Hypertension, Migraine Headaches, Panic Attacks and Buteyko Exercises

Hypertension, Heart Disease, Migraine Headaches, Panic Attacks

Module 8A. Restrictions, side effects, limits, and temporary contraindications

(Learning the Buteyko method by modules)

Depending on the severity and type of the condition and some other personal factors, many of these patients can worsen their health state if they try common or intensive breathing sessions accompanied by quick CO2 increase. Predisposed patients can develop even higher blood pressure, panic attacks, and migraine headaches.

Even CP measurement can trigger negative cardiovascular changes in some heart patients. Note that other groups of people can do breath holds without any negative effects, but blood vessels of some heart patients can constrict due to too quick changes in blood gas composition. This effect was known to Dr. K. Buteyko who described it in his medical publication in the 1960’s.

Many of these patients (with heart disease, migraine headaches, or panic attacks) can do the same breathing exercises (with the DIY breathing device and the reduced breathing developed by Dr. Buteyko). However, in order to be safe, it is better for these people to start with lighter forms of breathing exercises.

When using the DIY breathing device:
1. Inhale air through the nose and exhale through the breathing device.
2. Breathe in and out through the device but use a device with a very small volume for the plastic tube (no more than 50 ml). This can be achieved by using a narrow plastic bottle so that you would not get large amount of water in the tube and your mouth during inhalations.
In both cases, their breathing should remain regular all the time (no breath holds).

When doing Buteyko breathing exercises, various pauses and reduced breathing:
If you feel uncomfortable/overstressed after doing the CP test and any other pauses (including maximum and extended pauses) and your heart rate gets higher (3-5 min after the test), do not do any breath holds. It is a known effect that some groups of people get a different cardiovascular response to sudden and sharp changes in arterial CO2. Breathing sessions and exercises should lead to higher CP, lower heart rate and improved feeling of well-being. Hence, you need to adjust your breathing exercises to your current (temporary) state by avoiding uncomfortable pauses and focusing on reduced breathing.

Your goal for Buteyko breathing exercises is to reduce heart rate after the session. Start with the relaxation of the diaphragm exercise that does not create any sensation of air hunger. Practice this exercise for several days and then try the CP test. Later you can proceed to more demanding exercises and start practicing reduced breathing without any pauses (as it is described on the web page Learn Buteyko reduced breathing).

When breathing, after some days/weeks of practice becomes lighter, ability to do pauses is improved (you can safely do, for example, the CP measurement) and they are safe and useful to do. For example, with over 20 s CP such people are comfortable doing the CPs and even practicing reduced breathing immediately after the CP without any unpleasant sensations. Then you can practice a regular Buteyko breathing exercise session.

When such students (panic attacks, heart disease, or migraine headaches) get over 30 s CP, no restrictions are usually necessary, extended and maximum pauses are safe, and these students can join the main group in further breathing normalization.

Keep in mind, that at any stage, it is important that you feel better after the breathing sessions and your heart rate should become lower either immediately after the breathing session or 5-10 minutes later.

Important note for patients with high blood pressure

Within 3-4 days after starting breathing retraining hypertensives experience better quality of life (more energy, better concentration, alertness, sleep and digestion). However, they often experience very light increase in blood pressure (about 10-15 mm Hg) during first 5-7 days of breathing retraining. During the following 2-6 weeks their blood pressure gets back to normal. It is very important for them to practice regularly.

When practicing the relaxation of the diaphragm (special Buteyko breathing exercise for patients with high blood pressure), these patients should not try to create any air hunger or sensation of shortage of air.

These restrictions and conditions are for people with:

Heart disease (aortic aneurysms; angina pectoris; arrhythmia; atherosclerosis (plaque buildup); cardiomyopathy; ciliary arrhythmia (cardiac fibrillation); chest pain (angina pectoris); high cholesterol; chronic ischemia; congenital heart disease; congestive heart failure; coronary artery disease; endocarditis; extrasystole; heart murmurs; hypertension; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; pericarditis; post-myocardial infarction; stroke; tachycardia)

Migraine headaches and panic attacks

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?

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

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