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← Return to 7% and excessive phlegm
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The saline we all refer to is used in the nebulizer to treat our lungs. It comes in tiny 3-5ml ingle use vials. The nebulizer aerosolizes it so it can reach deep into the lungs. It serves 2 purposes - to liquify the mucus so we can cough it out, and to limit the growth of bacteria.
People with bronchiectasis and other lung conditions have lost the "efficiency" of their lungs coughing out mucus, which we all produce, and provide a warm, moist, dark home for bacteria and viruses to settle in and grow, making us more susceptible to nasty, hard to treat infections. Using saline, and possibly other meds, to loosen the mucus, followed by an airway clearance routine, helps clear out the hiding places, reducing the number and/or severity of infections.
Can you tell us a little about your diagnosis, and whether you are taking any medications or doing airway clearance?
Sue
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Thank you so much for your informative email. None of my 3 pulmonologists ever explained to me that the Bronchiectasis does not allow the mucous to move.
I was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis, mycobacterium Avium intercellular, and mycobacterium kansaii in 2017. Ct scans were done yearly and in 2020 everything was vastly improved. In January 2022 everything got worse and my pulmonologist recommended going on the antibiotics. I was going through some other health issues at the time and he said he would give me another 6 months. I had another CT scan in August 2022 and it had gotten even worse and they are trying to push antibiotics down my throat.
I am very sensitive to medications and have IBS-D. If I take three antibiotics a day, I will be living in the bathroom and have no quality of life.
When the pandemic started, I stopped going to the gym and did exercise some at home but not to the level pre-pandemic.
For the past four weeks I have gone back to gym and working up to the level I use to be. I have gotten up to 15 minutes on the elliptical plus other weight exercises.
I have been taking a lot of supplements for the lungs and using a nebulizer with colloidal silver.
I have also changed Doctors and am going to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Fl. I have a sputum test, breathing test, and Ct scan scheduled for next Thursday.
Please enlighten me on what airway clearance means. Have not heard of that term.
From NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine:
– Colloidal Silver https://nccih.nih.gov/health/silver
How much do we know about colloidal silver?
There are no high quality studies on the health effects of taking colloidal silver, but we do have good evidence of its dangers.
What do we know about the effectiveness of colloidal silver?
Claims made about the health benefits of taking colloidal silver aren’t backed up by studies.
What do we know about the safety of colloidal silver?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that colloidal silver isn’t safe or effective for treating any disease or condition.
According to Dr. Brent Bauer from Mayo Clinic says "Colloidal silver isn't considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Silver has no known purpose in the body. Nor is it an essential mineral, as some sellers of silver products claim."
You can read more in this article:
– Colloidal silver: is it safe? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061