Discharge Instructions: Postural Drainage
Postural drainage is a technique in which you change your body position to help your lungs drain. If you have a chronic problem with mucus, or you have increased mucus from an infection, lying with your chest lower than your abdomen can loosen and drain excess mucus from your lungs. The following guidelines will help you know what to do.
General Guidelines
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Find positions that are comfortable for you. You can lie on a bed or on the floor, using pillows.
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Stay in each position for at least five minutes.
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When you feel the urge to cough, sit up and do controlled coughing.
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Make sure to do postural drainage on an empty stomach; also do it 30 minutes after using a bronchodilator or inhaler.
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Check with your doctor before trying the various positions.
On Your Back
Try this position to drain the front of your lungs.
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Lie on a slanted surface with your chest lower than your hips.
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Place a small pillow under your head; place two pillows under your bent knees.
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Rest your arms at your sides and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Remember: Always breathe out for longer than you breathe in. This allows your lungs to empty as much as possible.
On Each Side
Try this position to drain the sides of your lungs.
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Place a small pillow under your head and two or three pillows under your hips.
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Lie on one side with your chest lower than your hips.
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Breathe in through your nose; breathe out through your mouth.
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After five to10 minutes, switch to the other side.
On Your Stomach
Try this position to drain the back of your lungs.
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Put two or three pillows under your stomach.
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Drape your body over the pillows so that your chest is lower than your hips.
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Rest your arms by your head.
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Breathe in through your nose; breathe out through your mouth.
Follow-up
Make a follow-up appointment as directed by our staff.
When to Call Your Doctor
Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following:
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Wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath
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Increased mucus
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Yellow, green, bloody, or smelly mucus
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Fever above 101.5°F (38.5°C)
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Tightness in your chest that does not go away with rest or medication
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An irregular heartbeat
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Swollen ankles
