Natural Asthma Remedy and Asthma Information

Asthma’s Impact on the United States Population

The most recent available Asthma Facts and Figures from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics.  In 2001,

• an estimated 20.3 million people currently were diagnosed with asthma

• 12 million people experienced an asthma attack in the prior year

In 2000, asthma accounted for

• 10.4 million outpatient visits

• 1.8 million emergency department visits

• 465,000 hospitalizations

• 4,487 DEATHS

Asthmatics endure repeated respiratory infections, physical inactivity, fatigue, fear, missed work or school, a limited quality of life, ongoing financial expense and continued quest for a solution to deteriorating condition.

Up to now, most asthma patients have had to rely on drugs to control this often incapacitating, sometimes life-threatening disease - drugs which can produce a list of side effects of such seriousness that the price for immediate relief is way too high. An article in Britain's New Scientist (April 6, 1991) was headlined ARE ASTHMA DRUGS THE CURE THAT KILLS?

Asthma Overview

Asthma has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by excessive mucus production, inflammation and constriction of the airways. The term, asthma comes from the Greek word for ‘panting’and means attacks of difficult breathing.

Avoid Asthma Always

The Onset of Asthma

You might think if you don't currently have asthma that you're immune. However, this isn't true. Asthma doesn't discriminate; anyone can get it at any age. You can get it at age 8 months or it can strike when you're 80 years old. Oftentimes, adult onset asthma occurs after a period of extreme stress or after an ongoing illness like bronchitis or pneumonia. The bottom line is, anyone can become asthmatic and it can happen at any time.

Asthma Triggers and Asthma Symptoms

Asthma severity and frequency varies, as do the symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, excess mucus and breathlessness. Not every person with asthma has the same symptoms in the same way. There may be some or all of these symptoms, or may have different symptoms at different times. Symptoms may also vary from one asthma attack to the next, being mild during one attack and severe during another.

An asthma attack can be triggered by anything from perfume, pets, wind, exercise or emotions. With so many variables, traditional medicine is baffled about a common cause. Dr. Buteyko’s extensive research determined the source of the disease: over breathing. Asthma is your body’s defense against chronic hyperventilation usually induced by stress/triggers.

Asthmatics are unaware that they breathe heavily, rapidly or through the mouth when there is no need for it resulting in irritation, inflammation, congestion and constriction of the airways. Multiple studies have shown that on average, asthmatics breathe 12 to 14 liters of air a minute when at rest, instead of the normal 4 to 6 liters.

Over time, this excessive breathing pattern results in an abnormal loss of carbon dioxide (C02). This precious gas is critical for regulation of many bodily functions such as the acid/alkaline balance of blood. To have optimum oxygenation of tissues and organs the body requires 5.5-6.5% C02 in the lungs. The body creates most of this amount as the atmosphere contains only 0.035%.

Consequences of Excess Carbon Dioxide Loss

When the blood becomes too acidic due to too much C02 in the lungs (as in the case of holding one’s breath), people faint- a defense mechanism. When the blood becomes too alkaline due to too little C02 in the lungs (caused by over breathing), oxygen forms a tighter bond with the hemoglobin inhibiting release to the tissues (Bohr Effect). By breathing out CO2 faster than our bodies can create it, the healthy level of CO2 in our lungs falls and we are unable to utilize our oxygen. In an effort to prevent further C02 loss, extra mucus is secreted to clog airways which narrow and constrict - another defense mechanism occurs called asthma. Airways are supposed to be reactive to protect us in situations such as toxic fumes or very hot/cold air.

Laughter is a common asthma trigger. This activity increases the breathing pattern or causes hyperventilation. Do you laugh your way into an asthma attack or get asthma before you laugh? Hyperventilation leads to asthma symptoms. The more you breathe, the more breathless you feel.

Triggers Increase Overbreathing

For asthmatics, the CO2 level is always low, due to chronic overbreathing. When a "trigger" is encountered, it stresses the body and breathing increases even more. CO2 levels plummet, the airways spasm, secrete mucous and mediators for inflammation-all as a defense to stop the CO2 loss. When an asthmatic uses a bronchodilator to override this, the airways open artificially and they experience temporary relief. Opening the airways continues the over breathing and loss of carbon dioxide. If the breathing rhythm is not reduced by the time the medication wears off, the person is susceptible to another asthma attack.

