Diagnosis

If a patient presents himself to his doctor with mucusy bronchial tubes, the doctor first starts with an anamnesis (questioning). It is important to know how long the symptoms have been present and whether they are accompanied by other complaints such as cough, rhinitis, fever or a feeling of illness. If there are other symptoms of the disease, a cold is likely.

The colour of the mucus is also interesting. If it is yellow to green, it is more likely to be a bacterial infection. This is even more likely if the infection has been present for a long time, is not getting better and is also accompanied by fever.

In this case an antibiotic should be used. The interview is followed by a physical examination. Here it is particularly interesting to find out whether you can hear abnormal noises over the lungs with the stethoscope.

Mucusy bronchial tubes are often accompanied by bronchitis. In this case, a whistling sound would be heard above the lungs. This would also be the case with COPD, as this also causes a narrowing of the bronchi.

Therapy for mucus in the bronchi

Particularly in the case of a thick mucus in the bronchial tubes, support is often necessary to remove the secretion. A simple measure to support the body in removing the mucus is to drink a lot. At least two litres of fluid should be drunk per day.

This dilutes the mucus and makes it easier to remove it via the ciliated epithelium. In addition to drinking, the doctor may prescribe expectorants. These are usually also available free of charge at the pharmacy.

Mucolytics also liquefy the mucus and facilitate its removal. Herbal medicines are often used for this. These often contain ivy, anise, primrose root or thyme herb.

A very good expectorant is a home-made herbal tea consisting of anise, thyme and primrose root. In general it is very important to drink a lot to make the mucus thinner, so it can be coughed up better. Additionally, honey can be added to the tea or taken pure.

Furthermore, warm moist compresses around the chest relieve the symptoms. Dry air, on the other hand, should be avoided and the room air should be moistened with a humidifier if necessary. In addition, warm water vapour can be inhaled.

Salt or essential oils can be added to the water. In addition, light walks in the fresh air are helpful. There are a number of homeopathic remedies that can be taken to help loosen mucus.

These include Antimonium tartaricum, Ipecacuanha, Hepar sulfuris or Pulsatilla. The preparations should be taken in potency C12. Four times a day 2-3 pellets are taken.

Let the substance melt in the mouth and swallow it afterwards. It is best not to eat or drink for a quarter of an hour before and after. If the mucus in the bronchi is caused by smoking, the best treatment is to stop smoking.

This is the only measure to prevent further progression of the disease. With medication one can only try to relieve the symptoms. But this does not improve the disease itself.

Patients with a chronic lung disease are also recommended to do lung sports. This serves to prevent and counteract muscle loss. If a muscle breakdown occurs, breathing becomes even more difficult.

Various breathing exercises are also recommended in this context. As already mentioned under the point Treatment, there is a group of drugs that dissolve mucus. Most doctors prefer the use of herbal preparations.

Only rarely is acetylcysteine (e.g. ACC-akut®) used. There is a risk that the dissolved mucus becomes too thin and then remains in the bronchi because it can no longer be transported into the throat. Therefore, it is only used if the mucus is very solid and penetrating.

Cough suppressants should also not be taken, as they prevent the mucus from being transported out of the airways by the cough. To make sleeping easier, cough suppressants can sometimes be taken before going to bed. In addition, medicines can be prescribed to dilate the bronchial tubes and thus improve the removal of mucus.

They are therefore usually used in cases of existing COPD or asthma. A distinction is made between short-acting and long-acting drugs. Short-acting medications are used as required, while long-acting bronchial dilators are used as long-term medication.

In addition to these, drugs are also used to relieve inflammation. One of them is cortisone, the best-known drug. Since the irritation of the respiratory tract with pathogens or harmful substances triggers an inflammation, the mucous membrane swells.

If the inflammation is relieved, the mucosa also swells again and less mucus is produced. Anti-inflammatory drugs are more likely to be used in advanced stages of asthma or COPD. Inhalation is a useful method of dissolving the mucus in the bronchi.

Various substances are suitable for inhalation. Camomile, for example, either in the form of tea or liquid extract, has an anti-inflammatory effect. Alternatively, essential oils such as eucalyptus or mountain pine can be used.

The problem with inhaling in the case of mucus in the bronchi is that the effect usually does not reach down to the bronchi. Inhalation develops its effect mainly in the upper airways, such as the nose. To ensure that the bronchial tubes also benefit, small droplets are needed that can moisten the mucous membranes of the bronchial tubes.

These droplets can reach the bronchial tubes by means of ultrasonic or jet nebulizers. A simple saline solution, for example, which is available in pharmacies, is suitable for this purpose. The essential oils already mentioned are suitable for normal inhalation, but less so for droplet inhalation. This is because they irritate the respiratory tract and can then cause shortness of breath.