MINUTES ON... Bronchiectasis

What is it?

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition which often evolves from smoking and chronic bronchitis. The tiny air sacs deep in the lungs are gradually destroyed and the airways widen and produce large amounts of mucus.

Breathing becomes difficult and infections frequent.

What are the symptoms?

Breathlessness, sometimes needing oxygen and a persistent cough with a lot of phlegm (sputum).

When to see your GP

If a cough becomes persistent it always needs investigation, so see your GP as soon as possible.

How the lungs are affected

The walls of the air passages are coated with sticky mucus, which traps inhaled particles moving down into the lungs.

Once air is inhaled it penetrates the innermost parts of the lungs’ tiny air sacs where oxygen passes into the blood. In bronchiectasis, the air sacs are destroyed and the lungs become scarred and stiff.

One or more of the airways abnormally widen, mucus pools there and infection can fester.

Why it happens

The most common cause is smoking. Others are a lung infection during childhood, such as pneumonia or whooping cough, that damages the bronchi in the long term.

When does it start

Symptoms usually develop in middle age in around one in every 1,000 adults in the UK.

What’s the treatment

Unfortunately, bronchiectasis can’t be cured, but symptoms can be relieved via breathing exercises and special devices to help you cough up mucus out of your lungs, medication to improve airflow within the lungs, mucolytics to keep mucus thin and antibiotics to treat any lung infections.

Eventually, oxygen therapy may be necessary in order to live a normal daily life.