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Is too much airway clearance damaging?
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Aug 6, 2025 | Replies (28)Comment receiving replies
According to my speech therapist, proper huff coughing is not the problem in long-term cases (she has been working for 23 years, many of them with a pulmonologist who specializes in bronchiectasis.) She told me years of coughing and rough throat clearing damage the trachea and often the vocal chords. Breaking those habits over the past 7 years and replacing them has been very hard for me.
I am finally "almost" there. I have learned to keep my allergies controlled, sip liquids, do breathing exercises and suck on pectin-rich lozenges to keep my throat moist and soothed. This minimizes the clearing. And to stop myself as quickly as possible of hard coughing begins and switch to controlled breathing and huff coughs. These have taken about a year of practice and consciously interrupting myself to "do it right."
Replies to "According to my speech therapist, proper huff coughing is not the problem in long-term cases (she..."
Sue- I was glad to read your post.
I am trying to break the same habit of not clearing correctly and therefore needing to do a gentle huff cough. I realized a short while ago, common sense to me, that I needed to be more conscious and aware each time I want to clear my throat of what feels stuck there or when doing my air way clearance after nebulizing. It sure takes time to get it all together to do things the best way and best for each individual.
So you went from ginger gummies (and we know why) to pectin-rick lozenges. I need to change that one also for myself. I find that chewing a small piece of polar ice stick gum helps some but am wondering about my next visit to the dentist. I will look for the pectin-rich lozenges.
Barbara
Hi.
Can you share the brand you use?
I'm using Luden's.
Worried about the sugar because I don't have the best teeth.
Just thinking about going to the dentist gives me anxiety attack.
I had a root canal when I was in my twenties and still think about it to this day.
Luden's does have pectin
Thank you
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Interesting, and once again, thank you for sharing your journey. I don’t seem to have much success with huff coughing. Aerobika, which I use with the autogenic drainage app, after saline nebbing is effective. Often, though, it seems that it takes a good hard cough to break something loose. After that more comes up easily.
Anna