Breathing and acidosis

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: May 21 2009

Q: My family physician told me to stop allowing my breaths per minute to decrease below 10 as she is fearful this could cause acidosis? I am overweight and healthy in every way except my blood pressure. Do I need to stop Resperate?

A: Holding your breath, or “under-breathing” (with effort) can cause an imbalance in your body chemistry. However, the RESPeRATE allows you to slow your breathing rate without consciously holding your breath. When you follow the guiding tones created by the RESPeRATE, breathing is slowed naturally and acidosis does not occur. This slowed rate of breathing does not have the same effect as consciously holding your breath. If your doctor would like to speak with someone from InterCure’s Scientific Affairs office, please have her call.

Normal and slow breathing

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Apr 21 2009

Q: What’s the benefit with breathing slower? I have high blood pressure. Yet, I breathe less than 8 times per minute naturally.

A: In the clinical practice setting, a normal resting breathing rate for adults is usually considered to range from 12 to 20 breaths a minute. Each person also has some variability in their breathing rate over the day and from day to day. Studies to determine normal adult breathing have primarily looked at rate, how many times the chest rises and falls during a minute.

Clinical studies with the RESPeRATE have shown that breathing less than 10 breaths a minute for a sustained period of time without thinking about breathing will lower blood pressure. In addition to slowing the rate, RESPeRATE also prolongs expiration. In my opinion, use of the RESPeRATE may help control your blood pressure even though your natural breathing rate may be below 10 breaths per minute.

Holding your breath and BP

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 17 2009

Q: I notice that you state that holding one’s breath increases blood pressure. When I hold my breath, my blood pressure drops dramatically, like 50 or more points systolic and 20-30 on diastolic. Is there something wrong with me, or is your information not an absolute?

A: Keep in mind that nothing in medicine, or life for that matter, is absolute. You can breathe sympathetically or autonomically. Usually you are not aware of breathing, this is breathing through the autonomic system of your body. When you focus your consciousness on breathing, such as when you are holding your breath so no one will be alerted to your presence, you are breathing with your sympathetic nervous system. Sympathetic breathing is associated with an increase in blood pressure. It is possible that you are so used to holding your breath; you do it without thinking, using your autonomic system. Since you seem worried, I recommend you discuss this further with your doctor.

Buteyko Breathing and blood pressure

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 03 2009

Q: I was wondering if the Buteyko Breathing Technique would be another effective respiratory therapy to learn for lowering blood pressure?

A: The Buteyko Breathing Technique was developed in Russia to help control symptoms of asthma. Clinical studies suggest it reduces the need for rescue inhalers. It is my understanding that the benefits are achieved by breathing less. Breath holding increases blood pressure so my concern is that use of the Buteyko Breathing Technique might make hypertension worse.

RESPeRATE, breathlessness and panic attacks

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jan 02 2009

Q: Do you think RESPeRATE could be helpful for breathlessness related to panic attacks?

A: The RESPeRATE lowers blood pressure through controlled breathing exercises. With the device, you learn how to slow your breathing. Although RESPeRATE use in panic attacks has not been studied, it makes sense to me that a device that teaches slow breathing could potentially also help you control the fast breathing and breathlessness that occurs with panic attacks. In addition, many users report how soothing and de-stressing they find regular use of the RESPeRATE. Perhaps this effect would help prevent panic attacks.

RESPeRATE and asthma

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jul 09 2007

Q: I have asthma, will this device work for me?

A: The RESPeRATE was studied for the treatment of high blood pressure so the benefits in asthma have not been established. However many find use of the device helps relieve stress which is a known trigger for asthma attacks.

RESPeRATE with deviated trachea and OSA

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Apr 05 2007

Q: I breathe heavily all the time and it’s loud even at rest. I do not suffer from asthma but I do have a deviated trachea and OSA (I use a CPAP machine). Could these conditions give me a problem when using RESPeRATE?

A: The RESPeRATE has no side effects, however, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or structural abnormalities of the respiratory system were excluded from RESPeRATE’s clinical trials. The RESPeRATE may help, but only your personal doctor knows your background and will be able to help you make a decision.

Breathing less than 5bpm

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 07 2007

Q: Should the RESPeRATE reduce the breathing rate to less than 5?

A: The secret to using the RESPeRATE is to breathe effortlessly. As long as you reach the therapeutic breathing range, less than 10 breaths per minute, the RESPeRATE is effective. For most people breathing slower than 5 breaths per minute requires a conscious effort and breath-holding. This makes your blood pressure go up and makes the breathing exercise ineffective. Keep in mind this is not a race. The goal is to be able to breathe effortlessly in the therapeutic range. At any time you feel uncomfortable with the rate of the machine, you should increase your breathing rate to the level where you feel comfortable.

Upper chest breathing

Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 07 2007

Q: Is upper chest breathing considered unhealthy?

A: In the normal course of a day, we breathe with both our chest and our abdominal muscles. The work of breathing is shared between muscles responsible for inspiration and expiration located in the chest wall and the abdomen. With exercise and disease, the use of the abdominal muscles to help with expiration is increased. Because of this, neither chest nor abdominal breathing should be considered bad. There are advantages to each type of breathing depending upon activity level and physical condition. Chest breathing tends to be shallower, so abdominal breathing is often recommended to encourage full expansion of the lungs. The breathing sensor on the RESPeRATE works better when placed in the chest position on women and in abdominal position on men but should be placed in the area where you are breathing from.