If you are healthy, then mucus can be extremely beneficial. It is designed to trap harmful bugs and prevent them from entering our lungs. However, mucus can be harmful for people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or cystic fibrosis. These conditions cause the mucus to get too thick. People are also unable to clear the mucus by coughing.
People who have COPD or cystic fibrosis are more likely to die from an infection. Fortunately, a team of scientists at Duke University have explained why coughing cannot get rid of mucus. They have also found a way to thin the mucus.
Michael Rubinstein was the senior author of the study. He is also a professor who works at Duke University. He stated that his team measured the adhesive forces that keep the mucus together. His team also found agents that made it harder for the mucus to stay together.
If a person is healthy, then their mucus is 98 percent water. Mucins only make up one percent of the mucus. The mucins give the mucins a gel-like property. If a person has cystic fibrosis, then their mucus is only 79 percent mucus. Mucins also make 10 percent of the mucus.
The scientists developed a technique that can make the mucus more water-like. They developed meshes that can bind to the mucus. They tested the meshes to see how they affected the adhesiveness of mucus. They found that the cohesiveness and adhesiveness of mucus increased when there were more mucins in the mucus.
The researchers also tested the effectiveness of saline and hypertonic saline treatments. These are treatments that are often recommended for cystic fibrosis. They work by increasing the water content of the nutrients. The researchers found that both methods were effective. They also stated that both methods will be more effective if they are used together.
Researchers plan on doing more research in the future and the effects that they have on lung diseases.
