Bronchiectasis is a poorly understood, under diagnosed and rare condition. It is actually due to a variety of reasons and results in your airways or bronchi becoming destroyed and floppy. As a result, your airways don't work very well, leaving you breathless and suffering with a nasty, productive cough. The sputum is often infected and can sometimes be bloody
Bronchiectasis can be due to a plethora of causes. The most common is an infection, such an an obstructed pneumonia or whooping cough. Younger people are sometimes affected by a genetic condition, such as cystic fibrosis, which results in them suffering with bronchiectasis. Babies can even be born with it, if their lungs don't form properly in utero.
There are probably about 100 000 Americans diagnosed with this condition, which isn't a hugh number. It is probably an underestimate as many cases will be undiagnosed. However, it will certainly be less than it was before we had ready access to antibiotics and immunisations - as infections are the major reason for people to have bronchiectasis.
If you were to develop this condition, then you are likely to have suffered from a daily cough, which has lasted a long time (months to years). It would have produced a greenish sputum, although it can also leading to a bloody sputum.
Whilst most patients will have a productive cough. Some patients will only complain of symptoms, which wouldn't necessarily make you think of bronchiectasis. Such symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing or pleurisy. Some might be losing weight. Some may simply be tired and not know why.
If your doctor were to suspect this condition, they might ask for a sample of your sputum to be analysed by the microbiology labs. They would probably do some blood tests, principally to ensure that there are no other causes for your problems. They are likely to ask for a chest x-ray and possibly a CT scan of your chest as well.
Typically, bronchiectasis is a progressive condition. If it is allowed to progressed unchecked, it will result in worsening lung function, which may then lead to your heart being put under excess and perhaps excessive strain.
Treating bronchiectasis is concerned with the reduction in symptoms, reducing complications and aggressively treating any complications.
The two main weapons are antibiotics and regular chest physiotherapy. It would also be critical that you did not smoke and stayed away from people who did. It would be sensible to make sure that your diet is as good as it could be. Being immunised against infections, such as the flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, measles, german measles and whooping cough would be a sensible precaution.
If you have an infection, this could make your disease worse. This would need to be treated aggressively with antibiotics - either by mouth but probably intravenously. Your doctor may also need to consider other treatment strategies such as inhalers, steroids and oxygen.
Occaisionally, surgery is necessary, particularly if only part of your lung is affected by the disease. By cutting out the diseased portion of lung, it may be possible for you to feel and be better than by continually rescuing your diseased lung from flare up after flare up.
Bronchiectasis can not be cured. But, with attentive execution of the treatment strategy, you should be able to optimally control your disease.
For more detailed advice you should contact your local respiratory unit - 16083
Bronchiectasis can be due to a plethora of causes. The most common is an infection, such an an obstructed pneumonia or whooping cough. Younger people are sometimes affected by a genetic condition, such as cystic fibrosis, which results in them suffering with bronchiectasis. Babies can even be born with it, if their lungs don't form properly in utero.
There are probably about 100 000 Americans diagnosed with this condition, which isn't a hugh number. It is probably an underestimate as many cases will be undiagnosed. However, it will certainly be less than it was before we had ready access to antibiotics and immunisations - as infections are the major reason for people to have bronchiectasis.
If you were to develop this condition, then you are likely to have suffered from a daily cough, which has lasted a long time (months to years). It would have produced a greenish sputum, although it can also leading to a bloody sputum.
Whilst most patients will have a productive cough. Some patients will only complain of symptoms, which wouldn't necessarily make you think of bronchiectasis. Such symptoms include wheezing, difficulty breathing or pleurisy. Some might be losing weight. Some may simply be tired and not know why.
If your doctor were to suspect this condition, they might ask for a sample of your sputum to be analysed by the microbiology labs. They would probably do some blood tests, principally to ensure that there are no other causes for your problems. They are likely to ask for a chest x-ray and possibly a CT scan of your chest as well.
Typically, bronchiectasis is a progressive condition. If it is allowed to progressed unchecked, it will result in worsening lung function, which may then lead to your heart being put under excess and perhaps excessive strain.
Treating bronchiectasis is concerned with the reduction in symptoms, reducing complications and aggressively treating any complications.
The two main weapons are antibiotics and regular chest physiotherapy. It would also be critical that you did not smoke and stayed away from people who did. It would be sensible to make sure that your diet is as good as it could be. Being immunised against infections, such as the flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, measles, german measles and whooping cough would be a sensible precaution.
If you have an infection, this could make your disease worse. This would need to be treated aggressively with antibiotics - either by mouth but probably intravenously. Your doctor may also need to consider other treatment strategies such as inhalers, steroids and oxygen.
Occaisionally, surgery is necessary, particularly if only part of your lung is affected by the disease. By cutting out the diseased portion of lung, it may be possible for you to feel and be better than by continually rescuing your diseased lung from flare up after flare up.
Bronchiectasis can not be cured. But, with attentive execution of the treatment strategy, you should be able to optimally control your disease.
For more detailed advice you should contact your local respiratory unit - 16083
