If you suffer Parkinson’s you may be
familiar with the horrid phlegm problem!
Sherryl Klingelhofer, who took care of
her father with PD and has dedicated herself to helping others in his memory,
has so much good advice to offer, I had to share the following useful tips with
you:
“Here’s an idea if you are already dealing with this common
Parkinson’s problem!
We had a Physical Therapist show us an exercise to help the
body "remember" how to swallow that helped Dad clear his throat a
bit. Doesn't get RID of the phlegm, but
made it easier to deal with.
SIT UPRIGHT, make sure the head is over the torso and the
torso is not leaning back or in a concave shape that would curve the oesophagus
or compromise the entry in the throat. If needed, put a small pillow or rolled
towel behind the spine against the back of the chair to assist upright posture!
Cough. Drink a SIP of water. Cough. (you may need to
swallow, do so with or without the sip of water)
Wait and repeat about half a dozen times. Do this a couple
times daily in between meals, but also try it BEFORE eating to jump start the
brain.
That laying back in a bed or lounge chair is a real booger
(we might just as well stay in icky-mode)! It lets the phlegm sit right on the
"swallower", so positioning is really important! Next time you start the choking, shove your
hips back into the chair and lean slightly forward to cough/swallow.
You can practice opening and closing the throat if
swallowing is being compromised! And
since you never think about keeping the muscles in the throat active, until
after the fact, begin these now to avoid future issues!
Say “X” then “R” several times (yes, out loud so it can be
heard!)---do it slowly and pretend you telling someone how to enunciate and say
them correctly!
Say “QUICK-QUACK-QUIRK” several times as above
Make a fire engine noise by saying (loudly!) “rrr-RRR-rrr-RRR-rrr-RRR” and make it go up
and down as they do: you will feel your
throat at work!”
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