Brochiectasis cough

Drinking really warm water when I am feeling that I may have a coughing jag really has helped me tremendously. It helps to loosen secretions so that the nebulizing can bring up more. Sometimes it works on its own to dislodge a plug that was the culprit. Doing all the things is the best bet, I’ve found.

@sueinmn I would add that we are often reminded about how important the breath hold is after inhalation and before a huff cough.

What I’ve noticed though and mentioned briefly in the earlier post, is that the exhalation of the breath before the huff cough is really a beneficial step too. The exaggeration of the expelling of the breath helps.

It shakes up the mucus. I prolong it and use my diaphragm to engage the stomach muscles and it generally results in a deep gravelly sound or rattle. I repeat the inhalation, breath hold and longer exhalation once or twice, before the inhalation that leads to the huff cough.

I’m sure others have determined what they can tolerate and what works best if they have mucus / phlegm to expel with this Bronchiectasis diagnosis. I’m sharing here for someone who might not have tried this air clearance technique.

I was never given instructions, so I’ve viewed a few videos, read comments here, and over time arrived at a method that seems to work for me, at this point anyway.

I feel something stuck in my chest, usually the upper right that is going to make me cough. But I can’t get at it with the cough b/c it seems unreacheable. Drinking the very warm water seems to dilute the secretions almost instantly and moves them along. Now that I do airway clearance with 3% saline and autogenic drainage and huff coughs, I include those techniques in the process of drinking warm water and spit up little round clumps of sputum sometimes with something that looks like a comet tail. It’s amazing how coughing up that little thing gives me relief. I am working up to 7% saline, which I haven’t t been able to tolerate but I’ve heard that many people can get a lot more sputum out with it.

There’s usually a very particular degree of heat that gets things moving. I learned it by feel. I don’t drink the very warm water if I have a hemoptysis episode, which thankfully is happening less lightly.

Recurring pneumonia is a risk factor in bronchiectasis. Our lungs cannot clear themselves. The phlegm pools if not [manually] cleared. The manual clearance is what we refer to as airway clearance. This pooling phlegm serves as a breeding ground for bacteria. Sometimes illnesses begin as a viruses, and then turn into a bacterial infections, and can result in pneumonia. Airway clearance twice day is critical to keep the lungs clear; it is the cornerstone of bronchiectasis management.

Hi I live in UK but most of the information you are providing is the same here
I am in hospital now just going into my 4th week up to now I have had pneumonia 14 times in the last 2 years and been given DNAR 3 times now I am really determined to come out of hospital very soon feeling well I have never smoked or taken illegal drugs but,sometimes feel very unhappy that this illness was a legacy from childhood chest infections
Can you tell me about this vest that you talk about as never heard of it. I am nearly 72 and was diagnosed 2 years ago but was a very active 70 year old and now cannot do what I want to do, that is when I’m not in hospital I’m really determined to manage this disease and get on with my life on the 10June i had a major setback and was really poorly I lay on me hospital bed and just said no god not today I’m not going anywhere today it was my 52nd wedding anniversary and it worked I’m still here. Thank you in advance for any advice yiu can give to me. Q

Hi I live in UK but most of the information you are providing is the same here
I am in hospital now just going into my 4th week up to now I have had pneumonia 14 times in the last 2 years and been given DNAR 3 times now I am really determined to come out of hospital very soon feeling well I have never smoked or taken illegal drugs but,sometimes feel very unhappy that this illness was a legacy from childhood chest infections
Can you tell me about this vest that you talk about as never heard of it. I am nearly 72 and was diagnosed 2 years ago but was a very active 70 year old and now cannot do what I want to do, that is when I’m not in hospital I’m really determined to manage this disease and get on with my life on the 10June i had a major setback and was really poorly I lay on me hospital bed and just said no god not today I’m not going anywhere today it was my 52nd wedding anniversary and it worked I’m still here. Thank you in advance for any advice yiu can give to me. Q

Have the doctors tested your immune system for an immune deficiency? That’s way too many pneumonias in a short period of time. Are you practicing an airway clearance religiously?

Hi thanks for replying I am at the moment going through tests for autoimmune deficiencies I practice my airway clearing they day using my aerobics and deep breathing and huffs I have a rescue pack at home of antibiotics I use nebulisers at home 4 times a day but feel quite overwhelmed at times I’m discharged from the hospital one week and then re-admitted a few weeks later I’m on the merry go round again. I’m not feeling sorry for myself as there are a lot worse than me but I hate this disease it is making me an old woman before my time. Thanks for listening