Physiotherapy Department
Clearing Phlegm from your lungs Patient Information
Date of issue: July 2025
This information is to help guide you through techniques to help clear your lungs.
Why is it important?
It is important to have an effective exercise routine to help clear phlegm from your lungs. This can help to reduce your risk of infection and improve your quality of life. Depending on your lung condition, you may have different volumes of phlegm. It is therefore important to understand what is normal for you as an individual. This allows you to know when phlegm levels may increase in volume or change in colour, indicating a potential infection.
Clearing phlegm from your lungs is relatively easy and can be fitted in to your daily routine. Perform these exercises first thing in the morning and whenever you have phlegm in your lungs. If you have an infection and more phlegm you should increase how often you do these exercises.
Tips for Chest Clearance
- Hydration: ensure adequate fluid intake to ensure your upper airways are moistened. You should drink between 6-8 glasses of water per day.
- Steam inhalation can also help moisten upper airway
- Mild/moderate exercise encourages natural deep breathing
- Use inhalers (e.g. ventolin) before chest clearance. Always take your steroid inhaler after the chest clearance (e.g. Clenil, Fostair, Spiromax, Relvar) Medication such as Carboceisteine (mucodyne) can help to loosen sputum - ask your Doctor
- Avoid repeated coughing. This can be tiring and can irritate the airways. Try to avoid coughing fits by sipping cold water or swallowing and then performing the breathing exercises to clear phlegm.
ACBT Exercises
It is important that phlegm does not stay in your lungs as it can damage the lining of the lungs and it may cause a chest infection. This leaflet provides advice on how to clear phlegm from your lungs.
Coughing only shifts phlegm from your upper airways. If you have phlegm deep in your lungs it can be very difficult to clear it with following breathing techniques instead.
Try the technique outline below.
ACBT Exercises
2-3 Big breaths
In through your nose and hold for 3 seconds (To get air behind the phlegm)
4-5 Relaxed breaths
2-3 Big breaths
In through your nose and hold for 3 seconds (To get air behind the phlegm)
4-5 Relaxed breaths
2-3 Huffs
This is the type of breath you would use to steam up a glass before polishing it. Perform with an open and relaxed mouth and throat. Huffs move phlegm up through the lungs.
4-5 Relaxed breaths
1-2 coughs
Exercise
Exercise can be very effective at cleaning phlegm from your lungs as it makes you breathe deeply. Try any of the following:
1. Going for a walk
2. Climbing stairs
3. Marching on the spot
4. Punching the air with your arms 10 times
What to do if you are unwell
If you become breathless or your phlegm gets stickier or changed colour, contact your GP straight away.
Accessible formats
If you require this information in a community language or alternative format such as Braille, audio, large print, BSL, or Easy Read, please contact the Equality and Human Rights Team at: email: fife.EqualityandHumanRights@nhs.scot or phone 01592 729130. For people with a hearing or verbal impairment you can also contact the team through the NHS Fife SMS text service number on 07805800005.
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