Having a stuffy nose and clogged sinuses from allergies or a cold can make breathing tough. Want relief from congestion or sinus pressure? Whether you have asthma, allergies, COPD, or a common cold, these ten things may help you clear mucus from your airway. So you can begin to breathe better.
Of all the things that I can be bad at, why did I get breathing? Having asthma is a part of my life that I do not enjoy. While I have had asthma for quite some time, it was almost four years ago, that it started to interfere with my life. You can say that four years ago, I realized that my chronic cough and severe seasonal allergies were really asthma and not just post-nasal drip problems. It was then that I asked the question ~ could I have asthma?
Four years ago, I started having breathing problems when I exercised. I, at first, I thought that getting older was the cause of my breathing problem. Then I developed a chronic cough that left me gasping for air. I was coughing all the time and it was interfering with my life. These coughing fits made it hard for me to talk, eat, or sleep. I had to sleep sitting up. It was through a food elimination diet and a food allergy blood test that I discovered that a dairy allergy was the cause of my severe asthma attacks.
Discovering Food and Plant Allergies With At-Home Testing
While eliminating dairy from my diet stopped the daily severe asthma attacks, it did not take away my asthma. I still have asthma attacks, as I have many things that trigger my asthma. Things that trigger my asthma are chemical fragrances, smoke, cleaning products, exercise, plants, and my food allergies. Even the weather can cause me to experience an asthma attack! These asthma triggers lead to breathing problems or an asthmatic cough.
The cause of my asthma is a build-up of mucus in my lungs
Some people who suffer from asthma, have trouble breathing due to their airways filling up with mucus. This mucus can create congestion problems in the sinus and lungs. In order to breathe better, one has to get the mucus out of the airways. Sometimes coughing may help me get the mucus out of my lungs but for the most part, I still have problems taking deep breaths. So to restore my breathing back to normal, I have to do other things to get all the mucus out of my air tubes. So over the past four years, I have learned some effective ways to clear the mucus from my lungs.
1. Drink Hot Coffee
When I first started having severe asthma problems, I always seemed to breathe better after drinking coffee. So through some online research, I discovered that caffeine and warm liquids can help open up your airways or lungs. So I include a couple cups of coffee in my daily diet. The hot coffee will help me cough up the excess mucus from my lungs so I can breathe better.
2. Exercise
As crazy as it might seem, exercise has been shown to benefit those with asthma. I know it sounds counterproductive as exercise can cause an asthma attack but that same exercise can help you clear the mucus from your lungs. So get out and take a walk every day. When I go out running, I run for five minutes, then I have to stop to cough. After I have a coughing fit, I am able to run without any breathing struggles. You need to check out these Ten Tips For Exercising With Asthma!
Sponsored post with Redd Remedies: I am not a health professional and I am writing from my personal experience with asthma
3. Lung Care™ Aromatherapy Travel Diffuser
Since I am aware of my asthma triggers, and what causes me to have an asthma attack, I can manage my asthma naturally without any prescription medicines. While other people who have asthma carry with them an inhaler for asthma, I carry with me Lung Care™ Aromatherapy Travel Diffuser.
This Lung Care Diffuser is filled with essential oils that help support the lungs. The essential oils in this amazing product are all gluten-free. I love how this diffuser opens up my airways, quickly after inhaling the essential oils. A couple deep breaths are all I need to help rid my lungs of the mucus. I am able to cough the mucus up from my lungs so my breathing is restored to normal. The diffuser has a nice natural scent that I enjoy. The essential oil blend of red mandarin, cypress, niaouli, and sweet marjoram are designed to inhale through the nose to help you breathe deeply again. I like to call the Lung Care™ Aromatherapy Travel Diffuser my natural inhaler for asthma.
Whole essential oils provide additional support for clear airways
- Cypress delivers antioxidant and antimicrobial action to the lungs
- Niaouli clears respiratory congestion
- Sweet marjoram has antispasmodic and expectorant activity
- Red Mandarin calms the mind, uplifts mood, and reduces stress
• Benefits delivered directly to the respiratory tract
• Balances mucosal secretion
• Relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchioles
What I love about this travel diffuser is the small size of the product. So I can take it with me wherever I go. I carry the essential oil diffuser in my waist pouch so I can use it anytime. The lung diffuser may be small but it is a powerful mucus clearer for me. It is so easy to use as I just inhale the essential oils through my nose and breathe the oils deeply into my lungs. Within minutes, I can feel my airways opening so I can cough the mucus out of my body. The best part of the lung diffuser is that it is made from natural ingredients so you can use it as often as needed.
