Therapeutic Yoga: Volume 5 - Management of Asthma and Rhinitis

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I almost cured my Asthma  … Read on to understand and manage…
Respiratory disorder is a medical term that consists of pathological conditions affecting the process of respiration in human beings. Physiologically, respiration is a process of taking in the air from the atmosphere, utilizing the oxygen from the inhaled air and throwing out the carbon dioxide. In general, when there is disturbance in any of the part of respiratory system that include the nostrils, upper respiratory tract, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleura/pleural cavity; the nerves, arteries/veins and the muscles associated with chest, abdomen and lungs are also affected. The most commonly occurring disorders are Asthma and Rhinitis. The prevalence of asthma and rhinitis is increasing worldwide. Around 250,000 people die worldwide every year as a result of asthma. Environmental and emotional factors are thought to be responsible. Both, the asthma and the rhinitis frequently coexist in the same patients. Asthma is defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in the lungs causing difficulty in breathing, tightness in the chest and wheezing. Rhinitis is defined as inflammation of the nasal mucosa characterized by nasal discharge, blockage, sneezing, itching in the eyes and nasal passage, which in acute stage leads to asthma.
The moment breathing stops, all activities come to stand still. Hence, as a first step, it becomes important to learn the proper way of breathing and to keep the respiratory organs healthy and strong. Majority of us think that, if the act of mere inhalation and exhalation is in progress, it is good enough. Modern societies have forgotten about the correct way of breathing and breathing during the early morning oxygen rich-clean air. We are ignorant of ill effects of improper breathing, on our general health in a long run. Keeping the nasal passages clear and breathing properly is an extremely important activity.
A normal human breathes about 14 to 17 times per minute. The lungs have a capacity of holding 5 to 6 liters of air. However, we breathe only one tenth of this capacity due to non-utilization of the entire lungs. After every inhalation until exhalation, a vital function happens inside cells and the heart. In normal conditions, the heart takes 0.3 seconds to contract and 0.5 seconds to relax. That is 0.3+0.5=0.8 seconds for one beat. That means, heart beats 72 times per minute. During the relaxing phase of 0.5 seconds, the impure blood travels through the lungs and becomes 100% pure, rich with oxygen. In some stressful conditions, the body demands more blood in less time and in such situation, the heart reduces the relaxing period of 0.5 seconds to 0.4 seconds. Under such condition, only 80% blood is purified and heart beats about 82 times per minute. On more and more demand, the relaxing time is further reduced to 0.3 seconds and only 60% of blood is purified. Imagine the consequences of breathlessness and its ill effects. Practice of yoga emphasizes on synchronized, slow breathing in every asana practice. By performing proper breathing exercises in yogic way and adopting some simple yogic kriyas, both these disorders can be kept away completely.