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Be Clear-A Self-Care Method to Living with Bronchiectasis

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Be Clear-A Self-Care Method to Living with Bronchiectasis

Linda Esposito
Helping people with bronchiectasis live their best life
Yale MPH • Author • Patient Advocate
💗 1:1 Zoom education • No medical advice

Author of “The BE CLEAR Method to Living with Bronchiectasis” available on Amazon-

https://amzn.to/333htls?trk=public_post_share-update_update-text

Bronchiectasis is the permanent scarring of the lung airway passages, often from an infection, asthma or COPD. It is a lifelong chronic disease, but by practicing the BE CLEAR Method of self-care, created by Linda C. Esposito, MPH, you can feel better!

10/27/2026

Ever think clearing your lungs is a little like cleaning a peanut butter jar? 🥜🫁

Marjorie Cullinan, a Respiratory Therapist Manager at Yale New Haven Hospital, uses exactly that analogy!

Imagine a peanut butter jar. You add some water to soften what’s stuck inside, shake the jar to loosen it up, and then wipe it clean.

That’s the essence of airway clearance!

💧 Nebulizing: This helps soften the “peanut butter” (mucus) in your lungs.

🫨 Shaking things up: Techniques and devices like an Acapella or Aerobika, as well as a vest, can help loosen the mucus further.

🫁 Wiping it clean: Breathing techniques, coughing, and sometimes postural drainage help move the loosened mucus up and out.

So the next time you do your airway clearance, think peanut butter jar:
Soften it up. Shake it loose. Wipe it clean!

Want to learn more about airway clearance from an expert? Check out this video and go to around the 58-minute mark. I particularly like that Marjorie demonstrates breathing techniques.

These techniques are commonly used for airway clearance in many parts of the world but tend to be less emphasized here in the U.S.

Thank you Marjorie for all you have done for our bronchiectasis and NTM Lung Disease community!!

https://youtu.be/KWnBlT12Cho?si=0lumFqiDdAil4HNo

www.letsbecleartoday.com

Always consult your physician before changing your current medical practices.

10/26/2026

IT’S RESPIRATORY CARE WEEK! 🫁

A big thank you to all the respiratory therapists and physiotherapists out there who help us breathe better!

I’m especially grateful to those who continue learning about bronchiectasis and NTM lung disease. Having a respiratory therapist who understands these conditions and airway clearance can make such a difference. We appreciate you! 💙

Respiratory Care Week was established by President Ronald Reagan to recognize respiratory care professionals and the important role they play in healthcare. It’s now celebrated each year during the last week of October.

Still, many people in the bronchiectasis community don’t have access to a respiratory therapist for one-on-one airway clearance guidance. As bronchiectasis care centers continue to expand, I hope access to respiratory therapists will grow, too.

I also want to give special thanks to Cheryl Torres, lead respiratory therapist at National Jewish Health in Denver. Each year at the patient and caregiver conference, Cheryl reminds us that airway clearance doesn’t have to be complicated. Her practical tips have helped so many of us turn something that can feel daunting at first into a daily routine we can manage.

Thank you, Cheryl, and thank you to the entire National Jewish Health team!

We’re also grateful to companies in the lung health space, including Monaghan Medical Corporation, maker of the Aerobika OPEP device and AeroEclipse nebulizer, for sharing educational information about airway clearance and respiratory devices.

Monaghan’s website is easy to navigate and offers lots of helpful information: www.monaghanmed.com

To all the respiratory therapists who teach us, encourage us, and answer our questions: THANK YOU!!!

10/25/2026

CHEST 2026 is the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians and one of the leading conferences for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Specialists from around the world gather to share new research, treatment advances, clinical guidelines, and approaches to patient care.

I’m looking forward to hearing bronchiectasis expert Dr. Anne O’Donnell share highlights from CHEST 2026 and explain what they may mean for people living with bronchiectasis and NTM lung disease.

Sign up to listen in!

Nov 11, 2026 01:30 PM
Eastern Time

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/5217872387246/WN_ZrMkuZDET6Kob7cteUpazw

Thank you Running on Air and NTM Info and Research for this wonderful learning opportunity!!!

Running On Air
NTM Info & Research
Bronchiectasis Info & Research

10/25/2026

Ever wonder why bronchiectasis may not show up on a chest X-ray? Or how other people came to find out they had BE? And why a CT scan done at one center might be read differently from one reviewed at a bronchiectasis care center?

October is our airway clearance month, and we have some big things coming this week. But today, I’m sharing a blog about bronchiectasis diagnosis that I think is a worthwhile read. It may be especially helpful if you’re newly diagnosed, and it could also fill in some knowledge gaps for those of us who have been living with the disease for a while.

I know it’s Sunday and perhaps a day of rest for you. When you get a chance, pour yourself a cup of something delicious and take a look.

Please save it and share it with your support group or with people you know who are living with BE. Thank you in advance.

I appreciate you!❤️

Click to go to my website blog:

letsbecleartoday.com/be-clear-blog/bronchiectasis-diagnosis-tests-ct-findings

10/24/2026

Let’s not focus on what we didn’t do or what we should have done. Let’s do our best now to move forward, one small step at a time.

10/23/2026

Guess who slept in her own bed last night? It felt wonderful. There’s truth to the saying: It’s great to get away, but even better to come home.

I planned to spend the day restocking the refrigerator and freezer, unpacking, and doing laundry in the basement. Since I’m on the 16th floor, that sounded like a full day.

