Airway clearance methods help to remove mucus from your airways. Clearing the airways helps you breathe better. It also lowers the chance for infection. One method is controlled coughing. Use any medicines before or after clearing your airways, as instructed by your healthcare provider. For example, some people use inhaled bronchodilators before clearing their airways.
Keep a box of tissues next to you when using these methods. Wash your hands when you are done.
Here's how to do it:
Sit on a chair with both feet on the floor.
Take a slow, deep breath through your nose. Hold for 2 counts.
Lean forward slightly.
Cough twice—2 short coughs.
Relax for a few seconds.
Repeat the steps as needed.
To breathe out, open your mouth and make a “huff” sound in your throat. (The same way you might breathe to clean a pair of eyeglasses.)
Huff 2 to 3 times as you breathe out.
Follow up with your healthcare provider, or as advised.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following:
Shortness of breath, wheezing, or coughing
Increased mucus
Yellow, green, bloody, or smelly mucus
Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider
Chills
Tightness in your chest that does not go away with rest or medicine
An irregular heartbeat