Deep breathing exercises, also known as thoracic expansion, helps to open the airways. This not only helps with gas exchange, but can also help clear mucus from the airways as well. Respiratory hygiene is very important when doing life with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Learning proper breathing techniques is extremely important to help relieve breathlessness and strengthen respiratory muscles to aid in better use of incoming oxygenation from inhalation. These techniques can help aid in meditation practices as well. Which all of this is a great reason to talk with your team to see if this technique is right for you or your PCD loved one's over all health situation.

Please discuss this out of the box Fun-Physio with your clinic respiratory therapist before trying it.

Deep Breathing

1. Take a second and perform three coughs/huff coughs to initially clear your airways.
2. Take a slow deep breath in through the nose over two to three seconds.
3. Hold the breath in for two to three seconds.
4. Slowly exhale out the mouth over four to six seconds.
5. Hold the exhale for two to three seconds.
6. Take another slow deep breath in through the nose over two to three seconds.
7. Hold the breath in for two to three seconds.
8. Slowly exhale again out the mouth over four to six seconds.
9. Hold the exhale for two to three seconds.
10. Repeat from step number two through nine, two more times. 
    1. It may take practice to be able do step 10.
    2. Skip to step 11 if unable to complete step 10.
11. Then perform three coughs/huff coughs.
12. Repeat from step number two through eleven, three more times.

*Speak to your clinic’s licensed respiratory therapist about how to tailor this deep breathing for airway clearance exercise to your specific health needs, airway clearance toolbox, and meditation practice.

If you’re struggling to get your child engaged with their airway clearance techniques try turning airway clearance into play, it could help lessen the burden of persuading your child to do their treatments. If you’re an adult, remember that the best airway clearance technique for you is the one that you will actually do. There are tons of airway clearance techniques and tons of outside the box ideas as well. Experiment today and put the fun back into your life. Remember airway hygiene is an important part of primary ciliary dyskinesia care.

Join our Facebook group Turtle Talk Café today, click here.

We have several ways that you can donate to PCD Smiles;

- Visit Smile E. Turtle's Amazon Wishlist

- For more information on how you can donate, please visit our "Donation" page to check out our "Do & Don't policies.

- Or sponsor a PCD Smiles cheer package today!

- To shop for your “Official” turtle care ribbon gear today, visit PCD Style or Smile E. Cove

Thank you for your consideration!

***Please speak to your respiratory therapist or your PCD medical team before commencing any new treatment. DO NOT start using a device, or technique, on this website if you have not discussed this with your PCD team first.***

While technically not an airway clearance technique, practicing blowing bubbles with bubble gum is a way to teach breathing techniques, breath concentration with breath work, and cooperation with instructions while learning to move air. Learning to move air is important for the different types of breath control techniques in certain airway clearance techniques. It’s a fun way to get in some practical training while making it fun. That’s the key to engaging patients with any type of airway clearance technique. Blowing bubbles with bubble gums also is a unique and fun way to get in some lung and breathing exercises. This can help the patient with stamina and self awareness of mucus is the airways, all of which is extremely important to effectively complete airway clearance techniques. This out of the box idea can help engage age appropriate children with learning breath work, breathing techniques for airway clearance , and how to avoid over exerting themselves.

Turn treatment-time into play-time with bubble gum fun.If you’re struggling to get your child engaged with their airway clearance techniques try turning airway clearance into play, it could help lessen the burden of persuading your child to do their treatments. If you’re an adult, remember that the best airway clearance technique for you is the one that you will actually do. There are tons of airway clearance techniques and tons of outside the box ideas as well. Experiment today and put the fun back into your life. Remember airway hygiene is an important part of primary ciliary dyskinesia care.

Join our Facebook group Turtle Talk Café today, click here.

We have several ways that you can donate to PCD Smiles;

- Visit Smile E. Turtle's Amazon Wishlist

- For more information on how you can donate, please visit our "Donation" page to check out our "Do & Don't policies.

- Or sponsor a PCD Smiles cheer package today!

- To shop for your “Official” turtle care ribbon gear today, visit PCD Style or Smile E. Cove

Thank you for your consideration!

***Please speak to your respiratory therapist or your PCD medical team before commencing any new treatment. DO NOT start using a device, or technique, on this website if you have not discussed this with your PCD team first.***

In the United States respiratory care may only be provided by a licensed physician or a licensed medical professional under the direction of a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. If you think that you have a respiratory condition or have been diagnosed with a respiratory condition speak with your physician regarding all respiratory care. You may be referred to another licensed medical professional for respiratory evaluation, treatment, and patient education. This professional will most likely be a licensed respiratory therapist or another licensed pulmonary specialist, physician or nurse practitioner.

