Profile: Jasper - 11 yr old.

"I really didn't think that these exercises could do me any good but told my Mum I'd try them anyway. After the third day of learning the exercises my hay fever and sneezing had reduced and I was able to keep up with my coach on a cross country run. He was surprised that I had so much more stamina. I can now beat the boys who used to beat me and can run faster with my mouth closed than I could with it open."

Jasper told of the 'culture' that exists in the competitive BMX racing field and said it was common to exhale sharply with a grunt and a shout on take-off.
Once he realised that he was dumping valuable carbon dioxide every time he did this, he started to keep his mouth shut, let the other boys shout, and went on to beat them. "I am riding faster than ever before" he says, "my recovery time between races has reduced and I don't get so tired any more."


Profile: Peter - 45 yr old.

Hay fever had been a problem for Peter since he was a teenager and he mouth-breathed because of his permanently blocked nose.
During spring and early summer, Peter suffered from streaming, swollen eyes, sneezing fits that could last for minutes at a time and a constantly blocked nose. He tried many brands of anti-histamine medication but those that did give him some relief made him so drowsy he had to take time off from work.

Nose drops worked for a little while and he found that he had to use them more and more often to get relief.

In despair, he enrolled in a Buteyko course in the height of the hay fever season. Because the inflammation process was well under way at the time, he struggled to get his condition under control. With perseverance, he improved to the point where he no longer needed medication.

His sinusitis virtually disappeared and Peter's voice became less nasal. Because he was now breathing through his nose instead of his mouth, instead of suffering several colds during the winter, he didn't catch any and his sense of smell improved.

Peter says: "One of the best things about doing the Buteyko course is that I now sleep so much better."