The technique consists of four parts: Deep breathing – this acts like a broom to sweep mucus from the deeper parts of the lungs up higher. Relaxed breathing – allows the small airways to return to normal width so that patient's not getting too wheezy. Huff – moves mucus from high in the chest to the back of the throat.
Steam inhalation: This technique helps clear the airways and drains mucus. People with lung disease may notice their symptoms worsen in cold or dry air. Steam can add warmth and moisture to the air, improving breathing and loosening mucus.
By ridding the larger airways of excessive mucus and foreign matter, the cough assists the normal mucociliary clearance and helps ensure airway patency. There are four distinct phases to a normal cough: irritation, inspiration, compression, and expulsion.
PEPE is a drug-free handheld airway physiotherapy device, Australian owned and manufactured. This Positive Expiratory hand-held device works to clear mucus to increase lung expansion and reduce airway obstruction.
Oscillating devices like this create vibrations when you exhale. This action helps loosen mucus from bronchial walls while accelerating airflow to better stimulate mucus clearance. 6 After blowing through the device several times, you can usually cough out the accumulated mucus.
The Flutter device works by the patient exhaling into the device, this causes the ball-bearing inside the casing to vibrate. The vibrations travel back into the lungs, these vibrations loosen the mucus in the airways. Gentle coughing then removes the mucus.
Chest physical therapy (CPT or Chest PT) is an airway clearance technique (ACT) to drain the lungs, and may include percussion (clapping), vibration, deep breathing, and huffing or coughing.
Airway: Clear the Airway
Open the person's airway using the head tilt-chin lift. Put your palm on the person's forehead and gently push down. Sorry, your browser does not support embedded videos. Then with the other hand, gently lift the chin forward to open the airway.
So here's the big question: Should you spit or swallow your phlegm? Even though it might taste nasty, “there's nothing wrong with swallowing it,” Dr. Comer says. In fact, that's probably what your body expects you to do, which is why phlegm naturally drains down into the back of your throat.
Possible causes of excess mucus can be food allergies, an acid reflux from the stomach, or an infection. The consistency of mucus in the throat also varies depending on what is going on in your body. Common causes of too much mucus in the throat include a cold or flu, acute bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.
What is coughing up phlegm? Coughing up phlegm is a symptom of infections like the flu and common cold. Phlegm is a specific type of mucus that originates in your lungs and throat. It's slightly thicker than the mucus that's produced in your nose and sinuses.
Purpose of Chest Percussion
Strategic clapping on the chest or back shakes the sticky mucus loose. Postural drainage involves sitting or lying down and breathing slowly and deeply to help drain mucus. Vibration is similar to percussion but instead involves using a flat hand to gently shake the ribs.
Place a few pillows under your hips and rest your arms by your head while you breathe in and out from your belly. The chest percussion technique works best when you have help from a partner or caregiver. With a cupped hand, tap on your chest and back. A light tap can loosen the mucus.
Head-tilt/chin-lift is taught on most first aid courses as the standard way of clearing an airway. The jaw-thrust maneuver is an effective airway technique, particularly in the patient in whom cervical spine injury is a concern.
The head-tilt/chin-lift and jaw-thrust are also basic airway management maneuvers. By preventing the tongue from obstructing the upper airway, these maneuvers are used to avoid airway obstruction in unconscious individuals.
Though they're always at work, you typically only notice the sticky substances when you're sick. Mucus and phlegm are similar, yet different: Mucus is a thinner secretion from your nose and sinuses. Phlegm is thicker and is made by your throat and lungs.
Suctioning through an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube allows removal of mucus from the lower respiratory tract, especially in patients who are not conscious and are unable to expel the mucus on their own.
Once the lungs become productive, airway clearance treatment is usually needed on a daily basis, and may be required up to three to four times a day if there is active infection. However, when well, treatment will be needed less frequently, only once or twice a day.