Licensed respiratory therapist are responsible for a whole host of things including evaluation of respiratory health. Licensed respiratory therapist can provide limited treatment of certain pulmonary conditions and or bronchopulmonary hygiene under the direction of a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. Licensed respiratory therapist in the United States are responsible for helping patients and families by providing consumer education on proper equipment use, proper medication administration, proper gas administration, adaptive and strengthening exercises, and procedures used to clear the airways (airway clearance techniques). If you are not receiving your airway clearance training from a licensed respiratory therapist there can be real longterm health consequences. Ask your PCD clinic or pulmonary clinic for a respiratory therapist consultation for education today. If your clinic doesn’t have a dedicated team in charge of airway clearance training and other respiratory therapy services they can direct you to their contracted agency or clinic that they use to provide these services for their respiratory patients.

Improperly applying airway clearance to any disease can have devastating consequences on disease progression for some individuals. As we enter the more in the moment breaking news era of consumers, more and more patients are attending scientific conferences and applying what they hear at such conferences without the education, medical training, background and licensure requirements put in place to protect public health and safety. A lot of our Fun Physio ideas are intended for educational and informational purposes for physicians and other licensed medical professionals to help with outside of the box ideas to gain compliance of airway clearance prescriptions and the patient, no matter their age. All our Fun Physio ideas are solely meant to be discussed with your prescribing physician. Never alter, try, or change any airway clearance regiment without the direct instructions from your physician. And most of all, never try them without proper training and instruction of a licensed medical professional.

Turn treatment-time into play-time has been shown to be an effective way to boost compliance to the rigorous airway clearance regiments found in PCD care. If you’re struggling to get your child engaged with their airway clearance techniques try turning airway clearance into play, it could help lessen the burden of persuading your child to do their treatments. If you’re an adult, remember that the best airway clearance technique for you is the one that you will actually do. There are tons of airway clearance techniques and tons of outside the box ideas as well. Experiment today with the help of your clinic’s respiratory therapist team and put the fun back into your life. Remember airway hygiene is an important part of primary ciliary dyskinesia care.

Join our Facebook group Turtle Talk Café today, click here.

We have several ways that you can donate to PCD Smiles;

- Visit Smile E. Turtle's Amazon Wishlist

- For more information on how you can donate, please visit our "Donation" page to check out our "Do & Don't policies.

- Or sponsor a PCD Smiles cheer package today!

- To shop for your “Official” turtle care ribbon gear today, visit PCD Style or Smile E. Cove

Thank you for your consideration!

Providing that you or your PCDer do not have a known allergy to balloons or latex blowing up balloons can teach proper techniques to the breathing maneuvers used in various tests and treatments for PCD. A lot of breathing exercises for various clinical tests and even airway clearance techniques require the patient to breathe out (expel or expiratory breath) longer than  the patient breathes in (inhale or inspiratory). Blowing up balloons can be a great training game to play for a respiratory patient to get them used to the uncomfortableness of pushing their lungs beyond the their expectations. The fun part helps them to forget any anxiety or apprehension as they get lost in the moment of the fun. It is extremely important to not use ballon games if the patient has any suspected allergy to ballon materials or latex since breathing in these things would be highly dangerous even life threatening. Please discuss this out of the box Fun-Physio with your clinic respiratory therapist before trying it.

If you’re struggling to get your child engaged with their airway clearance techniques try turning airway clearance into play, it could help lessen the burden of persuading your child to do their treatments. If you’re an adult, remember that the best airway clearance technique for you is the one that you will actually do. There are tons of airway clearance techniques and tons of outside the box ideas as well. Experiment today and put the fun back into your life. Remember airway hygiene is an important part of primary ciliary dyskinesia care.

Join our Facebook group Turtle Talk Café today, click here.

We have several ways that you can donate to PCD Smiles;

- Visit Smile E. Turtle's Amazon Wishlist

- For more information on how you can donate, please visit our "Donation" page to check out our "Do & Don't policies.

- Or sponsor a PCD Smiles cheer package today!

- To shop for your “Official” turtle care ribbon gear today, visit PCD Style or Smile E. Cove

Thank you for your consideration!