Understanding Bronchiectasis

July 1st marks World Bronchiectasis Day, which aims to raise global awareness of the disease and help those diagnosed with it (and others who may be vulnerable) through education, advocacy, and a global conversation.

What is bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis is a lung condition that affects the breathing tubes or airways in your lungs. If you have bronchiectasis, the walls of the airways become wider and damaged due to inflammation or infection. You will also have more phelgm (also called mucus or sputum). This phlegm can be harder to cough out, and if it is not cleared properly it may lead to more infections and damage. Bronchiectasis may be only in one or two areas in the lungs, or it may be in many areas of the lungs.

Who gets bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis can affect people of all ages, including children. It is more common in women and older people and in Māori and Pacific people.

What causes bronchiectasis?

The most common cause is having an infection such as pneumonia or whooping cough. In many cases the cause of bronchiectasis is not known. There are some health conditions that are linked to bronchiectasis, such as immune deficiencies and chronic lung diseases.

What are the symptoms?

Most people with bronchiectasis have a long-term ‘wet’ (mucus-producing) cough and cough up a lot of phelgm. Some people may cough up blood in their phlegm. Other symptoms may include feeling tired, being short of breath and getting recurrent chest infections.

How is it diagnosed?

As well as assessing your symptoms, past medical history and childhood history, the healthcare practitioner will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope for any abnormal sounds. The main test to diagnose bronchiectasis is a high resolution CT scan of your chest. Other tests may include a chest X-ray, spirometry (breathing) test, blood tests to check your immune system, and sputum tests.

How is it treated?

There are a number of treatments to manage the symptoms of bronchiectasis. Some of these include techniques to clear the phlegm from your chest, antibiotics, managing breathlessness and vaccinations.

Outlook for bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a lifelong health condition. Some people with bronchiectasis have very few symptoms and their condition is stable. Others have more symptoms and more frequent infections. Talk to your healthcare practitioner about your condition and how to best manage your bronchiectasis.