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Is too much airway clearance damaging?

Posted by jnmy @jnmy, Jul 29 7:17am

I read not long ago that too aggressive airway clearance wasn’t good for the lungs. Was it @sueinmn who mentioned that it can create more phlegm/ mucus as a result?

We all do our best to clear most mucus and people comment on a change of colour being an indication that the nasty stuff is huff coughed out. Or spending 15-20 minutes or so , twice daily, is the right amount of time, on a regular day with no exacerbations. It seems that nothing is ever quite regular though for many people.

Can this be explained further? Why or how could we produce more mucus if we overdo the twice daily airway clearance? Is it dangerous to the health of the lung?

Thanks!

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Aug 5 7:28pm
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "@scoop Scoop- Do you ever feel you have cleared completely??? I could go on clearing forever..." + (show)
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@scoop
Scoop- Do you ever feel you have cleared completely??? I could go on clearing forever all day long. I just have to say....that's it for now. I do often huff cough throughout the day before doing another nebulizing session.
By the way I decided to do a third session (as you have mentioned in posts) of nebulizing about an hour and a half before bed and it seems to help me sleep better. For me I have not been using more than two 4l viles a day and it's working. I find that nebulizing (without the Aerobika attached) with deep breathing in of the saline does the trick. At least it appears to be so far.
Barbara

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Barbara, in over seven years, I can probably count on one hand the number of days I felt my lungs were completely "clear" - and another handful of days in the five years before I was diagnosed & began airway clearance.
"Cruddy" lungs are just part of life for me - if I tried to completely clear them, I would never do anything else! My friends and family are accustomed to having me excuse myself to go huff for a few minutes if I feel something "stuck"

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cwal | @cwal | Aug 6 6:40am
In reply to @sueinmn "@jnmy Yes, it was me - I am on my way out for some appointments, so..." + (show)
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@jnmy Yes, it was me - I am on my way out for some appointments, so I don't have time to look for the reports. I put it on my to-do list for the evening.

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Hi Sue! Did you ever find the reports you mentioned regarding "too much airway clearance" ?

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Aug 6 8:19am
In reply to @cwal "Hi Sue! Did you ever find the reports you mentioned regarding "too much airway clearance" ?" + (show)
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Hi Sue! Did you ever find the reports you mentioned regarding "too much airway clearance" ?

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Mea culpa! They are sitting on my table waiting to be perused. Life has gotten in the way - making the most of the last of summer with the grandkids, continuing our major declutter to simplify life and planning a trip to Europe for October. Along with airway clearance, daily PT and frequent medical appointments...not enough hours in the day...

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annagh | @annagh | Aug 6 9:44am
In reply to @scoop "Here's a how to on huff coughing in case we need a refresher: https://youtu.be/c-myXK9NJWQ https://youtu.be/QhaoxqEpDdE" + (show)
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Here's a how to on huff coughing in case we need a refresher:


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Thanks, Scoop. This was a good review.

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scoop | @scoop | Aug 6 11:17am
In reply to @blm1007blm1007 "@scoop Scoop- Do you ever feel you have cleared completely??? I could go on clearing forever..." + (show)
Profile picture for blm1007blm1007 @blm1007blm1007

@scoop
Scoop- Do you ever feel you have cleared completely??? I could go on clearing forever all day long. I just have to say....that's it for now. I do often huff cough throughout the day before doing another nebulizing session.
By the way I decided to do a third session (as you have mentioned in posts) of nebulizing about an hour and a half before bed and it seems to help me sleep better. For me I have not been using more than two 4l viles a day and it's working. I find that nebulizing (without the Aerobika attached) with deep breathing in of the saline does the trick. At least it appears to be so far.
Barbara

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Clear enough is my answer to your question. When I am upright I am less prone to coughing than when I lie down. If I do two vials of saline too close to bedtime I seem to cough all night. I've dropped down to one vial at p.m.

As the sputum lightens during clearance that's my signal that I am finished for that AC session.

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sheila7a | @sheila7a | Aug 6 2:37pm
In reply to @sueinmn "According to my speech therapist, proper huff coughing is not the problem in long-term cases (she..." + (show)
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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."

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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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jnmy | @jnmy | Aug 6 2:56pm
In reply to @sueinmn "Mea culpa! They are sitting on my table waiting to be perused. Life has gotten in..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

Mea culpa! They are sitting on my table waiting to be perused. Life has gotten in the way - making the most of the last of summer with the grandkids, continuing our major declutter to simplify life and planning a trip to Europe for October. Along with airway clearance, daily PT and frequent medical appointments...not enough hours in the day...

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The research articles can wait! Enjoy your summer with family. Meanwhile there have been helpful comments from you and others. Thanks @sueinmn

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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Aug 6 5:19pm
In reply to @sheila7a "Hi. Can you share the brand you use? I'm using Luden's. Worried about the sugar because..." + (show)
Profile picture for sheila7a @sheila7a

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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Sootheez has about 11g of pectin per lozenge. I buy them on line or at my local target or CVS

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