COPD Treatment: The Lung Flute
A new treatment method for COPD patients has been discovered, and may offer hope to patients who haven’t responded to other treatment methods. The lung flute for COPD can have a direct positive impact on the issues with breathing and other areas of the lungs that this condition causes.
COPD and Fluid in the Lungs
A person’s lungs are generally free from fluid, but patients with COPD often have phlegm stuck on the bottom of them. The lung flute is a tool that helps remove the phlegm from the bottom of the lungs, making breathing much easier. Some patients involved in the research said they couldn’t be without the lung flute, after seeing the positive impact it has had on their lives. The lung flute can be used up to twice a day, and could even save lives.
When COPD progresses, the symptoms can range from mild to severe. In some cases, excessive fluid buildup can even cause death, as the fluid can rise greatly within the lungs making it impossible to breathe. The ability to remove the fluid on your own time is a game changer.
How the ‘Flute’ Works
The lung flute is hand-held, and gets its name from its shape. In order to use it, you just blow into the tube, and a thin reed-like device makes a flutter-like movement during the exhale. There’s no direct contact with the lungs, but it create a low sound-wave, which travels into the lungs. The sound waves work in a unique manner, and they actually break up the mucus found on the bottom of the lungs. This makes it possible for the lungs to expel the fluid naturally through the airways.
Approval of the Lung Flute
The device was approved in 2013, and is the only device on the market that works this way. The sound wave technology offers an advanced treatment option for COPD patients, and can ward off serious conditions caused by fluid buildup in the lungs, like pneumonia in COPD.
While the lung flute offers an effective treatment method, it is used in conjunction with additional methods to offer relief. It’s not a replacement for medication, but it can offer immediate symptom relief, and could even save lives in cases where excessive buildup is present.
Image used with permission from Medical Acoustics, LLC
