Lungs too dry?

[anonymous]

Okay this may be a silly question but here it goes anyway....

My daughter rarely coughs anything up and her lungs sound clear. That is good news (I hope), but I guess I am just concerned that her lungs are too dry. Just wondering if that is a possibility and what kind of damage occurs if that is the case. She does have a sporatic cough that sounds very dry and harsh.

I am going to ask the dr next time we go in, but just wanted to get some feedback from here first.

 

[anonymous]

Hahah, you know what's funny...

I was reading somewhere that they think the excess phlegm might be a lack of mucus to lubricate the lungs, and so that causes bacteria and stuff to grow? I dunno, it's obviously not what your asking, but has anyone else heard that? And if that is the case, then their treatments would be to try and lubricate the lungs as much as possible. isn't that funny? We go from secreting too much mucus to not secreting enough. I dunno, I don't have the answers, but I hope someone figures it out : In the meantime, I'll just continue taking my non conventional drugs, cause who knows?

hahahaha

Kiel

 

[anonymous]

Hi this is the original poster.

The reason I am asking this is because I know the mucus is thick because it is drier than normal mucus. So I guess I'm wondering if it can be so dry that no mucus it really produced and what kind of damage that can cause.

O.P.

 

[Emily65Roses]

I suppose she could be "dry." But if she just doesn't cough much and that's what's making you wonder, assume she's just really pretty healthy. Of course ask your doctor when you go. But in the meantime, just assume she's doing well (especially if she's younger, she could very likely be just doing well for now).

 

[anonymous]

My daughter doesn't really cough much, only when she is sick and normally that is a sign to me that something is going on and we go to clinic, I agreee with Emily. Kait is pretty healthy and her PFT's are great so i would also assume that your child is doing well.

Kaitsmom<img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">

 

[JazzysMom]

If U do nebs & the vest or some type of airway clearance & her cough is minimimal then I wouldnt worry too much. Chances are she is doing well then. If U are concerned about her being dried out be sure to push liquids to keep her hydrated. If she has had xrays (which would show congestion/plugs etc) or pfts (which could indicate obstruction) & they are fine in addition to the minimal cough that I say U are doing a great job!

 

[anonymous]

My daughter started two new drugs this year - hypteronic saline and the other one is mucomyst. One of the reasons we started them is to hydrate the lungs some.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 4 and Jack, 2 both with cf

 

[anonymous]

Kiel
I also heard about that theory months ago-who knows if we produce too much or not enough mucus. Too much seems like the logical explanation?!?
Hope

 

[anonymous]

Where do you live? In the high mountains of Colorado and New mexico where it is truly dry, lungs -if generally clear FEEL more clear, not to say that they are, but that is how they feel. To help expectorating the junk, drink tons of fluids. At higher altitudes or uniquely dry conditions of the deserts (Santa Anna winds in CA) one doesn't have to be active to dehydrate. Moisture is sucked from your skin and breath in these conditions.

It is more significant to be well hydrated under these conditions. When I have pneumonia, it can be tough to clear my lungs without being on a constant humidifier of saline and occasionally hypertonic solution.

Conversely, I have been congested in the deep south of the US and the jungles of Mexico, and it is equally impossible to clear lungs fully. Mucus was too sticky to remove, though when under these conditions I wasn't taking hypertonic solution so i can't say for sure. I can only speculate. Though, i have brought it up to my CF doctor (although they dismiss me), i believe studies ought to be done on clearing mucus using a series of hydrating and dehydrating methods depending on the condition and enviroment. I know when going from one dramatic climate to another my lungs transition for days, and in this trasition, i often expectorate more mucus.

Good luck.
Grendel

 

[anonymous]

Too much does seem logical, although the other theory is that our phlegm isn't created by us, it is the result of infections and such. I think what they were saying was that we don't create any mucus, and so bacteria and such can't get moved out of the airways...

WHo knows lol

 

[anonymous]

Hi,

but if there is no mucus, I think most bacterias won´t grow.

Uli,43,Germany

 

[JazzysMom]

I have to say that I dont think we "produce" too much mucous unless at an infection state. I am currently "actively infection" free meaning even if I culture something its nothing making me symptomatic. I do cough occasionally & produce sputum, but not anything then anyone else might. In the morning or if I dont do treatments as scheduled I do notice a difference in the difficulty of getting it up which makes me feel like there is more. However; once I do my nebs my airways open, I cough a bit up & thats its. Now if I am sick meaning an active infection is going nuts I believe that I produce more sputum. I was always told it is hard to get an infection under control because many bugs especially pseudomonas thrives on mucuous. The more there is the more it thrives. A vicious cycle. Now I might be mistaking, but in addition to feeling lousy when I have an infection going I feel alot fuller in the lungs. It might just be that its the whole "feeling" the infection delivers, but thats what I think!

 

[Emily65Roses]

I always thought the idea was... mucus is supposed to lubricate the lungs, making people healthier and stuff. But because our mucus sucks, our lungs suck. So we have too much mucus that just sits there and clogs. But we don't have enough lubrication (because our mucus isn't really good for that). Like we need some of the thinner mucus to help lubricate the lungs. Imagine trying to lubricate anything with a water-based (and therefore, water-like) lotion... and then imagine trying to do the same thing with pudding. We're stuck with pudding, and too much of it. But we need some of that water-based stuff.

Does that sound about right? That's the only way I can make sense of the "we need more" theory.

 

[JustDucky]

Emily it is interesting that you mention that....I used to have a "dry" cough, but when docs listened to my lungs, they would be diminished or a slight wheeze would be noted. This was an issue even before being placed on the vent and being diagnosed. I had a tough time giving docs sputum cultures even though I felt something in my lungs. When Iwas placed on the vent, the docs tried what they call heat moisture exchange, a device that turns exhaled air into moistened air. They quickly found out that that type of humidification was not a good thing...I quickly developed plugs and could not get them out despite some serious lavaging (dumping lots of saline down my trach tube to loosen the secrtetions), I now use humidified and warmed circuits for my lungs and boy what a difference just moistening my lungs made with loosening and thinning those really thick secretiions did. Now my docs hear all kinds of bells and whistles when they listen to my lungs, but that means I can pound the hell out of my lungs and get those secretions out now along with the help of nebs and other meds, they are actually happy to hear noises in my lungs now (except when I really get ill) . I think being too dry ecourages bacterial growth, I grew stuff out all of the time and was sick constantly....like you said Emily, if it just sits there, the bacteria have themselves a party....