There are treatments other than medicine and surgery that can help ease symptoms in people with COPD. They work by reducing products like sputum and phlegm that are coughed up from the lungs. This makes it easier to breathe.
Options are:
Directed coughing is when a person coughs from deep in the lungs to get lung products to move up the airway and out of the body. This controlled type of coughing works best after using an inhaler.
Postural bronchial drainage is when a person lies in certain positions to allow gravity to drain fluids from parts of the lungs. It may be done after using an inhaler to loosen lung products.
Chest percussion is when a therapist lightly claps a person's chest and back. This helps to clear large amounts of lung products and makes them easier to cough up and spit out.
References
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). American Lung Association website. Available at: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.
COPD. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.
What is COPD? National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/copd. Accessed April 21, 2022.