Bronchiectasis, like other respiratory illnesses that make breathing more difficult, can lower the levels of oxygen in a person's bloodstream, leading to shortness of breath, tiredness and confusion, and potentially damaging the heart and brain.
If supplemental oxygen is used, it is appropriate to maintain a saturation of >92%.
Oxygen Therapy
If bronchiectasis is severe, it can prevent you from getting enough oxygen. If this occurs, your NYU Langone pulmonologist may recommend oxygen therapy. Oxygen is delivered to the lungs through small plastic tubes that are placed in the nostrils, or through a face mask that fits over the nose and mouth.
Oxygen therapy can help people with bronchiectasis who have low levels of oxygen in their blood to breathe better. The treatment involves administering oxygen either through a mask or through 2 small tubes that enter the nose (nasal prongs).
Bronchiectasis complications include pneumonia, lung abscess, empyema, septicemia, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure, secondary amyloidosis with nephrotic syndrome, and recurrent pleurisy.
Avoid Lung Irritants
Where possible, avoid being in environments with secondhand smoke, pollution, chemical fumes, dust particles and other substances which may be harmful to lungs.
A diagnosis of bronchiectasis should be suspected when a patient presents with a recurrent or persistent (>8 weeks) cough with production of purulent or mucopurulent sputum.
Bronchiectasis, like other respiratory illnesses that make breathing more difficult, can lower the levels of oxygen in a person's bloodstream, leading to shortness of breath, tiredness and confusion, and potentially damaging the heart and brain.
Pertussis, the flu, pneumococcal disease, measles and staph infections can all cause or worsen bronchiectasis. Work with your healthcare provider to treat any ongoing health conditions, especially ones that affect your lungs. Keep your appointments and stick to your treatment plan.
What are normal readings? A normal level of oxygen is usually 95% or higher. Some people with chronic lung disease or sleep apnea can have normal levels around 90%. The “SpO2” reading on a pulse oximeter shows the percentage of oxygen in someone's blood.
The most common symptoms of bronchiectasis include: a persistent cough that usually brings up phlegm (sputum) shortness of breath.
This leads to mucus (or sputum) building up and making you more at risk of getting lung infections. Infections can cause the lungs to become inflamed, which can damage or block parts of the lung, leading to symptoms like breathlessness, chest pain and tiredness.
Shortness of breath does not equal saturation (SaO2%)
In other words, your level of dyspnea, or air hunger, does not always correlate with your oxygen saturation. This means that you can be short of breath, even extremely short of breath, even in the presence of normal oxygen saturation.
It relaxes the airways to make breathing easier, it may help bring your O2 level up a bit. Albuterol is classified as a short acting Beta agonist (SABA) drug – it relaxes the muscles in the airways. Is is not addictive. An Albuterol inhaler can typically be used 4-6 times a day as needed.
If you are living with bronchiectasis, nebulisers can be used at home to deliver a saltwater solution to help manage phlegm build-up. It works by helping to reduce the thickness of phlegm so it's easier to cough it out. Nebulisers can also be used to breathe in antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection.
Bronchiectasis can affect just one section of one of your lungs or many sections of both lungs. It can lead to serious health problems, such as respiratory failure, a collapsed lung, and heart failure.
These include tobramycin, colistin, gentamicin, aztreonam, and vancomycin. Expert opinion, early-phase studies, and even some phase III trials suggest that these agents result in significant improvement in QoL and reduce frequency of exacerbations in some patients with bronchiectasis 22, 23.
Symptoms of bronchiectasis can take months or years to develop, and gradually become worse. The two primary symptoms are a cough and daily production of mucus (sputum). Other symptoms typically include: Coughing up yellow or green mucus daily.
Albuterol, also known as salbutamol, is used to prevent and treat shortness of breath, breathing difficulties, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness caused by lung diseases such as bronchiectasis.
Symptoms such as increased mucus (sputum) production that is bloody or a different color, fever, fatigue, weight loss and worsening shortness of breath may be a sign you're experiencing a flare-up. In these instances, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Colomycin and gentamicin are the most commonly used nebulised antibiotics in bronchiectasis. This involves inhaling a fine mist of liquid antibiotics which can be breathed in through a mouthpiece.
feel very tired. cough up blood, if you have not already done so. experience a sharp chest pain that's made worse when breathing (pleurisy) feel generally unwell.
Most people with bronchiectasis will have a normal life expectancy. They may be troubled by a few infections a year. For the vast majority of people, these are mild and manageable at home. However, the severity of this condition is variable.
Generally the prognosis of bronchiectasis is very good. The earlier it is diagnosed, the earlier treatment and management can be initiated preventing it from worsening. Be proactive with your doctor.