Lying
If you want to empty the lower part of your left lung, lie on your right side. Put your right arm around your waist and rest your left arm beside your head. Similarly, lie on your left side if you want to clear out the mucus from the lower part of your right lung and place your hands accordingly.
In most cases, Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer advises that people with breathing troubles are best off lying on their side or sleeping propped up.
Lying on your back (supine) can put pressure on your lung tissue. This can make the small air sacs in your lungs work harder to inflate. If you have to breathe harder to get enough air in your lungs, this can make lung problems worse. It can also cause lung injury.
These include getting regular physical activity, maintaining healthy sleeping habits and a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and caffeine intake, and quitting smoking. Your provider may also recommend that you sleep on your side — not on your back — as this can help keep your airway open while you sleep.
Postural drainage is a way to change your body position to help your lungs drain. If you have a long-term (chronic) lung problem associated with excessive mucus, or you have increased mucus from an infection, lying with your chest lower than your belly (abdomen) can help loosen and drain extra mucus from your lungs.
Log Position
And that's great because it's good for your health. Resting on your side, with your back mostly straight, can help cut down on sleep apnea. It can also nix neck and back pain since your spine stays aligned.
Some people may find that drinking black coffee eases breathlessness. A possible reason for this is that caffeine intake may relax airway muscles. An old review from 2010 reported that caffeine's effects slightly improve the way the airway functions in people with asthma.
Then, little hairs that line your lungs—called cilia—push the mucus out of the lungs. It'll come up your throat, and you'll swallow it back down, usually without noticing it. From there, it'll pass through your stomach and out of your digestive tract.
Although cleansing and detox drinks have become increasingly popular, with concoctions of lemon juice, honey, spices, and other herbs circulating social media, there is nothing you can eat or drink that can cleanse your lungs. None of these drinks have any supportive evidence whatsoever to prove their effectiveness.
Avoid Exposure to Air Pollutants That Can Damage Your Lungs
It can be surprising to learn that indoor air can be even more polluted than the air outdoors. Secondhand smoke, chemicals in the home and workplace, mold and radon all can cause or worsen lung disease.
Huff coughing is recommended for mucus buildup because it helps to loosen and clear mucus from the lungs. It involves taking a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds, and then forcefully exhaling the air in a “huff” sound.
Meanwhile, the back part of your lungs gets better blood flow than the front, no matter what position you're in. When you're in the prone position, not only are you opening up more alveoli so you can get more oxygen to your lungs, you're getting the oxygen to the part of your lungs that has better blood flow.
Deep Breathing: Deep breathing techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing or slow and deep breaths can help naturally clean the lungs. Deep breathing helps expand lung capacity and assists in removing toxins and trapped mucus.
Sleeping on your front is considered unhealthy because it can inhibit breathing and cause irregular curvature of the spine. The turning of the head to one side when sleeping in this position is another cause of such a curvature. All of this can lead to inflammation and pain in the neck muscles in addition to back pain.
What's the best sleeping position for your heart? There is limited evidence linking a person's sleeping position with their overall heart health. While studies have found that people with heart failure often avoid sleeping on their left side, it does not show that this sleeping position causes heart problems.
Back Sleeping
The practice of lying on one's back is one that many elderly people find to be a source of comfort. This is good since this position has been shown to provide benefits.
Warm fluids: Drinking warm (not hot) liquids can help loosen thickened mucus. Try tea, warm broth, or hot water with lemon. Steam: You can use a device such as a cool-mist humidifier or steam vaporizer to breathe in warm air. You can also take a hot shower or breathe in vapors from a pot of simmering water.
Does spitting out phlegm help you get better? Coughing is one way the body gets rid of infection, but when it comes to spitting and swallowing phlegm, neither method will likely help a person recover quicker.
Positioning yourself on your side or stomach can help the airways stay open to reduce snoring and alleviate mild apnea, Salas says.
But here are three techniques you can use to clear your airways. They are postural drainage, chest percussion, and controlled coughing. The first technique you can try is postural drainage. For postural drainage, you'll lie in different positions to help drain the mucus from your lungs.
Up-to-Date
Left side sleeping may benefit pregnant people or those who experience acid reflux, while right side sleeping may be preferred by people with heart conditions. If you experience discomfort or pain, try a different sleeping position.