Asthma Cause: Hyperventilation Causes Asthma

What Causes Asthma?

What could cause asthma and its acute exacerbations? Many people think that asthma can be caused by infections, allergens, dysfunctional immune system and many other factors. All these factors are triggered by chronic hyperventilation that leads to cell hypoxia and the suppressed immune system. Indeed, medical evidence suggests that all asthmatics suffer from chronic hyperventilation.

Breathing Rates (Minute Ventilation) in Asthma

*One row corresponds to one research paper or medical science article

Condition	Minute ventilation	Number of people	Prevalence of CHVS	All references or click below for abstracts
Normal breathing	6 l/min	-	0 %	Medical textbooks
Healthy Subjects	6-7 l/min	>400	0 %	Results of 14 studies
Asthma	13 (±2) l/min	16	100%	Chalupa et al, 2004
Asthma	15 l/min	8	100%	Johnson et al, 1995
Asthma	14 (±6) l/min	39	100%	Bowler et al, 1998
Asthma	13 (±4) l/min	17	100%	Kassabian et al, 1982
Asthma	12 l/min	101	100%	McFadden & Lyons, 1968

Overbreathing (or breathing more than the medical norm) causes alveolar hypocapnia (lack of CO2) that leads to constrictions of respiratory airways (due to CO2-bronchodilation effect). Regardless of the presence of ventilation-perfusion mismatch and arterial CO2 levels (it can be high in severe lung diseases), hyperventilation always leads to tissue hypoxia, anaerobic cellular respiration, generation of free radicals in cells, immunosuppression, predisposition to chronic inflammation, excessive production of mucus, and many other pathological effects that worsen health of asthma patients.

Hyperventilation provocation test (forceful deep and fast breathing), according to medical studies, triggers acute asthma attacks in 100% of patients. Hence, it is logical that breathing less can prevent or stop most asthma attacks, see "Stop acute asthma exacerbation" in 2-3 minutes with a simple breathing exercise (up to 90% of asthma exacerbations can be prevented without using ventolin or other broncnodilators).

Restoration of normal breathing parameters eliminates all signs and symptoms of asthma. Hence, the cause of asthma is chronic hyperventilation.

Related web pages:
- Asthma Overview - common symptoms, their mechanisms, research quotes, lifestyle factors and other resources for asthma patients
- Effects of breathing exercises on asthma symptoms - How changes in automatic breathing patterns leads to elimination of all symptoms and clinical remission of asthmatics.
- Stop Coughing At Night - A breathing exercise to reduce duration and severity of coughing at night. This exercise helps to fall asleep faster

Reference Web Pages: Breathing norms, Medical Graphs and Tables about Breathing Rates (Minute Ventilation) and Body Oxygen in Healthy, Normal and Sick People
Breathing norms Parameters, graph, and description of the normal breathing pattern
6 breathing myths 6 myths about breathing and body oxygenation (prevalence: over 90%)
Hyperventilation Definitions of hyperventilation: their advantages and weak points
Hyperventilation Syndrome in the Sick. Table 1. Western scientific evidence about prevalence of CHV (chronic hyperventilation) in patients with various chronic conditions (34 medical studies)
Normal Minute Ventilation in Healthy Subjects: Easy and Light Breathing (14 Studies)
Hyperventilation Prevalence Present in Over 90% of Normal People (24 medical publications)
HV and hypoxia How and why deep breathing reduces oxygenation of cells and tissues of all vital organs
Body oxygen test How to measure your own breathing and body oxygenation (a simple DIY test)
Body oxygen in healthy Table 4. CP (body oxygen level) in healthy people (27 medical studies)
Body oxygen in sick Table 5. CP (body oxygen level) in sick people (14 medical studies)
Buteyko Table of Health Zones with clinical description of most common zones
Morning HV Morning hyperventilation effect or how and why critically ill people are most likely to die during early morning hours

References: CO2 Effects Web Pages
Vasodilation: CO2 expands arteries and arterioles facilitating perfusion (or blood supply) to all vital organs
The Bohr effect How and why oxygen is released by red blood cells in tissues
Cell Oxygen Levels and oxygen transport are controlled by alveolar CO2 and breathing
Oxygen Transport depends on breathing and these two effects (Vasoconstriction-Vasodilation and the Bohr effect) are parts of two diagrams that summarize influences of hypocapnia (low CO2 content in the blood and cells) on circulation and O2 delivery
Free Radical Generation takes place due to anaerobic cell respiration caused by cell hypoxia. Hence, antioxidant defenses of the human body are also regulated by CO2 and breathing
Inflammatory Response is controlled by breathing since hypoxia leads to or intensifies chronic inflammation through over-expression of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1, while normal breathing reduces these processes
Nerve stabilization takes place due to calmative or sedative effects of carbon dioxide in neurons or nerve cells
Muscle relaxation or relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2, while hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and, sometimes, aggression and violence
Brochodilation - dilation of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) by carbon dioxide, and their constriction due to hypocapnia
CO2: Best Natural Cough Suppressant and "home remedy" since it calms urge-to-cough nerve receptors located in the tracheobronchial tree and larynx
Blood pH regulation and regulation of other bodily fluids
CO2: Lung Damage Healer: Elevated carbon dioxide prevents injury and promotes healing of lung tissues
CO2: Skin and Tissue Healer
Synthesis of Glutamine in the Brain, CO2 fixation, and other chemical reactions
CO2 myth "CO2 is a toxic waste gas" myth
Breathing control How is our breathing regulated? Why hypocapnia makes breathing uneven and erratic?

References for the Table

Chalupa et al, 2004

Chalupa DC, Morrow PE, Oberdörster G, Utell MJ, Frampton MW, Ultrafine particle deposition in subjects with asthma, Environmental Health Perspectives 2004 Jun; 112(8): p.879-882.

Department of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.

Johnson et al, 1995

Johnson BD, Scanlon PD, Beck KC, Regulation of ventilatory capacity during exercise in asthmatics, J Appl Physiol. 1995 Sep; 79(3): p. 892-901.

Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA

Bowler et al, 1998

Bowler SD, Green A, Mitchell CA, Buteyko breathing techniques in asthma: a blinded randomized controlled trial, Med J of Australia 1998; 169: p. 575-578.

Mater Adult Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Kassabian et al, 1982

Kassabian J, Miller KD, Lavietes MH, Respiratory center output and ventilatory timing in patients with acute airway (asthma) and alveolar (pneumonia) disease, Chest 1982 May; 81(5): p.536-543.

Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey hfedical School, College Ho ital, Newark, USA

McFadden & Lyons, 1968

McFadden ER & Lyons HA, Arterial-blood gases in asthma, The New Engl J of Med 1968 May 9, 278 (19): 1027-1032.

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