ﺑﺎﺯﮔﺸﺖ ﺑﻪ ﺻﻔﺤﻪ ﻗﺒﻠﯽ
خرید پکیج
تعداد آیتم قابل مشاهده باقیمانده : 3 مورد
نسخه الکترونیک
medimedia.ir

Patient education: Bronchiectasis in adults (The Basics)

Patient education: Bronchiectasis in adults (The Basics)

What is bronchiectasis? — Bronchiectasis is a lung condition that causes a cough (often with mucus), shortness of breath, and other symptoms. In people with this condition, the airways (the branching tubes that carry air within the lungs) are damaged (figure 1). This causes the airways to become wider than normal. It also leads to increased mucus, which can be hard to cough up. When mucus stays in the lungs, it makes people more likely to get lung infections or bronchitis.

Bronchiectasis has many different causes. These include certain infections or problems with the body's infection-fighting system (called the "immune system"). Other diseases that can cause bronchiectasis include cystic fibrosis and pneumonia that is severe or comes back multiple times.

What are the symptoms of bronchiectasis in adults? — Symptoms of bronchiectasis can include:

A long-lasting cough – The cough usually brings up thick, sticky mucus. It can last weeks or even months.

Shortness of breath, or breathing that sounds like whistling (wheezing)

Frequent bronchitis or other lung infections

Coughing up blood – This sometimes happens with bronchiectasis.

Sharp chest pain – The pain tends to get worse when you take a breath.

Some patients with bronchiectasis also have chronic sinusitis. This condition can cause a stuffy nose, pain in the cheeks or forehead, and yellow or green mucus from the nose.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — Yes. Call your doctor or nurse if:

You are coughing more than usual, or your cough bothers you during sleep or other activities.

You have shortness of breath or noisy breathing (wheezing).

You have new chest pain.

You cough up dark yellow or green mucus, or thick, sticky mucus every day.

You cough up blood.

You have a fever.

Will I need tests? — Your doctor or nurse will learn about your symptoms and do an exam. You might have some or all of these tests:

Blood tests – These can help find the cause of the bronchiectasis, if it is not already known.

Tests on a sample of mucus you cough up – This is called a "sputum culture."

Chest X-ray

CT scan of your chest – A CT scan is an imaging test that creates pictures of the inside of the body. It can show a detailed picture of your lungs and airways. A CT scan is usually needed to know if you have bronchiectasis, and to see which parts of the lungs are involved.

Tests to learn how well your lungs are working – These are called "pulmonary function tests."

"Bronchoscopy" – You might have this test if you are coughing up blood. During this procedure, a doctor uses a thin tube called a "bronchoscope" to look at your airways inside your lungs.

How is bronchiectasis in adults treated? — Doctors can give several different treatments to help with symptoms and prevent further problems. These can include:

Medicines to treat and prevent lung infections, reduce airway inflammation, and help thin out mucus in the lungs

Airway clearance therapy – This involves loosening the mucus in the lungs so you can cough it up more easily. It is sometimes called "chest physiotherapy." There is more than 1 way to do this. A doctor, nurse, or therapist can show you the different ways.

Pulmonary rehabilitation – This is called "pulmonary rehab" for short. In pulmonary rehab, you learn about other ways to improve your symptoms. This includes getting information about your lung disease, learning ways to save your energy, and exercising with a therapist.

Less often, people with more severe disease might need other treatments. These might include:

Treatment to stop bleeding in the airways – Coughing up a lot of blood can be life-threatening. Doctors can do a procedure called "bronchial artery embolization" to help stop the bleeding. During this procedure, the doctor puts a thin tube into an artery in the leg and moves it up to the lungs. Then, they use tiny tools to block the artery in the bleeding area.

Surgery – If part of a lung is damaged or keeps getting infected, doctors might do surgery to remove the most involved areas. But this is rare.

Lung transplant – This is done at a transplantation center. A surgeon replaces a person's diseased lungs with healthy lungs. A lung transplant is done only in people who have severe disease and meet certain conditions.

If the bronchiectasis is caused by another medical condition, doctors will treat that condition. This could help the bronchiectasis.

Is there anything I can do on my own to help with bronchiectasis? — If you smoke, the most important thing you can do is to stop smoking. It does not matter how long you have smoked or how much you smoke. Quitting can slow your disease and help you feel better.

Getting the vaccines your doctor recommends can help prevent infections. These include the flu shot every year (usually in the fall), the pneumonia vaccine at least once, the COVID-19 vaccine, and the respiratory syncytial virus ("RSV") vaccine if you are older than 60 years.

It can also help to try to avoid being exposed to respiratory viruses during "cold and flu season." These infections can be very hard on your lungs and can make symptoms worse. Wash your hands often, and stay away from people who are sick.

More on this topic

Patient education: Chronic bronchitis (The Basics)
Patient education: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (The Basics)
Patient education: Cough in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Coughing up blood (The Basics)
Patient education: Diagnostic bronchoscopy (The Basics)
Patient education: How to use an incentive spirometer (The Basics)

Patient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics)

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Feb 02, 2024.
Disclaimer: This generalized information is a limited summary of diagnosis, treatment, and/or medication information. It is not meant to be comprehensive and should be used as a tool to help the user understand and/or assess potential diagnostic and treatment options. It does NOT include all information about conditions, treatments, medications, side effects, or risks that may apply to a specific patient. It is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for the medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a health care provider based on the health care provider's examination and assessment of a patient's specific and unique circumstances. Patients must speak with a health care provider for complete information about their health, medical questions, and treatment options, including any risks or benefits regarding use of medications. This information does not endorse any treatments or medications as safe, effective, or approved for treating a specific patient. UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates disclaim any warranty or liability relating to this information or the use thereof. The use of this information is governed by the Terms of Use, available at https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/clinical-effectiveness-terms. 2024© UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved.
Topic 86554 Version 11.0

آیا می خواهید مدیلیب را به صفحه اصلی خود اضافه کنید؟