COPD Awareness Month: How the Acapella Choice Vibratory PEP Therapy Device Can Clear Airways for People with Chronic Respiratory Diseases

Tightness or heaviness in your chest: if you've ever had a bad cold, you know how that feels. Chest congestion is a common symptom of respiratory infections like the common cold, but it can also be a sign of other, more severe conditions. Chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) have a major impact on public health, with 25 million Americans diagnosed with asthma and nearly 15 million with COPD. These diseases can be debilitating and require careful, attentive management in order to live comfortably. The Acapella Choice Vibratory PEP Therapy Device is designed to help you do just that.

An Overview of Respiratory Conditions

Before we get into the benefits of the Acapella device, here's a brief look at the conditions it's designed to manage.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is a disease where the airways in your lungs get inflamed and thicken over time. This makes it harder to both breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, which causes shortness of breath that worsens over time. Coughing that produces a great deal of mucus is a common symptom as well. Smoking often causes COPD, as well as long-term exposure to lung irritants like air pollution, chemical fumes or dust.

Cystic Fibrosis: A progressive, genetic disease in which certain cells produce too many secretions, causing lung infections and breathing difficulty. Cystic fibrosis occurs when epithelial cells, the cells lining the lungs and airways, have a mutated protein that produces abnormally viscous mucus. Coughing and frequent chest and sinus infections are common symptoms, and serious cardiorespiratory complications can ensue. These include inflammation of the lungs and airways, hypoxia, coughing up blood, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory and cardiac failure, and susceptibility to lung diseases and bacterial infections.

Asthma: A condition in which your airways become inflamed and then swell and produce extra mucus, which can make breathing difficult. You may have a wheezing sound when you breathe, and the condition may get worse during or after exercise, when you have a cold, or in response to allergy triggers. Coughing and shortness of breath are also common. Asthma is one respiratory condition that heavily affects children as well as adults.

The Acapella Choice Vibratory PEP Therapy Device

Excessive secretions in those with asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, and other illnesses can cause inflammation, narrowing, and blocking of the airways, infections, pulmonary hypertension, and a host of other debilitating problems. One of the most effective ways to fight this is through Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP), a method to mobilize secretions via air pressure that pushes mucus out while preventing airways from closing. The Acapella Choice device combines PEP with airway vibrations to improve clearance of secretions. It's easier to take than chest physiotherapy (CPT) and works in about half the time, while its convenient, portable size means you can get the benefit of this therapy anywhere!

Acapella DM Vibratory Pediatric PEP Device

The Acapella isn't just for adults. Children with respiratory issues may not have the lung power to expel secretions by coughing alone, making the Acapella a great choice to aid the process. It's designed to provide low volume bronchial therapy for children with asthma and other respiratory issues. It's easy and convenient to use, carry, and clean, making it the ideal choice for a child patient in need of bronchial therapy.

For more information on PEP therapy and the Acapella Choice Vibratory Pep Therapy Device, take a look at our helpful infographic!