Patient information: Bronchiectasis in adults
What is bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis is a lung condition that causes a cough, breathing problems, and other symptoms. It makes the airways (the branching tubes that carry air within the lungs) get wider and weaker. This makes it hard to clear mucus out of the lungs. When mucus stays in the lungs, it makes people with bronchiectasis more likely to get frequent lung infections.
Bronchiectasis has many different causes. These include certain infections or problems with the body’s infection-fighting system (called the “immune system”). Diseases that can cause bronchiectasis include cystic fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
What are the symptoms of bronchiectasis in adults?
Symptoms can include:
●A long-lasting cough – The cough usually brings up thick, sticky mucus.
●Shortness of breath or breathing that sounds like whistling (wheezing).
●Frequent bronchitis or other lung infections.
●A cough that brings up blood – This sometimes happens with bronchiectasis, but not everyone coughs up blood.
●Sharp chest pain – Chest pain is not common with bronchiectasis, but it can happen. The pain tends to get worse when you take a breath.
Some patients with bronchiectasis also have chronic sinusitis. This condition can cause a stuffy nose, pain in the face, and yellow or green mucus from the nose.
Should I see a doctor or nurse?
Yes if:
●You are coughing more than usual or your cough bothers you during sleep or other activities
●You have shortness of breath or noisy breathing (wheezing).
●You have chest pain.
●You cough up yellow or green mucus, or thick, sticky mucus every day.
●You cough up blood.
Will I need tests?
You might have some or all of these tests:
●Blood tests – These can help find the cause of the bronchiectasis, if it is not already known.
●Tests on a sample of mucus you cough up
●Chest X-ray
●CT scan of your chest – A CT scan is an imaging test that creates pictures of the inside of the body.
●Tests to learn how well your lungs are working – These tests involve breathing hard into a tube.
●A test called a “bronchoscopy” – You might have this test if you are coughing up blood. During this procedure, a doctor uses a thin tube (called a “bronchoscope”) to look inside the lungs.
How is bronchiectasis in adults treated?
There are several different treatments to help with symptoms and prevent further problems and include:
●Medicines to treat and prevent lung infections, reduce airway inflammation, and help thin out mucus in the lungs.
●Medicines to block stomach acid – A condition called “acid reflux” can cause bronchiectasis. In acid reflux, acid that is normally in the stomach backs up into the oesophagus.
●Chest physiotherapy – This involves loosening the mucus in the lungs so you can cough it up more easily. There is more than one way to do this. Your doctor or nurse can show you the different ways.
●Treatment to stop bleeding in the airways – Coughing up a lot of blood can be life threatening. Doctors can do a procedure called “bronchial artery embolization” to help stop the bleeding. During this procedure, the doctor puts a thin tube into an artery in the leg and moves it up to the lungs. Then he or she uses tiny tools to block the artery in the bleeding area.
●Pulmonary rehabilitation – This is called “pulmonary rehab” for short. In pulmonary rehab, people learn to improve their symptoms in new ways. They learn exercises and ways to breathe that can help ease symptoms.
●Surgery – If part of a lung is damaged or keeps getting infected, doctors might do surgery to remove it.
●A lung transplant – This is surgery in which a doctor replaces a person’s diseased lungs with healthy lungs. A lung transplant is done only in people who have severe disease and meet certain conditions.
If the bronchiectasis is caused by another medical condition, doctors will treat that condition. This could help the bronchiectasis.
Is there anything I can do on my own for bronchiectasis?
If you smoke, the most important thing you can do is to stop smoking. It does not matter how long you have smoked or how much you smoke. Quitting can slow your disease and help you feel better.
Get the flu jab every year and the pneumonia vaccine at least once. Infections like the flu and pneumonia can be very hard on your lungs. It's important to try to prevent them.
Bronchiectasis is a lung condition that causes a cough, breathing problems, and other symptoms. It makes the airways (the branching tubes that carry air within the lungs) get wider and weaker. This makes it hard to clear mucus out of the lungs. When mucus stays in the lungs, it makes people with bronchiectasis more likely to get frequent lung infections.
Bronchiectasis has many different causes. These include certain infections or problems with the body’s infection-fighting system (called the “immune system”). Diseases that can cause bronchiectasis include cystic fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
What are the symptoms of bronchiectasis in adults?
Symptoms can include:
●A long-lasting cough – The cough usually brings up thick, sticky mucus.
●Shortness of breath or breathing that sounds like whistling (wheezing).
●Frequent bronchitis or other lung infections.
●A cough that brings up blood – This sometimes happens with bronchiectasis, but not everyone coughs up blood.
●Sharp chest pain – Chest pain is not common with bronchiectasis, but it can happen. The pain tends to get worse when you take a breath.
Some patients with bronchiectasis also have chronic sinusitis. This condition can cause a stuffy nose, pain in the face, and yellow or green mucus from the nose.
Should I see a doctor or nurse?
Yes if:
●You are coughing more than usual or your cough bothers you during sleep or other activities
●You have shortness of breath or noisy breathing (wheezing).
●You have chest pain.
●You cough up yellow or green mucus, or thick, sticky mucus every day.
●You cough up blood.
Will I need tests?
You might have some or all of these tests:
●Blood tests – These can help find the cause of the bronchiectasis, if it is not already known.
●Tests on a sample of mucus you cough up
●Chest X-ray
●CT scan of your chest – A CT scan is an imaging test that creates pictures of the inside of the body.
●Tests to learn how well your lungs are working – These tests involve breathing hard into a tube.
●A test called a “bronchoscopy” – You might have this test if you are coughing up blood. During this procedure, a doctor uses a thin tube (called a “bronchoscope”) to look inside the lungs.
How is bronchiectasis in adults treated?
There are several different treatments to help with symptoms and prevent further problems and include:
●Medicines to treat and prevent lung infections, reduce airway inflammation, and help thin out mucus in the lungs.
●Medicines to block stomach acid – A condition called “acid reflux” can cause bronchiectasis. In acid reflux, acid that is normally in the stomach backs up into the oesophagus.
●Chest physiotherapy – This involves loosening the mucus in the lungs so you can cough it up more easily. There is more than one way to do this. Your doctor or nurse can show you the different ways.
●Treatment to stop bleeding in the airways – Coughing up a lot of blood can be life threatening. Doctors can do a procedure called “bronchial artery embolization” to help stop the bleeding. During this procedure, the doctor puts a thin tube into an artery in the leg and moves it up to the lungs. Then he or she uses tiny tools to block the artery in the bleeding area.
●Pulmonary rehabilitation – This is called “pulmonary rehab” for short. In pulmonary rehab, people learn to improve their symptoms in new ways. They learn exercises and ways to breathe that can help ease symptoms.
●Surgery – If part of a lung is damaged or keeps getting infected, doctors might do surgery to remove it.
●A lung transplant – This is surgery in which a doctor replaces a person’s diseased lungs with healthy lungs. A lung transplant is done only in people who have severe disease and meet certain conditions.
If the bronchiectasis is caused by another medical condition, doctors will treat that condition. This could help the bronchiectasis.
Is there anything I can do on my own for bronchiectasis?
If you smoke, the most important thing you can do is to stop smoking. It does not matter how long you have smoked or how much you smoke. Quitting can slow your disease and help you feel better.
Get the flu jab every year and the pneumonia vaccine at least once. Infections like the flu and pneumonia can be very hard on your lungs. It's important to try to prevent them.