Bronchiectasis

What is it?

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 breathing difficult and leave the lungs vulnerable to infection.

What are the symptoms?

A persistent cough that usually brings up phlegm (sputum) and breathlessness.

When to see your GP

You should see your GP if you develop a persistent cough which always needs investigation.

How the lungs are affected

The lungs are full of tiny branching airways known as bronchi. Oxygen travels through these airways, ends up in tiny sacs called alveoli, and from there it’s absorbed into the bloodstream.

The inside walls of the bronchi are coated with sticky mucus, which protects against damage from particles moving down into the lungs.

In bronchiectasis, one or more of the bronchi are abnormally widened. This means more mucus than usual gathers there and the bronchi become prey to infection.

Why it happens

The most common causes are a lung infection during childhood, such as pneumonia or whooping cough that damages the bronchi, and smoking.

Who’s affected

It’s estimated that around one in every 1,000 adults have the condition with symptoms usually developing in middle age.

What’s the treatment

The damage caused to the lungs is permanent, but treatments to relieve your symptoms include breathing exercises and special devices to help you clear mucus out of your lungs, medication to improve airflow within the lungs, mucolytics to keep mucus thin, and antibiotics to treat lung infections.