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.
Will my bronchiectasis shorten my lifespan? In mild bronchiectasis there is no shortage of life expectancy. In very severe bronchiectasis, however, some patients die at a younger age because of their lung disease.
In fact, respiratory related deaths have been known to be a major cause of death in bronchiectasis [9, 19, 20].
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. Currently, bronchiectasis has no cure.
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.
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).
Increasing age is recognized as an independent risk factor for bronchiectasis severity.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bronchiectasis complications include pneumonia, lung abscess, empyema, septicemia, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure, secondary amyloidosis with nephrotic syndrome, and recurrent pleurisy.
The goal of bronchiectasis treatment is to prevent infections and flare-ups. This is done with a combination of medication, hydration and chest physical therapy. Oxygen therapy may be recommended to raise low blood oxygen levels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Any form of exercise that makes you a little breathless, such as walking and swimming is extremely beneficial for people with bronchiectasis. It may help you to clear your chest and will improve your overall fitness. Staying or getting fit will help you build resistance to infections.
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.
Sleeping. Lie on your side with a pillow between your legs and your head elevated with pillows.
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.
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.