Learn About Bronchiectasis

Key Facts

• Bronchiectasis is a chronic condition where the lung’s airways become permanently damaged and widened.
• Bronchiectasis affects 350,000 to 500,000 adults in the United States. The risk of developing bronchiectasis increases with age.
• Bronchiectasis is more common in women than in men; and older adults are at increased risk.
• Although there is no cure for bronchiectasis, getting the correct treatment as early as possible can help you have the best possible quality of life.

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How Bronchiectasis Affects Your Body

Each time you breathe, air travels within your lungs through airways called bronchi. When you have bronchiectasis your airway walls (bronchi) become irreversibly thickened and damaged. As more walls become scarred, the bronchi are no longer able to effectively drain normal secretions, so mucus builds up and becomes a breeding ground for germs. This creates a vicious cycle of inflammation and infection that can damage your lungs. Bronchiectasis may occur throughout your lung or only in certain airways. The more widespread the damage, the more serious the disease.

What Causes Bronchiectasis?

Although the cause of bronchiectasis is not known in about 40% of the cases, it is often brought on by damage from another condition that affects the lungs. An airway blockage, like a growth or a noncancerous tumor, can lead to bronchiectasis. Though it is often linked to cystic fibrosis, many other conditions can trigger bronchiectasis such as:

• Autoimmune disease
• Immunodeficiency disorders, such as HIV or diabetes
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency which can cause COPD in some people
• Diseases that affect the cilia, the small, hair-like structures that line your airways and whose main function is to clear mucus
• Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis
• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis which is a type of allergic lung inflammation of the airways
• Chronic pulmonary aspiration, problems with swallowing that cause food or fluids to get into the lungs and leads to inflamed airways

Recurring infections that can cause damage to the airway walls include:

• Pneumonia
• Pertussis (Whooping cough)
• Tuberculosis
• Fungal infections