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Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

@ubaldo45 When airway clearance causes additional fatigue, it is possible you are working too hard.

At first, we think we must clear "every last bit" of mucus from our lungs. Remember, our airways are meant to be bathed in mucus, so we just need to move the excess, Trying to get rid of it all can cause us to produce even more mucus.

And unless we have had it clearly demonstrated, the active cycle of breathing and huff coughing may become coughing too hard - tiring, irritating to the throat, and possibly even making our ribs hurt.

There are numerous helpful videos on how to do better, easier clearance, including demonstrations of active breathing, huff-coughing and other techniques.
Here is a longer video that is pretty comprehensive:


@becleartoday and @scoop, are there any videos you recommend?

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Replies to "@ubaldo45 When airway clearance causes additional fatigue, it is possible you are working too hard. At..."

@sueinmn
There are so many and I have watched so many! Airway clearance remained mysterious to me for quite some time. What made a giant difference for me was adding hypertonic saline, which helped immeasurably. I finally had something to cough up.

I suppose the very first website I found on the subject is among my favorites. Even then it takes time to master and figure out what works for you. Adding the aerobika also very helpful. https://bronchiectasis.com.au/physiotherapy

The other memorable airway clearance video was posted by @becleartoday , but I do not remember his name. He's based in NYC, kinda nutty, with dyed blonde hair, with tats and piercings. Very engaging effective presentation not to mention memorable! He refers to his work as complex physical therapy. 100% agree!