What Is Bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis (bron-kee-ek'-tas-is) is
a lung disease that usually results from an infection or other condition that
injures the walls of the airways in your lungs. The airways are the tubes that
carry air in and out of your lungs.
This injury is the beginning of a cycle
in which your airways slowly lose their ability to clear out mucus. The mucus
builds up and creates an environment in which bacteria can grow. This leads to
repeated serious lung infections. Each infection causes more damage to your
airways.
Over time, your airways become
stretched out, flabby, and scarred. They can no longer move air in and out.
This can affect how much oxygen reaches
your body organs. If your lungs cannot move enough oxygen into your body,
bronchiectasis can lead to serious illness, including
heart
failure.
Bronchiectasis can affect just one
section of one of your lungs or many sections of both lungs.
Bronchiectasis usually begins in
childhood, but symptoms may not appear until months or even years after you
have started having repeated lung infections.
There are two types of
bronchiectasis:
- Congenital bronchiectasis usually affects infants
and children. It results from a problem in the development of the lungs in the
fetus.
- Acquired bronchiectasis occurs in adults and
older children. It is more common.
Bronchiectasis cannot be cured, but
with proper care, most people who have it can enjoy a good quality of life.
January 2006
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