mucus | COPD Foundation Blog

Posts Tagged mucus

Clearing Your Lungs

February 13th, 2013 | Author: COPD Coach

Dear COPD Coach,

I know what the cough technique is for getting rid of mucus, but what is ‘positional’ mucus clearing?

–Wanting to Breathe Better

Dear Wanting,

First, we would recommend talking to your doctor about this before starting anything. Postural or positional mucus clearing uses gravity to help expel excess mucus from the airway. This is done by putting your body in different positions which then drains different parts of the lung.

The bronchial airways in your lungs are configured much like the roots of a tree. Your trachea, or windpipe, can be thought of as similar to the trunk of the tree (except hollow) and the smaller airways as branches. The goal with positional mucus clearance, also called postural drainage, is to get mucus mobilized to larger airways and trachea where they can then be coughed out.

This technique is often used in individuals with Cystic Fibrosis and spinal cord injury, or other paralysis, but can be used for those with COPD, especially if bronchiectasis is a component of their COPD.

Talk to your doctor before starting this.

Postural drainage can be effective alone, by laying in a position specific to where the most mucus is (if there is more mucus in the right lung, you would lay on your left side). Percussion may also be added. Percussion is a special way of using the hands to tap on the back or chest to loosen mucus. Holding the hands in the cup position requires training and experience using sight, touch and sound, so chest percussion should never be attempted by an untrained individual.

Check with your health care professional if a handheld airway clearance device might be right for you. Devices such as the Flutter and Acapella are easy to use and work by vibrating the insides of your airways to shake mucus loose.

If your condition calls for it, you may qualify for using a mechanical clearance device such as the vest to provide the needed chest or back vibrations.

Hope this helps,

The COPD Coach

Ask the Expert is aimed at providing information for individuals with COPD to take to your doctor, and is not in any way intended to be medical advice.

If you would like to submit a question to the Coaches Corner email us atcoachescorner@copdfoundation.org. We would love to hear your questions and comments. You can address your emails to any of the following: COPD Coach, Caregiver Coach, COPD Doctor or COPD RT.

Tags: airway clearing, COPD, COPD and mucus, cystic fibrosis, mucus, positional clearing, postural clearing | Category: Ask the Expert, Community, Management | No Comments » | » Share

COPD and GERD

December 5th, 2012 | Author: COPD Coach

Dear COPD Coach,

I have just been diagnosed with COPD. I have suffered with GERD for 25 years and had Nissen wrap surgery (surgery for GERD when other treatments fail) 20 years ago. Surgery helped for awhile, but I still struggled with GERD while experiencing new COPD coughing symptoms with difficulty in breathing. I instinctively laid down on the floor with my head elevated. It seemed to slow the coughing and the sense of mucus dripping in my chest. Is there any validity to this or I’m just hoping?

Thank you,

–COPD and GERD

Dear COPD,

COPD and GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder) often occur together. Research shows that people with COPD are at far greater risk of developing GERD, and almost half of those with severe COPD also have GERD.

GERD is a digestive disorder in which the valve that keeps stomach contents inside the stomach allows stomach acids to get up into the esophagus. The disease can easily complicate your COPD symptoms. These acids are very irritating to the linings of your lungs. It is thought that GERD develops in people with COPD because they have trapped air in their chest cavities, which may then increase pressure on the abdomen, which leads to gastric reflux. It is also thought that some of the medications used to treat COPD may impair the lower esophageal sphincter which is the valve that keeps acid and food in the stomach.

From themeanings.com

According to Dr. David Mannino, one sign that the acid reflux of GERD could be affecting your lungs is if you wake up in the middle of the night gagging, especially with a sour taste in your mouth. Heartburn, coughing more frequently, coughing up mucus, and having even more trouble catching your breath all indicate that GERD is likely making your COPD symptoms worse.

While there is no cure for GERD, there are steps you can take to lessen the symptoms which include avoiding spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine and chocolate. Do not eat right before you go to bed, and keeping the head of your bed slightly elevated. Discuss with your doctor if there are any medications that can also help.

If you are instinctively lying down and keeping your head elevated, you are definitely improving the GERD symptoms, which will also improve your breathing. GERD mostly occurs at night while sleeping, so consider elevating your bed by putting 2X4s under the legs that support the head end of your bed. You can also purchase a inclined pillow (wedge) that will raise the upper part of your body.

The important thing to remember is that there are a number of co-morbidities related to COPD, and GERD is one of them. If your symptoms for GERD get worse, consult with your doctor because it could, in turn, affect your COPD.

Good Luck!

–The COPD Coach

Ask the Expert is aimed at providing information for individuals with COPD to take to your doctor, and is not in any way intended to be medical advice.