Too much mucus in your lungs makes it hard to breathe.
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.
You'll hold each position for at least 3 minutes.
Start by lying on your back with two or three pillows under your hips.
You can also use a small pillow for your head if you'd like.
Keep your arms at your sides.
Breathe in through your nose as you push out with your belly, and breathe out through your mouth as you pull your belly in.
This is called belly breathing, or you may hear it called diaphragmatic breathing.
Next, turn onto your belly, keeping the pillows under your hips.
Put your arms up by your head, and breathe in and out, using belly breathing.
Now lie on your side with the pillows under one of your hips.
Put your arms where you are comfortable, and be sure your chest is lower than your hips.
Begin belly breathing.
After you drain one side, turn over and drain the other side.
The second technique to clear your lungs is with chest percussion.
You can do it yourself or have someone do it for you.
Cup your hand, and lightly clap your chest and back, avoiding your spine and breastbone.
It may help to do this at the same time as postural drainage.
The third technique you can try is controlled coughing.
You can do this after doing postural drainage and chest percussions, or after using your inhaler or other medicines.
Sit on the edge of a chair with both feet on the floor.
Lean forward a bit and relax.
Now breathe in through your nose—slowly—and fold your arms over your belly.
Hold your breath for 3 to 5 seconds.
Then—as you let that breath out [coughing]— cough 2 or 3 times.
Push on your belly with your arms as you cough.
[coughing] Breathe in slowly and gently through your nose, and repeat the coughing if you need to.
So when it's hard to breathe because of mucus in your lungs, you have three things you can do to help move the mucus out: postural drainage, chest percussion, and controlled coughing.
Use these techniques to help clear your lungs and make breathing easier.