Mucociliary clearance in health and disease
Fluid balance
Too much fluid in the body will overwhelm the aqueous sol layer, impairing effective mucociliary clearance.
Too little fluid will result in dehydration and reduction in the depth of the aqueous sol layer. This means the cilia are no longer bathed in adequate amounts of fluid, effectively immobilising them and impairing their ability to beat effectively in a co-ordinated manner. Dehydration will also dry out the gel layer, producing thicker, stickier secretions.
