Bronchiectasis

Hi

There are lots of different things that can cause bronchiectasis; chronic problems with your sinuses, childhood illnesses, recurrent chest infections. Please don't feel that you are on your own with this condition. Bronchiectasis is becoming more common in the younger age group as diagnosis methods improve.

I work with and treat many patients with bronchiectasis. There are a variety of different ways to help your breathing. One of the most important things you could do is to get your GP or respiratory consultant to refer you to a respiratory physiotherapist. They will be able to teach you exercises and positions to help you get the phlegm off your chest the best way possible. If you decide to look for a private physio make sure they are registered with the health professions council (you can check on-line for free). Unfortunately I'm unable to offer any treatment over the internet but I can give you some general advice and tips.

The more phlegm you can get off your chest the better you will feel in yourself, I guarantee.

Yes, you are at a greater risk of developing infections working with children unfortunately but if you can find any alternative health methods to boost your own immunity that would certainly help you out.

Some people have bronchiectasis isolated to just one part of their lung and it doesn't affect the other parts. So even if it is in the lower part of your left lung is doesn't mean other parts of your lung will develop it.

When you do have an infection you'll probably need antibiotics for 10-14 days. Drink lots more water aswell and cut down on any sources of caffeine (tea, coffee, coke).

Some types of bronchiectasis run in families but these are rare so its not unusual that no one else in your family has it.

I hope that is of some help, good luck with it.

Hi There

I have been interested reading all your queries and advice about Bronchiectasis. I have always wanted to talk to other sufferers so I am thrilled to have found this site. Here is my story.

I am a 42 year old female and have struggled since birth with chronic bronchitis and chest infections and regular bouts of pneumonia. As a child a spent a vast amount of time in and out of hospitals. When I was 17 they diagnosed evidence of emphysema in my lower left lobe and was only officially diagnosed with bronchiectasis in 1993 at 29. Since then I have had the usual regular bouts of infection and pneumonia, and unfortunately now have got some rather drug resistant infections, which is a pain.

What I would like to say to any sufferer. Bronchiectasis does not need to curtail your life at all. As a teacher of 20yrs experience I was saddened to hear Jen say that she may give up her nursery nurse training. You have to learn to work with it, but not let it dominate your life. I am still teaching and loving it and have progressed to a senior mangement position in a top school.

The most crucial thing I learnt was the importance of exercise. It really keeps the lungs working and stops phlegm build up.

I played county level Hockey and umpired hockey at a National level, until I was 28 and only because I was not keen on the English winter weather, (I came over from South Africa in 1992) . Since then I do at least an hour or 2 of walking every day, go on walking holidays (get a dog. They get you moving!!)

Yes I do get very tired, and do get irritated doing all the postural drainage, but it is important.

Also Try sleeping with the foot end of your bed raised up by 10 inches. I did this all through my childhood, and it meant as soon as I woke up I cleared alot of phlegm away.

But most of all get a good understanding of which antibiotics work for you. Keep a list of those that do and don't.

Get a number of spare sputum sample bottles from your GP and provide a sample for your GP as soon as you have an infection and BEFORE you take any antibiotics. This will mean that your GP will keep an eye on the bugs you get and you will be given antibiotics specific to kill the bug you have.

If you have had 2 or 3 sets of antibiotic and they have still not worked get in touch with your consultant.

Sorry to ramble on.

Jane

Try not to panic . It is not the end of the world I have had Bronchietasis since I was eleven . I am now fiftyseven. Was not diagnosed till in my thirties . It was not nice being known at school as the girl with \" that awfull cough \" . Spent years trying not to cough but now know coughing is the best thing you can do . Learn about posteral drainage and the flutter ball. Get some phsiotherapy. They will teach you how to clear your lungs .

Your cough will never go but the exercises help. There is no reason why you should not live a perfectly normal life . 8)

Hi Jen. Sorry it has made you so miserable. I too was diagnosed in early 20's - that was nearly twenty years ago, and even tho I had almost continual chest infections each winter requiring endless antibiotics I've kept working (in secondary schools with snotty children everywhere) and am now a deputy Head. You might imagine every infection scarring your lungs and making them worse and worse - but mine were fine for years.

Keep on top of it, take anti-biotics when you need to, try to find an inhaler that works for you (and this takes a bit of trial and error), and there is no reason why you should not live long and happily.

Hi all,i must admit i find this whole Bronchiectasis very strange!!!! I was diagnosed two years ago now at which time i had been very poorly-mainly recurrent chest infections which were not treated right so then turned to Pneumonia.This happened every year maybe two or three times if not more for six years.Iwas finally referred to see a specialist(which i had to really fight for!)He then diagnosed Bronchiectasis through having CTscan,i was then put on a drip for four days i think it was Amoxicillin-anyway it was really strong,then sent home to finish the course for another two weeks.Since then i have not coughed or felt poorly at all-i find it hard to believe some days that i have this condition because i feel so great compared with how i used to feel.I know it will never go away but just wanted to let other sufferers know that maybe it is possible to stabilize the condition and also lead a very normal life as i do.However,i do still see my consultant about twice a year just to check on my progress,he is also shocked about how well i am.

Hi Jan thought this might help I had double pneumonia and a collapsed lung when I was two and had a lot of chest trouble as I was growing up.

When I was 20 I had my second dose of pneumonia and collapsed lung and was finally diagnosed with bronchiectasis with damage to all the lobes of my lungs. At first I was very worried but I was assured that with the right regime I could live a normal life, regular postural drainage, antibiotics and exercise. I took up playing squash and started running and from 20 to 40 every thing was pretty good. After 40 my infections became more frequent and I needed more medication inhalers to open my lungs more and stronger antibiotics, I had to give up my sports activities due to increasing shortness of breath.

I am now 59 and would like to say I worked for 40 years before giving up due to health problems not just my lung but also developed angina, all though I am now permanently on antibiotics and have do quite allot of postural drainage to clear my lungs, I can honestly say life’s not been bad and I think I have a bit more life left in me yet. Gary

Interesting reading others' experienceswith bronchiectasis. I have found postural drainage has improved my coughing much of the time until I get another infection. Just been referred from specialist back to GP but not happy that there seems to be no record of how many infections I have had (I counted 5 in 2009 alone). I do try to send in sputum samples each time and 95 :?: % of time they show infection but not always even though I have nasty 'gungy' phlegm; I know GPs not keen on web information and I do try to avoid upsetting them but not sure anyone can give definite answers. Just thankful I have quite a few good weeks each year!

I think that many doctors mistakenly think that, when you show symptoms of bronchiectasis, you have a lung infection which may be cured by antibiotics.

I first went to a doctor three years ago with a persistent cough, was told I probably had a lung infection, and went through several courses of antibiotics, x-rays, etc. I was put on a nebuliser for a while but it did little good. Then I was shown by a physiotherapist how to breathe in deeply and breathe out quickly and forcefully to dislodge sputum. The physio said that postural drainage is no longer recommended: the breathing exercises are usually more effective - and they were! A \"flutter\" device can also be useful to loosen phlegm.

But I was still getting the build-up of sputum, which needed coughing up - until I was prescribed azithromycin, which cleared up the sputum almost immediately. I would recommend anyone with bronchiectasis to get their doctor to try them on azithromycin, as it seemed to work a miracle for me - and finally controlled the illness after three years of other not-very-successful treatments.