The Buteyko method: what it is and what the research shows

The Buteyko method is a breathing retraining technique that teaches you to breathe more slowly and gently through your nose, with short breath holds to measure progress. It was developed for asthma, and that's where nearly all the research is. Several trials show it can ease asthma symptoms and cut reliever inhaler use, and UK asthma guidance says breathing exercise programmes can be offered alongside medicines. It doesn't appear to improve lung function, and some of the theory behind it hasn't held up.

What is the Buteyko method?

The Buteyko method is a set of breathing exercises named after Konstantin Buteyko, a doctor who proposed that many people breathe more than they need to. The 2020 Cochrane review of breathing exercises for asthma lists the Buteyko technique alongside the Papworth method, yoga breathing and diaphragmatic breathing, and says such programmes typically encourage relaxation, home practice, changes in breathing pattern, nasal breathing and breath holding.

In practice, a Buteyko course usually covers:

• Breathing through your nose at all times, including at night
• Reduced or lighter breathing, taking in a little less air than feels natural
• Timed breath holds after a normal breath out, often called the control pause
• Regular home practice between sessions

A 2005 review in Complementary Therapies in Medicine points out that Buteyko isn't a standardized treatment. The package also includes advice and education on medication use, nutrition, exercise and general relaxation, which the authors say makes it hard to pin any benefit on one mechanism.

Does the Buteyko method work for asthma?

The Buteyko method has more trial evidence for asthma than most breathing techniques, and the results lean positive for symptoms and reliever use. Lung function is where it falls short.

In a 1998 blinded randomized trial in the Medical Journal of Australia, 39 people with asthma took Buteyko classes or control classes. After three months, the Buteyko group had cut their daily reliever (beta-2 agonist) dose by a median of 904 micrograms, compared with 57 micrograms in the control group. Their breathing volume at rest fell too. Peak flow and FEV1, two standard lung function measures, didn't change in either group.

A 2003 randomized trial in Thorax followed 90 people with asthma who were already taking an inhaled steroid. They practised Buteyko breathing, used a device that mimics yoga breathing, or used a dummy device, twice a day for six months. Symptoms fell in the Buteyko group but stayed fairly stable in the other two, and the Buteyko group used two fewer puffs a day of reliever inhaler at six months. There was no difference in lung function, airway sensitivity, flare-ups or the ability to reduce inhaled steroids.

A 2008 trial in Respiratory Medicine compared Buteyko with breathing and relaxation training from a physiotherapist. Both groups improved a lot. Six months after the courses ended, the share of people with controlled asthma rose from 40% to 79% in the Buteyko group and from 44% to 72% in the physiotherapy group. The Buteyko group had also cut their inhaled steroid use significantly more.

That last trial is a useful reminder: a well-taught breathing programme of almost any kind seems to help, and Buteyko is one good option rather than the only one.

What do reviews and guidelines say?

The reviews broadly agree that breathing exercises help some outcomes, with caveats about study quality. The 2020 Cochrane review included 22 trials with 2,880 adults, though only two of them tested Buteyko. It found that breathing exercises may have some positive effects on quality of life, hyperventilation symptoms and lung function, and rated the certainty of the evidence from moderate to very low.

A 2026 meta-analysis in Explore pooled seven randomized trials comparing Buteyko plus standard care with standard care alone. It found a modest improvement in asthma control in adults and in children and teenagers. Quality of life didn't improve overall, though it did in children and teenagers. No adverse events were reported. The authors called the evidence limited and asked for larger trials.

The British guideline on the management of asthma, from the British Thoracic Society and SIGN, says programmes centred on breathing exercises, including physiotherapist-delivered programmes such as the Papworth method and the Buteyko method, can lead to modest improvements in symptoms and quality of life and reduce reliever use in adults with asthma, but have little effect on lung function or airway inflammation. It recommends that breathing exercise programmes can be offered to adults with asthma as an addition to their medicines. It also says there isn't enough evidence yet on breathing exercises in children aged 12 and under to base a recommendation on.

Which Buteyko claims go beyond the evidence?

