What are the symptoms of Bronchiectasis?
The signs and symptoms of bronchiectasis
develop and change over time. The most common symptoms of bronchiectasis
include:
- A persistent cough that usually brings up phlegm (sputum)
- As the disease progresses, chronic coughing with mucous production increases and the person usually becomes more fatigued and short of breath as lung function decreases.
- Breathlessness
The severity of symptoms can vary widely.
Some people have only a few symptoms that don't appear often, while others have
wide-ranging daily symptoms. The symptoms tend to get worse if you develop an
infection in your lungs.
You should contact your doctor for medical
care if you have a chronic cough (lasting about three weeks or more), a new
onset of shortness of breath and/or any coughing up blood (hemoptysis).
Individuals who have repeated bouts of pneumonia and increased sputum
production should also seek medical care.
What
are the causes of Bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis can develop if the tissue
and muscles that surround the bronchi are damaged or destroyed.
There are many reasons why this may happen.
The three most common causes are:
A lung infection during childhood, such as
pneumonia or whooping cough, that damages the bronchi
Underlying problems with the immune system
(the body’s defence against infection) that make the bronchi more vulnerable to
damage from an infection
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
(ABPA) – an allergy to a certain type of fungi that can cause the bronchi to
become inflamed if spores from the fungi are inhaled
However, in many cases of bronchiectasis,
no obvious cause for the condition can be found (known as idiopathic
bronchiectasis).
What
are the types of Bronchiectasis?
There are three primary types of
bronchiectasis. These types are defined by their anatomical/microscopic
appearance.
Cylindrical bronchiectasis, the mildest form
of bronchiectasis that shows the loss of normal airway tapering.
Saccular or varicose bronchiectasis shows
further distortion of the airway wall along with more mucous and sputum
production by the individual; some of the bronchi may appear to be in a beaded
form.
Cystic bronchiectasis. The most severe form
of bronchiectasis and the least common form is cystic bronchiectasis. This form
has large air spaces and a honeycombed appearance in CT scan studies and
usually has thicker walls than the blebs seen with emphysema. Some people have
more than one type in their lungs.
