A healthy person produces approx. 10 ml of bronchial secretions per day with the task of moistening the airways and removing foreign bodies such as dust or bacteria.
In certain diseases, the system described above is disrupted. To ensure that the state of health is not further impaired, this must be counteracted by secretion management to prevent infections and impaired breathing.
Secretion management - what exactly is it?
Secretion management is a combination of measures to loosen, mobilize and remove secretions in the airways.
Effective secretion management is crucial for the treatment and maintenance of airway health, especially in airway diseases such as COPD, bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis, where accumulations of secretions can lead to breathing difficulties and infections. It plays a crucial role in preventing complications and maintaining airway function
Options for secretion management
Inhalations with nebulizers:
Nebulizers convert liquid medication into fine aerosol particles that enter the airways directly and help to loosen secretions.
Cough support therapies:
These are techniques that assist or mimic the coughing thrust, as machine cough aids (cough-assists) do. Thereby making it easier to cough up secretions.
Advantages of our secretion management
Reduction of infections:
Removing secretions from the airways reduces the risk of infection, as bacteria and pathogens have less of a breeding ground.
Prevention of complications:
Complications e.g. narrowing of the airways, insufficiently ventilated lung areas and infections can be prevented by regular “secretion management”.
Improved airways:
Effective secretion management helps to keep the airways clear of mucus and secretions, which makes breathing easier and reduces breathing difficulties.
Improved respiratory function:
Regular secretion management can improve oxygen uptake, which leads to better physical performance and an increased sense of well-being.
Improved quality of life:
Patients who benefit from good secretion management often experience an improved quality of life, as they have fewer breathing difficulties and feel more active and less restricted.