flow Meters
A peak flow meter is one way to determine the severity of your asthma. It measures your maximum speed of expiration, or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR or PEF). Peak flow readings are higher when your asthma is well managed and airways are relaxed and lower when your asthma is worse and the airways are constricted. Your doctor will determine your optimal peak flow measure and advise you to take action if it drops below a certain threshold... [more]

Asthma Foundation (NZ) Buteyko fact sheet
Fact sheet provided by the Asthma Foundation outlining what Buteyko is and how it can impact on asthma. [more]

Asthma and Buteyko Case Study
Glenn White was a lifelong asthma sufferer until he retrained his breathing. He is now drug free... [more]