Instead, over my morning coffee, I started thinking about a topic I haven’t discussed yet: bronchodilators, including albuterol and levalbuterol.

Many people in our community use albuterol before airway clearance. It opens the airways and may make it easier to move mucus.
A respiratory therapist I follow closely once shared that people who need albuterol often know it because they feel tightness in their chest or a “twitchy” feeling in their lungs.

But in my work with hundreds of clients, I’ve found that some people don’t notice those sensations. They may use albuterol simply because it was prescribed, without knowing whether it’s helping.

Reflux is also an issue for many of us. Research on albuterol and reflux is mixed, but some evidence suggests that inhaled bronchodilators may affect the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) in some people. If reflux is a concern for you, it’s worth discussing with your medical team.

If you don’t feel chest tightness and aren’t sure whether albuterol is helping, ask your clinician whether bronchodilator testing during pulmonary function testing (PFTs) could provide useful information. Your team can interpret the results alongside your symptoms and history to help decide whether a bronchodilator belongs in your airway clearance routine.

Nebulizing albuterol can add time, which is another reason it’s worth discussing. Dr. McShane from the NIH has suggested not mixing it with hypertonic saline in the same nebulizer cup.

Some clinicians may be comfortable with using an albuterol inhaler instead, which can take less time. Ask your medical team what approach is right for you.

As always, never change your current practices without first discuss discussing them with your medical team.

At BE CLEAR with Bronchiectasis, education and lived experience only. Never medical advice.

10/21/2026

Heading back to New York City tomorrow, and I’m ready. It’s always a good feeling when you’ve enjoyed your vacation but are ready to return home.

I may miss a day or two of posting about airway clearance, so I’m sharing this now. I was going to use a French word for the “sandwich approach,” but it turns out that sandwich in French is still sandwich, just with a French accent: 🥖🥖🇫🇷

I really like this feature of the Aerobika. You can use it in different positions, and your body can be positioned in different ways while the device still gets the job done.

I find the sandwich position especially helpful when I’m leaning back on pillows and reading. The device stays out of the way, so I can easily read the words on the page and turn the pages.

Monaghan Medical
Trudell Medical International

BE CLEAR with Bronchiectasis, LLC is a patient advocacy company that consults with Monaghan Medical

10/20/2026

I left my equipment soaking in a plastic bag while Tony and I hopped in an Uber to visit his sister. We took an Uber so we could practice using the G7 car share app before our trip to the airport on Thursday.

Today was a “put on the gloves” sort of day. We’ve had great weather, but now it’s turned chilly, and I’m putting on every piece of clothing I brought along. Like many people in our bronchiectasis community, I have some difficulty regulating my body temperature, and my hands and feet are always cold.

After a visit and a yummy assortment of local specialties, cheeses, and charcuterie, we took a walk around her neighborhood.

Then I decided to head back to our rental so I could do my airway clearance. We were right by the Metro, although it was a different line from the one I’d been taking with Tony. I offered to hop on and find my way home.

It was a bit of a stretch outside my comfort zone because I have no sense of direction. But I could tell Tony wanted to keep spending time with his sister, so I went on my own. Somehow, I made it home without even needing to track my route on my phone. Very empowering!

And let me add that I’ve been wearing a mask on the Metro and in some crowded museums and galleries. During the eight days we’ve been here, among the hundreds of people I’ve seen, I’ve noticed perhaps two others wearing masks.

That’s OK. I’m not immunocompromised, but I just don’t want to get sick. And really, it’s that simple.

10/20/2026

Clients sometimes ask me, “Can’t I skip nebulizing and just use my Aerobika?” Others ask the opposite: “Can’t I just nebulize?”

As with so many things in bronchiectasis, there isn’t one answer for everyone. But I have an analogy that may help explain why these can be two different parts of airway clearance.

Imagine a walkway covered with dirt and debris. You take out the hose and give it a good soaking. The water loosens everything up. But if you stop there, you may be left with a muddy walkway. You still need to sweep.

For me, nebulized hypertonic saline is the hose. It helps hydrate and loosen my mucus.
My Aerobika is part of the sweep. It helps mobilize those secretions so I can move them up and out, sometimes with gentle huff coughing, postural drainage, or exercise.

The 2026 CHEST guidelines conditionally suggest both nebulized hypertonic saline and oscillating PEP for airway clearance. That doesn’t mean everyone needs every technique or device. A respiratory professional can help you figure out what may work for you.

At a recent patient conference, Cheryl Torres, lead respiratory therapist at National Jewish Health, talked about using a nebulizer and Aerobika together or separately. One thing I love about my AeroEclipse nebulizer cup is that it can connect directly to my Aerobika. When I’m pressed for time, I can use them together.

For those of us doing airway clearance every day, making the routine manageable matters. Even a helpful routine can feel like too much if it takes so long that we can’t keep it up.

Was I able to clear my MAC infection without antibiotics because of these devices? That would be a huge claim. But I do believe improving my airway clearance was one of several factors, along with exercise, nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight, managing reflux and other practices.

Hose it down, then sweep. Your “hose” and “sweep” may look different from mine. Ask a respiratory professional which techniques and devices make sense for you.

FULL BLOG tinyurl.com/mrc8z5rs

BE CLEAR is a consultant to Monaghan Medical

Monaghan Medical
Trudell Medical International

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