MrsBeetroot

[MrsBeetroot]

I was diagnosed with mild bronchiectasis in the middle lobe of my right lung 4 years ago, I found that steam therapy twice a day helped loosen the phlegm in my lungs. I’ve just been reading on this forum about nebulisers and wondered whether this would be a better option, I haven’t had any information about this from doctors.

[Ozzie3]

Hi Mrs B, What is steam therapy? I have not heard of that.

[MrsBeetroot in reply to Ozzie3]

Steam therapy is a very old and simple treatment designed to loosen phlegm, when my son had croup as a baby I was advised by a doctor to keep a kettle of water boiling in the room to moisten the atmosphere. Now I lean over a bowl of very hot water with a towel over my head for 10 minutes in the morning (not a good look!) and I have a Beurer steaming device that I use in the evening again for 10 minutes. It helps but I was wondering whether saline and a nebuliser would be more effective.

[Ozzie3 in reply to MrsBeetroot]

Thank you. I find hypertonic saline excellent. I don’t know how it compares to steam though.

[Mooka]

I use a nebuliser twice daily with antibiotics as I’m colonised by pseudomonas. I don’t think they are recommended unless you are having problems. All my nebuliser meds are prescribed so you would have to check with your consultant/doctor.