Diagnosed with Bronchiectasis

Hi there I was diagnosed with it about two years ago, it has taken me that long to realise you can be in control not the other way around, yes I have my bad days being very tired not feeling 100%. Has your respitory doctor told you how to do breathing exercises to clear your lungs, this is a great as it helps to keep infections at bay. Try not to worry and ask questions of your GP if you need to.

Hello ! I can fully understand your fears and concerns . i was diagnosed with it 4 years ago , having had pneumonia . Until then , i knew nothing of it . i did have a chesty cough from time to time , but that was all .

The secret to managing it , is keeping your chest clear , don't let the phlegm build up and sit there , as thats a breeding ground for infection.

Get an ACAPELA device from your respiratory team , they make clearing your chest quick and easy . I've been fortunate in not having any chest infections since .

i do exercise , drink loads of water and occasionally take CARBOCOSTINE tablets to thin the mucous .

As i understand it , tubes in Bronchiectasis patients ate wider , making it harder to expel mucous , so keeping your chest clear is vital .

Obviously , i don't know how you were diagnosed , but , at least you can manage it . Personally , i dont suffer fatigue , shortness of breath etc like some mention , maybe , i'm just lucky .

Like you , i was told it was a mild case , another consultant told me it was ' average ' and a 3 rd said very mild ! So , don't put your life on hold , carry on as normal , keep your chest clear , if you smoke , quit !

You will be fine !

I don't think you need to be alarmed. I too have 'mild' bronchiectasis and most of the time I can ignore it. I'm a bit more prone to chest infections perhaps than most people but, by keeping physically fit (-ish), eating well, and taking turmeric tablets (not official treatment, but I believe the turmeric helps) I can just get on with my life, troubled only by a bit of a pesky cough now and then. Of course when I do succumb to a bout of bronchitis it can last longer than for most people - and that can be a real drag - but I always have an 'emergency' prescription of antibiotics at the ready so that I can start treating the infection promptly. So please don't be scared; it's perfectly possible to live with bronchiectasis without it impinging too much on your 'goals in life'. I'd suggest making sure you have a CT scan every few years to monitor the condition (I've had to request this. No point in waiting for it to be offered to you) followed by a consultation with a respiratory specialist who can keep you up to date with the most suitable treatments.

I'm in my sixties now and still working, successfully, with an active and fairly brilliant life and so I've no complaints. There are FAR worse conditions. If anything, having bronchiectasis just gives me extra motivation to look after myself properly which, in the long term, I reckon is likely to increase life expectancy rather than reduce it!

Hiya,

Look don't be scared or worry about how long you are going to live with this, as people on this forum have had BX for 40 years plus, me I have been dealing with it now going on 6 years and have it under control when I was real bad and had the same feelings that you may have,you just need to deal with it,I do a Nebulizer with Sodium Chloride & Albuterol twice a day and use Symbicort 2 puff each time I finish and it controls my breathing and removes the Mucus that you need to do everyday in order to keep this controlled,the thing with BX is that you tend to get tired more often than you are accustomed to, also just deal with it and keep going I'm 74 years old and I act like I'm 29 so you will do just fine,the secret to living long is " YOU DON'T LET THE OLD MAN IN "

You have a long way to go.

All the Best.

Hi Manu

What you're going through is not much fun, both the diagnosis and the worry. Carrying on as suggested by all here with exercise, healthy diet and good sleep is crucial for both your body and dealing mentally/emotionally with this big diagnosis.

I am wondering how you were diagnosed and what kind of doctor you've seen. Did they do a CT scan of your lungs? Have you seen a pulmonologist (doc/specialist/ consultant who deals only with lung issues)? Given such a DX at such a young age, if it were me, I'd get a 2d opinion, tho only after that CT scan.

There are a few people on here who were diagnosed at a young age and most of them -- maybe all -- have a different form of BX from the rest of us. I hope that one of them will pop up here soon as they know so much more about living with this from teen years onward than do those of us diagnosed in our 50s - 70s. You might do well to see if there's a young people's support group near you for those with chronic diagnoses. Ask your doc for help finding such a group.

Are you seeing a rheumatologist for the immune system issues?

First of all, don't be scared. It is an early age to be diagnosed with this condition but you must do all you can to slow its progress.

I was diagnosed with COPD about 10 years ago but have now been told that I have bronchiectasis.

Follow your Doctor's advice and try to avoid picking up an infection. Personal hygiene is important. So is exercise, my advice is to join a gym.

Above all, try not to let it depress you.

Good luck.