Since I like to run, I am now using the lung diffuser before I go running. The essential oils help open my lungs up and I am able to run better. Of course, I still bring the travel diffuser with me while running, so I can use it as needed while I run. Things like pollution, smoke, humidity, and cold weather can bring on an asthma breathing episode. The Lung Care™ Aromatherapy Travel Diffuser is a must-have product for those who live in areas with forest fires.
4. Soak in a hot tub
There are times when I have a severe asthma attack from accidentally eating dairy or from being exposed to an asthma trigger item for a long time. Things like smoke from nearby fires or those plug-in air fresheners can make my asthma get out of control. So then I make sure to take a hot shower or soak in my hot tub. The steam and warmth of the hot water are effective tools for asthma relief.
The other day when I was helping at the food pantry at my church, I was having trouble breathing. My asthma symptoms were so severe that I was dizzy. After sitting outside, getting some fresh air, and using the above diffuser, I was able to take some short breaths. I went back inside to get a cup of coffee and then I noticed that someone had plugged in the wall air freshener (I had unplugged it the day before). I quickly unplugged the air freshener and hid it in a closet. The rest of the day, I had several asthma attacks as my body was still trying to expel the mucus. So I knew that soaking in my hot tub would help me clear the remaining mucus from my lungs. After 15 minutes in the hot tub, I was able to take deep breaths again.
5. Take a Shower
If you don't have a hot tub, try taking a hot shower. The steam from the shower will help loosen the mucus from your airways. I find that placing the warm shower water on my neck is very effective for mucus clearing. To get additional mucus relief, use a shower steamer.
These tablets for the shower are made with essential oils like Eucalyptus and they are amazing! They really do a great job of opening up the sinuses to help you breathe. The natural fragrance from the shower steamer smells minty and it turns your shower into a relaxing spa. I love using these shower steamers when my seasonal allergies are giving me asthma problems.
6. Lift Weights
Lifting weights is another effective way to clear the asthma mucus from my body. I am not talking about lifting massive weights and building big muscles. As part of my exercise routine, I lift 10 -15-pound weights to keep my muscles strong. Weight lifting has some amazing benefits for older ladies and it helps clear the mucus from the airways.
I find that 10-15 minutes of strength exercises with my kettlebell weights help me cough up that gunk from my lungs. I think that the heavy breathing may have something to do with the mucus clearing. So try lifting some weights, the next time you need to clear your lungs. Even strength exercises like push-ups may help. Don't strain yourself with heavy weights but rather use lighter weights and do more repetitions. I like to take my homemade detergent bottle weights, which I filled with rocks, and lift them 25 times above my head with both hands. This bottle weighs 15 pounds but you can make yours lighter or heavier.
Strength training is another avenue explored by individuals seeking to manage asthma symptoms. Alongside activities like weight lifting, some may consider dietary supplements like ephedrine powder for sale, known for its potential impact on respiratory function. However, it is essential to exercise caution and consult with healthcare professionals before incorporating any supplement into your routine.
7. Lung Care™
Part of clearing the mucus from your lungs is supporting the health of your lungs. Your lungs are a part of your respiratory system, so having a healthy respiratory system can improve your breathing. Supporting your respiratory system with supportive nutrients, herbs, and adaptogens can support healthy breathing capacity and respiratory wellness. Lung Care™ is a product that is formulated with a combination of vitamins, minerals, and supportive botanicals, to promote healthy lungs and easy breathing.
While I have not tried the Lung Care supplement, as it has mushrooms in it and I am allergic to them, this product is made by the same company that makes the Lung Diffuser that I use. Redd Remedies has a complete line of supplements for Sinus & Respiratory health and their Lung Care is a comprehensive formula for asthma, bronchitis, and other breathing issues. This Lung Care formula is good for those with a history of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
The Lung Care™ system provides nutrients that:
+ Provide powerful antioxidant activity*
+ Support healthy lung function, breathing capacity, and clear respiratory passages*
+ Promote healthy muscle function within the respiratory system*
+ Support healthy, balanced immune system function*
Formulated with a combination of vitamins, minerals, and supportive botanicals, Lung Care™ is targeted care to promote healthy lungs and easy breathing.
8. Chest Thumping
Another way to clear mucus from the lungs is with chest percussion. Chest percussion is a form of physical therapy used frequently in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, to help clear the airways from mucus. It involves a therapist or loved one clapping on your chest or back to help loosen the thick mucus in your lungs so you can cough it up.