Breathing Exercises Stop Attacks

Because of Doctor Buteyko’s dedication to end the hidden hyperventilation cycle, you can learn easy, effective breathing exercises which are designed to raise your carbon dioxide to healthy levels and stop attacks. With a rise in your C02, breathing will be normal and undesirable symptoms -along with the need for medication will greatly diminish or disappear altogether. Imagine no expensive drugs, no side effects, no fear, no special considerations, no asthma symptoms- freedom.

Simple Solution for Asthma

Despite the amazing advances in modern medicine, the Western medical community has not found a cause for asthma instead they treat its symptoms with trigger removal and a variety of asthma medications designed to suppress symptoms instead of address the root cause of asthma. These were the only options for treatment available until now. The problem may seem complex, but the solution is simple; correct your breathing, stop your carbon dioxide loss, and your body's defense mechanism becomes unnecessary and asthma is avoided. Learn more about the Buteyko method by attending a Correct Breathing Concepts course.

Mouth Breathing and Dental & Health Problems

Chronic mouth breathing has long been seen as a concern by dentists, hygienists, orofacial myologists, speech and language pathologists, and orthodontists.   Some of the problems it causes or contributes to are listed below:

• Forward head posture (neck muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue and cervical joint damage)
• Headache, hyperactivity, hypocapnia, pH imbalance
• Elongated face, malocclusion, anterior open bite, TMJ dysfunction
• Gum disease, bad breath, dental decay and infection
• Reduced dental arch space with increased crowding of teeth
• Dry mouth and throat, dehydration, constipation, bed wetting
• Increased allergen/infection entry to lungs, excess mucus production, allergies, asthma
• Chronic tonsil swelling, enlarged adenoids, nasal polyps
• Noisy eating, noisy breathing, deviated septum, snoring, sleep apnea
• Greater potential for relapse of orthodontic correction

By learning to correct breathing patterns with the doctor-developed Buteyko Breathing Method, an individual can prevent many of these problems from occurring and in most cases they can begin to be reversed.  Correct Breathing Concepts is the solution for restoring normal nasal breathing and health.

                 Crowded and protruding teeth are almost entirely caused by incorrect jaw size and shape, rather than the common perception that the teeth are too big.  Jaw shape and size develops entirely from the functional activity of the tongue, the lips and surrounding oral muscles. Many research publications in Orthodontic journals have shown that the development of the size and shape of the jaws is almost entirely influenced by how the child breathes, swallows and positions the tongue and the lower jaw.  Incorrect habits such as mouth breathing, thumb sucking, incorrect swallowing and poor posture are the major contributing factors of orthodontic problems.  These habits should be corrected as soon as they are evident.  Without correction of these habits, as early as possible, the growth of the face and alignment of the teeth will not be correct. In addition, any orthodontic treatment with or without braces will NOT be successful.  Extraction of teeth does not improve the outcome of treatment and often makes the problem worse.  There is little scientific justification for extracting permanent teeth for orthodontic purposes.  By correction of these myofunctional habits, not only will teeth become and stay correctly aligned, facial development will be improved and there is less need for complex orthodontics.

This is the basic philosophy behind MYOFUNCTIONAL ORTHODONTICS.

Also see         http://orthodonticearlytreatment.com/index.php?home                  Dr. John Flutter

The Buteyko method in holistic dentistry     www.holisticdentist.com.au/breathing.html            Dr Charlotte de Courcey-Bayley, St. Leonards Holistic Dental Care, Australia

 Why is mouth breathing bad?    www.growthorthodontics.com/mouth breathing.htm        Gentle Orthodontics, Dr. Vernon Gruger, New Zealand

I.   Mouth breathing: the root cause?      www.nosebreathe.com/mouthbreathing.html                                                                                                                                        II. Nose breathing research                               Steven K. Sue, D.D.S., M.S.