Deep breathing exercises involve inhaling deeply through the nose and breathing out very slowly through pursed lips.
Incentive spirometry involves inhaling through a tube to raise a ball in a sealed chamber. You will need to keep the ball raised for as long as possible.
Positioning and turning from side to side involves elevating the head of the bed and turning every one to two hours in bed. This promotes drainage of secretions.
Caregivers turn patients who cannot turn themselves.
Postural drainage involves taking positions that allow gravity to help drain secretions.
Postural drainage is often useful with chest percussion and coughing techniques.
Vibration involves placing the hands against the patient’s chest. The hands create vibrations by quickly contracting and relaxing.
There are also mechanical CPT vests you can wear for high-frequency vibration. Another name for these vests is Airway Clearance System.
In late 2019, Norbert Weissman of the University of Giessen Lung Center in Germany commented on the increasing development of lung conditions like COPD and emphysema, particularly in the Black community