Excellent Autogenic Drainage Phone App for Airway Clearance
One of My Favorite Airway Clearance Tools: The Autogenic Drainage App
One of my favorite airway clearance tools isn’t a device; it’s the Autogenic Drainage app by Polemicson my phone.
I use this app regularly as part of my airway clearance routine. It offers a choice of short recordings that guide us through Autogenic Drainage (AD), a breathing technique that can help mobilize mucus through the airways.
How I Use the App
Sometimes I use one of the recordings before nebulizing because it helps me transition from work mode into self-care mode.
Like many of us, I can go straight from answering emails, working on my computer, or taking care of something around the house to realizing, “Okay, it’s time to do airway clearance.” Listening to one of the short recordings gives me a few minutes to slow down, focus on my breathing, and prepare for my airway clearance session.
Other times, I use the app during airway clearance, particularly when I feel I still have stubborn mucus that won’t budge. I may have already used my vest, nebulizer, Aerobika, and postural drainage. At that point, I’ll sometimes pull out my phone, open the Autogenic Drainage app, choose a recording, and follow along.
And sometimes I use it both before and during my session. Because the recordings are short, they’re easy to fit into my routine without adding much extra time.
What Is Autogenic Drainage?
Autogenic Drainage is an airway clearance technique that uses controlled breathing at different lung volumes to help mobilize mucus. The idea is to use our breath to help move mucus from the smaller airways toward the larger airways, where it can eventually be cleared with a huff or cough.
It sounds simple, but there is technique involved. Autogenic Drainage should ideally be taught by a respiratory therapist, physiotherapist, or other healthcare professional trained in airway clearance. The app doesn’t replace that instruction. For me, it provides a convenient way to practice and incorporate the technique into my regular routine.
Why Equipment-Free Techniques Matter
As I discuss in The BE CLEAR Method to Living with Bronchiectasis, I think it’s important to learn airway clearance techniques that don’t depend entirely on equipment.
There will inevitably be times when we’re traveling, away from home, or simply don’t have all of our usual devices with us.
Knowing techniques such as Autogenic Drainage, postural drainage, and huff coughing gives us additional tools for mobilizing mucus wherever we are. They don’t necessarily replace our usual equipment. They simply give us more options.
And when you live with bronchiectasis, having more options can be very helpful.
One More Tool for Your Airway Clearance Toolbox
There is no single airway clearance routine that is right for everyone with bronchiectasis. What works for me may not be appropriate for you. Bronchiectasis guidelines recommend that airway clearance techniques be individualized and taught by an appropriately trained respiratory healthcare professional.
But once we learn these techniques, having something as simple as an app on our phone can make it easier to incorporate them into our daily lives.
If you’d like to learn more about building a complete airway clearance routine, I discuss airway clearance and other aspects of bronchiectasis self-care in a YouTube Airway Clearance playlist.
Sometimes a useful addition to our airway clearance toolbox can be as close as the phone in our hand.
A Thank You to the Developer
I’ve had the Autogenic Drainage app by Polemics on my phone for years, and I want to give a special thank you to its developer for continuing to maintain it. As phones and operating systems change, smaller specialized apps can sometimes stop working or simply disappear. That happened with this app, so I contacted the developer, and he updated the software. I appreciate that he understands how important this app is to our community and continues to keep it running smoothly.
Consider tipping the developer from time to time through the phone app.
