Rate these symptoms where 0 is never, 1 is rare, 2 is sometimes, 3 is often and 4 is very often
| Shallow breathing, using the upper chest to breathe | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Erratic breathing e.g. a deep breath every few minutes; rapid breathing spaced with long pauses; breathing without pause | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Fast or deep breathing | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Yawning or sighing | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Breathing through mouth | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Difficulty in taking a deep breath | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Short of breath, breathless | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Chest tightness or constriction | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Airways are extra-sensitive | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Excessive mucus production | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Coughing | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Allergies, rhinitis, hay fever | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Sneezing | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Blocked or running nose | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Reduced sense of smell | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Bad breath | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Dry mouth | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Dental or gum problems | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Throat clearing repeatedly | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Ringing in ears | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Light-headed or feeling dizzy | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Pounding, rapid or erratic heartbeat | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| High blood pressure | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Varicose veins | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Colds, flu or chest infections | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Prone to sickness | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Visual disturbances e.g. flashes or shadows before the eye, blurred ortunnel vision or impaired night vision, sudden deterioration of vision | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Poor concentration, mental fatigue, confusion, forgetful, ‘spaced out’ | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Feeling tense, apprehensive, anxious, panicky, or fearful without reasone.g. fear of stuffy rooms | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Short temper, irritable | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Mild depression | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Mild obsession in regard to habits, objects or people | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Frequent urination | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Nausea, ‘butterflies’ in stomach | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Bloated abdomen, flatulence or belching | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Constipation with intermittent diarrhoea | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Stiffness in fingers, arms or around the mouth | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Trembling, tic or twitching | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Muscle tightness or cramps | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Tingling or numbness in fingers, feet or lips | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Cold hands and feet | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Itching, dry skin, eczema or rashes | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Sweaty palms/feet/armpits or feeling hot all over | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Hot or cold flushes | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Licking dry lips | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Pains in bones or joints | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Headaches | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Chest pains that are not heart-related | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Lacking stamina, feeling chronically tired or physically exhausted | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Muscle weakness, ‘jelly’ legs | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Erratic blood sugar levels | 0 1 2 3 4 |
| Sleeping badly e.g. insomnia, vivid dreams, nightmares, shuddering in sleep, snoring, waking frequently, grinding teeth or still feeling tired after a long sleep | 0 1 2 3 4 |
If you score 3 or 4 for 6 or more symptoms, improving your breathing by learning the Buteyko method could dramatically improve your health.
A disordered breathing pattern usually includes hyperventilation or over-breathing (breathing more than the body requires at that time). The posture may also be slumped and often the breathing is predominantly into the upper chest rather than diaphragmatic. Breathing may be irregular and noisy, and through the mouth some of the time. There may be little awareness of breathing; it may not be under control while speaking or exercising. We emphasise the importance of nasal breathing at all times, and encourage you to live life at the pace that you can breathe through your nose.
If you are seated but you are breathing the amount of air required for a brisk walk, then you are hyperventilating. However, even if you are breathing three times the normal volume of air, neither you nor your GP are likely to notice that you are breathing too much. Because breathing is such a basic function and we tend to believe it “looks after itself”, hyperventilation can be overlooked, with serious long-term health consequences. This is hidden hyperventilation or chronic hyperventilation.
The respiratory system is often the first part of the body to show symptoms related to bad breathing and many people with hidden hyperventilation have narrowed airways and/or increased mucus production. This can give you mild symptoms like a blocked or running nose or more serious conditions such as asthma, hay fever, chronic allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, coughing, and difficulty swallowing. Symptoms of chronic hyperventilation are not confined to the respiratory system, indeed many systems can be affected from digestive to circulatory, causing IBS, dizzyness, cold hands and many others.
