CEBU, Philippines - Asthma affects some 235 million people all over the world and is the most common chronic disease among children, according to Global Asthma Report 2011, a collaborative study between the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union).
This chronic disease can be treated with two types of medicines: long-term control and quick-relief medicines. Medicines for long-term control help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms, while quick-relief medicines relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up. The level of asthma control varies over time is affected by the changes in one's home, school, or work environments.
Unfortunately, these medications also have side effects that might affect other parts of the body. For example, some relievers can temporarily increase your heartbeat or give you mild muscle shakes. Short-term use of steroid tablets can lower the body's resistance to chickenpox, while long-term use or long periods of time (months or years) can have serious side effects for some people including risk of cataract increases, bruising easily, feeling 'hyped up' and over active with difficulty sleeping, and heartburn and indigestion.
In the Philippines, however, many families have found a safe, drug-free, and immediate relief from asthma through the Buteyko Method.
Developed over 50 years ago by Russian respiratory specialist Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, the method has also been found effective in relieving "lifestyle diseases" such as allergies (rhinitis or having excess mucus), panic attacks and anxiety disorder, snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, hay fever, coughing, immune and hormone imbalance, hypertension and chronic fatigue syndrome.
People with emphysema, diabetes, hormonal disorders, lupus, and multiple sclerosis lead productive lives over time, often with little or no medication at all, because of Buteyko Method.
Breathing correctly through the Buteyko Method has changed the lives of doctor and homeopath Barbara Ambrosio, her lawyer husband Job, and their six-year-old son.
From being asthmatics who take maintenance medicines daily and sometimes taken to the hospital due to a severe attack, members of the Ambrosio family no longer suffer from asthma-related problems for over a year now.
"A friend of ours recommended the Buteyko Method," says Barbara. "As a doctor practicing alternative forms of healing, I was open to the idea and decided to enroll my family. True enough, after just two weeks, our need for asthma medicine decreased significantly and now it is only needed rarely and briefly."
Barbara adds that aside from asthma relief the Buteyko Method's "other positive effects" include losing weight, having more energy, and getting restful sleep.
"Our modern lifestyle guarantees some degree of dysfunctional breathing, specifically over-breathing or hyperventilation, which is a root cause of asthma and other respiratory problems," says Jac Vidgen, an Australian senior Buteyko practitioner with 20 years of experience in teaching the method in Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bali, and other parts of the world.
What is important is that we continue to monitor our health and consult with health experts regularly to make sure all is on track. As what it is said, "Prevention is better than cure."
(Learn more about the Buteyko Method with Vidgen's free introductory seminars at CITIGYM, Lower Ground Floor, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, 1 Salinas Drive (232-6888 extension 8940 and 0917-7218513) on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m.-5 p.m and 6 p.m-8 p.m.
His workshops will be held in two batches from Feb. 6-12 also at CITIGYM, the first and only 24-hour fitness center in Cebu City. For booking and inquiry, call CITIGYM at (032) 232-6888 extension 8940 and 0917-7218513.
Each workshop is comprised of five two-hour sessions for both adults and children (over four years old). Vidgen is also available for private workshops, consultations, and online coaching via Skype.
You may also call Jac at 0919-6356060 or 897-1804 Unit 1704 (in Makati before February 4), email jacvid@gmail.com, log on to www.buteykoasia.com and www.learnbuteyko.info or visit the group page Buteyko Asia on Facebook.) (FREEMAN)