How does bronchiectasis affect the body?

Bronchiectasis is a long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened, leading to a build-up of excess mucus that can make the lungs more vulnerable to infection. The most common symptoms of bronchiectasis include: a persistent cough that usually brings up phlegm (sputum) breathlessness.

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What organ does bronchiectasis affect?

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.

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How does bronchiectasis affect daily life?

Your bronchiectasis will be considered to be more severe when symptoms start to affect daily activities. Factors linked with more severe bronchiectasis include: Breathlessness: being unable to walk 100 metres without stopping. Chest infections: having three or more in a year.

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What are 5 complications of bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis complications include pneumonia, lung abscess, empyema, septicemia, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure, secondary amyloidosis with nephrotic syndrome, and recurrent pleurisy.

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What are severe symptoms of bronchiectasis?

Fevers and/or chills. Wheezing or whistling sound while you breathe. Coughing up blood or mucus mixed with blood, a condition called hemoptysis. Chest pain from increased effort to breathe.

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Pneumonia

38 related questions found

What is the feared complication of bronchiectasis?

A rare, but serious, complication of bronchiectasis is coughing up large amounts of blood (the medical term for this is massive haemoptysis). This can occur when a section of one of the blood vessels supplying the lungs suddenly splits open.

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What should you not do with bronchiectasis?

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.

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What are the red flags for bronchiectasis?

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.

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What is the most common cause of death in bronchiectasis?

In fact, respiratory related deaths have been known to be a major cause of death in bronchiectasis [9, 19, 20].

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What is the life expectancy of someone with bronchiectasis?

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.

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Can bronchiectasis make you feel unwell?

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.

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How do you stop bronchiectasis getting worse?

The damage to the lungs associated with bronchiectasis is permanent, but treatment can help prevent the condition getting worse.
  1. stopping smoking (if you smoke)
  2. having the flu vaccine every year.
  3. making sure you have had the pneumococcal vaccine to protect against pneumonia.
  4. exercising regularly.

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What causes bronchiectasis flare ups?

Frequent lung infections and airways blocked with mucus are common in bronchiectasis. Because the lungs cannot clear properly, flare-ups are one of the main concerns of bronchiectasis.

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What 3 foods can irritate the lungs?

Lung-Damaging Foods to Avoid
  • White Bread. Simple carbohydrates such as white bread should be avoided, as it takes more work for the lungs to metabolize them. ...
  • Potato Chips. Potato chips are filled with salt and saturated fat, two things that are detrimental to lung health. ...
  • Chocolate. ...
  • Beer. ...
  • Cold Cuts.

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What is the new treatment for bronchiectasis?

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.

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What is the best sleeping position for bronchiectasis?

Sleeping. Lie on your side with a pillow between your legs and your head elevated with pillows.

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Is bronchiectasis a progressive lung disease?

Bronchiectasis is a common, progressive respiratory disease characterised by permanent dilatation of the bronchi and presenting with a clinical syndrome of cough, sputum production and recurrent respiratory infections.

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Is coffee bad for bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis and Caffeine

“Significantly high levels of caffeine intake may contribute to dehydration by stimulating the body to release more liquid than usual” [11]. In a previous article, we discussed the importance of staying hydrated when you're living with a chronic lung condition like COPD or bronchiectasis.

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What autoimmune disease is associated with bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis is associated with several autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren's syndrome, relapsing polychondritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

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What test confirms bronchiectasis?

HRCT scan. Currently, the most effective test available to diagnose bronchiectasis is called a high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan. A HRCT scan involves taking several X-rays of your chest at slightly different angles. A computer is then used to put all the images together.

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What conditions are related to bronchiectasis?

Around 1 in 3 cases of bronchiectasis in adults are associated with a severe lung infection in childhood, such as: severe pneumonia. whooping cough. tuberculosis (TB)

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Why am I so tired with bronchiectasis?

Having fatigue doesn't mean you have very severe bronchiectasis - it can be a symptom across all stages. People who have bronchiectasis often say that fatigue can be worse when they feel an exacerbation or infection coming on. If you have recognised this, you may have found that this is an early warning sign for you.

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What is the best drink for bronchiectasis?

Stay hydrated always

Drinking plenty of water will not help keep you hydrated, but also assisting in thinning the mucus for easier removal. Drink around 6 to 8 glasses of water daily and spread over the entire day.

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Why do you lose weight when you have bronchiectasis?

Weight Loss

This can happen due to a loss of appetite that develops when you have a bad taste in your mouth. Additionally, bronchiectasis causes your body to consume more calories due to the physical demands of coughing and effortful breathing.

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Which type of bronchiectasis is most severe?

Cystic bronchiectasis is the most severe form and exhibits saccular dilatation of bronchi. Bronchial dilatation is the hallmark of bronchiectasis and is evaluated in relation to the accompanying pulmonary artery.

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