Every smoker knows the feeling: tightness in the chest, a persistent cough, and breathlessness after just a short walk up the stairs. Over time, even simple activities can start to feel exhausting. While quitting smoking is always the best option, many smokers still struggle with lingering breathing issues, even after they’ve quit.
Is there a way to reclaim better breathing?
Many smokers turn to inhalers, medication, or lung-cleansing remedies, but few realize that how they breathe may be just as important as what they breathe in.
The Buteyko Method, a scientifically backed breathing technique, has been helping people (including those with damaged lungs) breathe easier by reducing hyperventilation, improving oxygen utilization, and restoring calm, steady breathing.
If you’re struggling with breathlessness or frequent coughing, Buteyko Breathing could help retrain your lungs and support your body’s natural ability to heal. Let’s explore how this method works and why it could be a game-changer for smokers and former smokers alike.
How Smoking Affects Breathing
Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, many of which directly harm the respiratory system.
Here’s what happens to a smoker’s lungs over time:
- Airway Inflammation and Congestion: Smoke irritates the airways, causing swelling and excess mucus production, leading to frequent coughing and difficulty breathing.
- Loss of CO2 Balance:Many smokers unknowingly hyperventilate, which disrupts the delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the lungs, making oxygen delivery less efficient.
- Reduced Lung Elasticity:Years of smoking weaken lung tissue, making it harder for the lungs to expand and contract properly, which leads to shallow, effortful breathing.
- Decreased Nitric Oxide Production:The nasal passages produce nitric oxide, a molecule that enhances oxygen absorption. Smoking reduces nitric oxide levels, further impairing oxygenation.
Because of these issues, smokers and ex-smokers often experience chronic breathlessness, fatigue, and a sense that no breath feels truly satisfying.
This is where the Buteyko Method comes in.
How the Buteyko Method Supports Smokers’ Breathing
Dr. Konstantin Buteyko’s research revealed that chronic over-breathing (breathing too much, too fast, or through the mouth) reduces CO2 levels in the lungs, making oxygen absorption less effective. This is a common issue among smokers.
By retraining the body to breathe properly, the Buteyko Method helps:
- Encourage Nasal Breathing:Many smokers rely on mouth breathing due to airway irritation. Buteyko Breathing techniqueshelp shift breathing to the nose, which filters air, humidifies it, and enhances nitric oxide production.
- Reduce Breathlessness and Air Hunger:Many smokers and ex-smokers feel like they can’t “get enough air.” Buteyko Breathing helps the body adapt to normal CO2 levels, reducing the need for frequent gasping or deep breaths.
- Improve Lung Function Over Time:While lung damage can’t be reversed, Buteyko Breathing helps optimize remaining lung function, improving oxygenation and reducing effortful breathing.
- Calm the Nervous System:Many smokers light up in response to stress. Buteyko Breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing anxiety and helping manage cigarette cravings.
- Support Lung Detoxification:When smokers quit, their lungs begin clearing out toxins. Buteyko Breathing enhances circulation and oxygenation, making this natural detox process more efficient.
How to Start Buteyko Breathing as a Smoker
If you’re a smoker or former smoker looking to improve your breathing, start with these Buteyko Breathing techniques:
1. Switch to Nasal Breathing
Mouth breathing worsens lung irritation and oxygen inefficiency. Try to keep your mouth closed as much as possible during the day and night. If nasal congestion is an issue, use saline rinses and practice nasal breathing exercises to gradually open the airways.
2. Reduce Breathing Volume
To counteract the effects of hyperventilation, practice breathing less:
- Sit in a relaxed position.
- Inhale gently through your nose.
- Exhale slowly and quietly.
- Pause before taking the next breath.
- Repeat this for a few minutes, focusing on staying relaxed.
3. Measure Your Breathing Control (Control Pause)
The Buteyko Method uses a breathing test called the Control Pause (CP) to assess breathing efficiency.
Here’s how to do it:
- Inhale normally, then exhale gently.
- Pinch your nose and hold your breath.
- Count how many seconds until you feel the first strong urge to breathe.
- A CP of under 20 seconds indicates poor breathing control. The goal is to gradually increase it over time.
Quitting Smoking: The Ultimate Goal
While Buteyko Breathing can support lung function and ease respiratory discomfort, quitting smoking remains the single most important step toward long-term health.
Many smokers hesitate to quit because they fear withdrawal symptoms or worry that it’s already too late to repair the damage. However, research shows that lung function begins improving almost immediately after quitting. Within days, oxygen levels stabilize, and within weeks, circulation and lung capacity start to rebound.
For former smokers, this is where Buteyko Breathing becomes especially powerful! It helps regulate breathing patterns, making each inhale more efficient and ensuring that the lungs receive the oxygen they need to function at their best.
By practicing Buteyko Breathing as a non-smoker, individuals can maximize their recovery and prevent further respiratory decline. Even years after quitting, former smokers may struggle with lingering breathlessness, sensitivity to cold air, or occasional coughing fits. Buteyko Breathing techniques provide a way to retrain the respiratory system, ensuring that the breath remains light, controlled, and efficient.
Over time, many former smokers who practice Buteyko Breathing report a significant improvement in their overall well-being, not just in their lung function, but also in their energy levels, sleep quality, and ability to handle stress.
The choice to quit smoking is one of the most powerful decisions a person can make for their health. By combining this commitment with the Buteyko Method, individuals give themselves the best possible chance at a strong, well-functioning respiratory system for years to come.
About the AuthorTop of Form
The author, Sasha Yakovleva, is a Buteyko Breathing practitioner, educator, and co-founder of the Buteyko Breathing Center. Originally from Russia, she trained at the Buteyko Clinic in Moscow under the guidance of some of the world’s leading Buteyko specialists, including L. Novozhilova-Buteyko, A. Novozhilov, MD, and K.P. Buteyko, MD-PhD. She is one of the few individuals globally who have received the authentic Buteyko Method in its complete form and is fully authorized to teach it.
With decades of experience, Sasha has helped countless individuals worldwide improve their health through Buteyko Breathing techniques. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and on various television and radio programs. She is the author of Breathe To Heal, Adenoids Without Surgery, and other educational programs, including the instructional series Buteyko Breathing Step-by-Step.
Sasha’s dedication to the Buteyko Method deepened when she successfully helped her husband recover from severe asthma using Buteyko Breathing exercises. This transformative experience led her to become a certified Buteyko Specialist in 2009. Today, she continues to work with adults and children across the world, guiding them toward better health through the power of proper breathing.