The theory behind Buteyko is shakier than the results. The idea is that people with asthma over-breathe, lowering carbon dioxide, and that breathing less raises it again and calms the airways. The 2005 review says this theory has some basis in experimental studies, but that it isn't known whether changing breathing patterns can raise carbon dioxide levels significantly, and there's not enough evidence that this is how any benefit works.

The trials back that caution up. In the 1998 trial, end-tidal carbon dioxide, a measure of the carbon dioxide you breathe out, was low in both groups and didn't change with Buteyko training, even though symptoms and reliever use improved.

The control pause has also been tested. Buteyko claimed that breath-holding time could detect chronic over-breathing and predict carbon dioxide levels in the lungs. A 2008 study of 83 adults found that breath-holding time was negatively correlated with exhaled carbon dioxide, directly opposite to his claim. The authors suggested that breathing therapies like Buteyko might work by improving the mechanics of breathing instead.

So the method may help for different reasons than its founder proposed. That doesn't undo the trial results, but it's a reason to be wary of anyone who presents the control pause as a medical test, or promotes Buteyko for conditions where it hasn't been studied. Almost all of the trials we've described are in asthma.

Where does mouth taping fit into Buteyko?

Mouth taping is part of how Buteyko practice keeps people breathing through the nose at night. A 2009 study in Respiratory Medicine describes nose breathing as being encouraged at night in the Buteyko technique by the use of mouth taping, and explains the appeal: breathing through the nose means the air you breathe in is warm, filtered and moist.

That study then tested taping on its own. Fifty-one people with asthma taped their mouths at night with microporous tape, as in the Buteyko technique, for four weeks, and spent another four weeks breathing as usual. Participants taped for a median of 26 of 28 nights, and 36 said taping was very or fairly acceptable. But it made no difference to morning peak flow, symptom scores or any other measure of asthma control.

The fair reading is that tape alone didn't change asthma control in those four weeks, and that most people tolerated it well. Many people use mouth tape for other reasons, such as snoring or a dry mouth, and as a simple way to practise the nose breathing that Buteyko teaches. Our article on mouth tape and asthma covers that question in detail, and our guide to training yourself to nose breathe looks at daytime habits. We don't recommend mouth tape for children.

Is the Buteyko method safe?

The Buteyko method appears safe when it's used alongside normal asthma care. The 2026 meta-analysis found no adverse events reported across its seven trials. The trials all added Buteyko to usual treatment, and the British guideline frames breathing exercises as an addition to medicines.

The real risk is treating it as a replacement. Some trials found people could use less reliever or steroid inhaler, but those changes happened within studies and alongside medical care. Keep taking your prescribed inhalers, and talk to your doctor or asthma nurse before changing any dose. If you want to learn the method, look for a course from a trained teacher, and stop any breath hold that makes you feel distressed or dizzy.

For gentler, non-medical breathing practice, our guides to nasal breathing exercises and slow breathing for sleep are good starting points.

When should you see a doctor?

See your doctor or asthma nurse before starting Buteyko if you have asthma, and straight away if your asthma is getting worse. Ask a clinician first if you're pregnant or have a heart or lung condition, and before taping if your nose is often blocked.

Watch for signs of sleep apnea too, especially if you plan to tape at night. The NHLBI lists breathing that starts and stops during sleep, frequent loud snoring, gasping for air and daytime sleepiness among its symptoms. If those sound familiar, get checked before you tape. Our page on sleep apnea warning signs explains more.

Our pick (paid partner): Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape

If you want to keep up the nose breathing that Buteyko teaches through the night, our pick is Titan Bamboo Silk Mouth Tape. We haven't tested or ranked mouth tapes ourselves; this is our recommendation based on how Titan describes its tape. Titan's tape wasn't used in any of the studies above.

Titan describes the bamboo silk strip as soft, breathable and moisture-wicking, with no printed logo or ink on the side that touches your skin. It's one oval size, 76 by 38 mm, worn horizontally across the lips. Titan suggests 20 to 30 minutes of daytime practice before the first night, which fits neatly into a daytime breathing routine.

Titan says every batch is third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and its 30-night guarantee refunds you if your sleep isn't better after 30 nights. If you'd like to start with daytime practice, our first-week guide shows how to fit the tape into your routine.

Read next

• Mouth tape and asthma
• Nasal breathing exercises
• Can you train yourself to nose breathe?

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.