Each lung infection can make the bronchiectasis worse. Untreated, this vicious cycle of infection, inflammation and injury often results in progressive symptoms and loss of lung function, activities of daily living and quality of life. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of bronchiectasis is very important.
The chronic cycle of Bronchiectasis
Bacteria multiply. This causes more lung infections and inflammation. New lung infections and inflammation continue to damage the airways. Over time, enlarged and widened airways make it harder and harder to breathe.
If you develop a lung infection, your symptoms usually get worse within a few days. This is known as an infective exacerbation and it can cause: coughing up even more phlegm, which may be more green than usual or smell unpleasant. worsening shortness of breath.
As this cycle is repeated, the damage to the lungs gets progressively worse. How quickly bronchiectasis progresses can vary significantly. For some people, the condition will get worse quickly, but for many the progression is slow.
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.
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).
In fact, respiratory related deaths have been known to be a major cause of death in bronchiectasis [9, 19, 20].
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.
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.
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.
What causes a flare up of Bronchiectasis? The most common causes of flare ups are infections. Bacteria are most common but they can be caused by viruses or a combination of both.
Bronchiectasis complications include pneumonia, lung abscess, empyema, septicemia, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure, secondary amyloidosis with nephrotic syndrome, and recurrent pleurisy.
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.
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.
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.
Bronchiectasis harms the walls of the airways. Over time, they become scarred, inflamed, and widened. They then can't clear out mucus. This damage can lead to serious lung infections and other major health problems.
Increasing age is recognized as an independent risk factor for bronchiectasis severity.
If supplemental oxygen is used, it is appropriate to maintain a saturation of >92%.
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.
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.
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.