A new lease of life and freedom from medication.
At 70, I thought I wasn’t doing too badly. I was still playing tennis and swimming daily.
However I was experiencing shortness of breath and anxiety and required medication for asthma and high blood pressure. I also needed to get up for the toilet 3 or 4 times a night and was putting on weight.
In October 2003 I commenced a course of Buteyko Breath Retraining with Steve Lumsdaine of Breath Connection.
Within a week I was sleeping right through the night and not needing any asthma medication. My blood pressure has reduced steadily and by the end of December my doctor took me off the medication.
I feel great - calm and relaxed with lots of energy and, as a bonus, I have lost 3.5 kilograms despite the festive season.
This is the best health investment I have ever made and I’m delighted with the support, encouragement and service that I have received.
Beth Simms, Busselton. January 2004
Asthma no Barrier to Scuba Diving
At 32, Lee-Anne Walters of Bunbury in Western Australia, decided to obtain a dive certificate. Because she had a history of asthma from her late teens as well as bouts of broncho-pneumonia and hay fever in her late 20s, Lee-Anne was required to undergo a Hypertonic Saline Challenge as part of her medical assessment.
On 4/2/2000 Lee-Anne failed in the first thirty seconds of the 8-minute test.
Not to be deterred, Lee-Anne said she would be back for another test and enrolled in a Buteyko Breathing Course conducted in Bunbury by Steve Lumsdaine of Breath Connection.
Steve’s initial assessment of Lee-Anne indicated that, like most of the population, she was hyperventilating chronically at a level of 3 to 4 times what is considered healthy by Professor Buteyko, a Russian physiologist after whom the Buteyko Method is named.
For the next 12 weeks, Lee-Anne worked on re-training her breathing to a level where Steve was confident that she could pass the test.
On 2/6/2000 Lee-Anne completed the Hypertonic Saline Challenge with a drop of FEV1 of only 7.14% (15% drop is allowed). The Reporting Physician’s conclusion was “Normal Bronchial Responsiveness”. Lee-Anne went on to obtain her open-water diver’s certificate.
If you have doubts about your ability to dive or have failed a dive medical or have developed breathing difficulties since obtaining your dive ticket, you should contact Breath Connection for an assessment or referral to another Buteyko Practitioner near you.
Another Buteyko Success Story.
Just after my 40th birthday I was having heart palpitations after inhaling a dose of Ventolin to control my fourth attack of asthma for the day. These attacks were becoming more frequent as I was getting older. It was scary, I believed I was having a heart attack. Back then, I was inhaling Ventolin four times a day, plus two puffs of Pulmicort twice a day, with the dose increased to double and I was also inhaling a new 'wonder drug' called Atrovent to help prevent me from having asthma attacks. If anything, the situation only got worse, my chest would tighten at the mere thought of added pollutants and stress.
Then I heard a Breath Connection advertisement on the radio telling how they could help control asthma and other health problems by teaching correct breathing techniques. This seemed to be the answer I needed and there was a free seminar advertised in the local paper to be held in Manjimup. That was all the prompting I needed to go.
Once I learnt what was involved it all made sense. Within the first month of doing the breathing exercises I no longer needed to use any reliever medication. I was shown how to breathe correctly during an asthma attack, a technique that involves no drugs or pills, and within minutes the attack disappeared.
Over the past six months of undertaking this course, I have never felt better. I am fitter, healthier, more vibrant. I stand tall, feel confident with myself and have lost ten kilos off my weight and am keeping it off. I have learnt a lot about diet, of what foods are healthy for me and what can contribute towards an asthma attack.
My skin is clear of pimples and I am not using some miracle cleanser or face cream. My chest no longer feels tight at minor irritants such as cigarette smoke, pollen or fumes and I can tolerate other triggers such as wine without wheezing after the first glass as I once did before I started Buteyko. I feel calmer and do not panic as much. I no longer have an Asthma attack when under stress. I am sleeping better and waking less frequently during the night . I have had about three asthma attacks in the past two months, which were caused by a lot of house dusting (my biggest allergy at one time), probably after alcohol the evening before.
The best thing is that I have learnt to take control of my health and my life. I no longer wake up in a panic attack, grasping for the Ventolin to start the day, now I just breathe.
Faye - Palgarup