If you don't have someone to clap on your back, you can try beating your fist on your chest to help loosen the mucus from your airways. This helps me loosen the thick mucus in my lungs. If you have a muscle trigger gun, try using this on the lowest setting on your chest. While the massage trigger gun directions do not endorse their device for use for chest percussion, I found the use of the trigger gun as my last resort for mucus clearing when all of the above methods did not work. The muscle trigger gun that I have is pretty powerful so I only used it for 5 minutes when my asthma was severe and I was having trouble even taking short breaths.
9. Nebulizer
When the mucus in my airway is thick and the above methods are not working, I then use my nebulizer machine with a saline solution. The nebulizer uses compressed air with the saline solution to help thin the mucus, which makes it easier for me to clear it out of my airway. Some people may use Albuterol with the nebulizer to further help with opening up their airways.
10. Cough Drops Lozenges
I have discovered these amazing cough drops that help with mucus. These lozenges feature soothing menthol and eucalyptus in them which helps expand the airway and sinuses. I always carry the delicious cough drops in my purse so I can pop one in my mouth if I am having trouble breathing. The menthol and eucalyptus are aromatherapy for my sinuses and within minutes they help me expel the mucus so I can take deep breaths again.
How do you clear the mucus from your lungs?
Whether you have asthma, allergies, COPD, or a common cold, doing these seven things may help you clear mucus from your airway. So you can begin to breathe better. Having mucus in your airways can be a pain so having effective ways to clear the thick mucus from your is always a good thing. So the next time you are having problems breathing that is due to mucus, try these methods to see if they give you relief. Just remember that I am not a health professional and I am writing from my personal experience with asthma. If a doctor has prescribed medications for your asthma or COPD, please continue to take them.
28 comments:
I am lucky I don't have asthma and neither do my kids and husband. I do have a nephew that used to use an inhaler so these tips are good for parents with asthma.
I am glad there is something to help. I don't have asthma, but I know many people who do.
This post is really informative, Thank you for sharing the Lung Care™ Aromatherapy Travel Diffuser.
Very interesting post on a topic that I'm curious about since my son was diagnosed with asthma. Thanks for the suggestions!
I've really picked up some bad allergies the past year or two. Makes my husband crazy when I hock it up, instead of blowing it out.
I'll have to make sure to try all these next time. Lung Care sounds like a great product. I'll be giving that one a try.
Gosh it seems really hard to have asthma, thanks for sharing your ways on how to ease it.
One of my friends have asthma sometimes too, I'll share this post to her.
Thanks for sharing about the Lung care supplement, it sounds so helpful.
I have never heard this product before but it sounds really good. I will let my dad try this product, thanks!
I struggle with mucus build up too! I find chest thumping really helps. I love the sound of the Lung Care Diffuser I am going to check that out. Interesting about the weights also.
My friend has asthma and I know that this can be a big problem. I think these advice will help her a lot!
These are great tips! I love aromatherapy options.
Interesting to hear what you find helpful. It also helps to avoid mucus producing foods such as milk and orange juice in the diet. Drinking teas that have mucolytic and expectorant properties can help too.
I definitely need this now! I keep on getting allergic rhinitis these past few weeks and it has become uncomfortable.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing about Lung Care supplements. It's the first time I see this product.
I'm so glad to read about all the possible treatments for allergies. I'm quite surprised about exercise but glad to know it actually improves things. Great tips!
Some good advice in this article for individuals suffering from mucus. We can all benefit from the vitamin regime whether we have asthma or allergies! Stephanie
As often as we get sick around here, these tips are ones I'll need to keep handy. I appreciate the advice and hope we don't have to worry about it for a while :)
Walking really makes my nose open up. Sometimes I have to carry a hanky with me.
This is all very good to know. I love exercising, and it really does help a lot when you're sick.
That's interesting to see all your helpful tips and tricks. I'll keep this in mind with my grandkids.
Dealing with excessive mucus can be quite bothersome, and your suggestions provide some practical and natural solutions. I appreciate the detailed explanations and helpful remedies you provided, as it gives me some new ideas to try and alleviate this uncomfortable issue.
I didn't know these tips, but I bet I will be happy that I do now. I am going to try some of them. Thanks for sharing!
This is a really great and very informative post! All of these are great tips thanks for sharing this with us
Great tips here and I have never had issues with allergies but in recent years that has changed. I am loving these tips and will for sure use them to help alleviate my issues naturally. I also love that exercise os good even for those with asthma!
I really like the tips you have provided here and I think they are very helpful. thanks for sharing!
My son has asthma during allergy season. I’ll have to give these tips a try next time he has issues with clearing the mucous out of his lungs.
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