UNDERSTANDING BRONCHIECTASIS
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition, defined by the abnormal dilatation (widening) of the bronchi, where the elastic and muscular tissue is altered by acute or chronic inflammation and infection. These changes impair the natural drainage of mucus within the lungs, which can become chronically infected. Unless well managed, the combination of inflammation and infection leads to progressive lung damage
This video gives an outline of the key features of bronchiectasis: https://lungfoundation.com.au/resources/understanding-bronchiectasis/
Different terms are sometimes used to describe Bronchiectasis – if you are uncertain of your diagnosis, ask a healthcare professional.
Causes of bronchiectasis
There are lots of causes of bronchiectasis. The most common known cause is having previous lung infections which damage the airways, such as pneumonia, whooping cough, viral infection (measles), tuberculosis or non-tuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM), particularly in childhood. But for many people, the cause is not known. For some people, to determine the likely cause may require multiple medical tests or investigations. Other causes can include:
- Other lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, with an allergy to a fungus called Aspergillus
- Immune deficiencies
- Other conditions, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia which affect mucus clearance from the airways
- Chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the connective tissue (like rheumatoid arthritis) or inflammatory bowel disease
Check with your respiratory doctor as to what is the likely cause of your bronchiectasis
It is helpful to identify the cause of bronchiectasis where possible, as this may direct your treatment and help to reduce the progression of your condition.
(Reference: Boaventura R, Sibila O, Agusti A, Chalmers JD. Treatable traits in bronchiectasis. Eur Respir J 2018;52:1801269)