Bronchiectasis is a chronic, debilitating respiratory condition that affects people of all ages.
Hallmarks of severe bronchiectasis include fetid breath, chronic cough, and sputum production. The associated chronic respiratory infections and airway sepsis are punctuated by episodes of acute exacerbation.
Healthcare providers categorize bronchiectasis based on what the damage to your airways looks like — cylindrical (or tubular), varicose or cystic. Cylindrical bronchiectasis is the most common and least serious form of bronchiectasis. Cystic bronchiectasis is the most severe form.
For people with very severe symptoms, however, bronchiectasis can be fatal if the lungs stop working properly.
Bronchiectasis is one of the disabiling conditions that can interfere with an individual's ability to maintain full-time employment. In these cases, Social Security Disability benefits may be able to help.
This is something that you should discuss with the GP, occupational health and with the doctor at the clinic. The position here depends upon the severity of your bronchiectasis and on the nature of your work. Some people are able to carry on working without any difficulty whereas others find it much more difficult.
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).
Common complications include recurrent pneumonia requiring hospitalization, empyema, lung abscess, progressive respiratory failure, and cor pulmonale. Additional complications include chronic bronchial infection, and pneumothorax. Life-threatening hemoptysis may occur but is uncommon.
Most patients suffer from chronic daily cough and sputum production. Patients suffering from this disease often have a poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health care burden.
Bronchiectasis complications include pneumonia, lung abscess, empyema, septicemia, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure, secondary amyloidosis with nephrotic syndrome, and recurrent pleurisy.
Bronchiectasis is often brought on by damage from another condition that affects the lungs. Even an airway blockage, like a growth or a noncancerous tumor, can lead to bronchiectasis. Though it is most often linked to cystic fibrosis, many other conditions can trigger bronchiectasis such as: Autoimmune disease.
Chest discomfort - this can be a pain, tightness or a feeling of 'fullness' in the chest. Chest infections, also called exacerbations - you might easily catch infections that more quickly affect your chest. Other symptoms may get worse during an infection.
When we carried out some research into fatigue in bronchiectasis we found that people with more symptoms of breathlessness tended to have more problems with fatigue. People with low levels of lung function measured by breathing tests were also more likely to experience fatigue.
If properly treated and monitored, most people with bronchiectasis have a normal life expectancy. People with bronchiectasis are more likely to die because of other medical conditions that affect all people (like heart disease or cancer) than to die directly from bronchiectasis.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to colistimethate sodium powder for nebulization solution (CMS I–neb®) for the reduction in the incidence of pulmonary exacerbations in adults with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) colonized with P. aeruginosa.
What Exercise is Good for Bronchiectasis? According to the American Lung Association, both aerobic and resistance-training activities can help improve your lungs, making them stronger and able to perform the task of transferring additional oxygen to other muscles during exercise[5].
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.
This study, alongside the present study by Navaratnam and colleagues, provides compelling evidence that bronchiectasis is associated with elevated cardiac risk, that exacerbation frequency is associated with cardiac events, and that the severity of bronchiectasis is directly linked to elevated cardiac risk.
Short on Breath
Another common symptom of bronchiectasis is shortness of breath, which can worsen during a flare-up. Even if you are resting or trying to go to sleep, you may find it challenging to breathe normally or catch your breath.
The resulting positive effect on airway clearance and secretion expectoration is due to both gravity assisting drainage and improved ventilation (Lannefors & Wollmer 1992, Zack et al 1974). Lying on the left side horizontally turned 45 degrees on to the face, resting against a pillow with another supporting the head.
Summer heatwaves and hot weather can affect anyone. But if you have a long-term lung condition like asthma, bronchiectasis or COPD, you're more at risk of the heat affecting you. And hot weather can cause your symptoms to flare up too. This could be because you're dehydrated and too hot, making you feel worse.