The rare disease Bronchiectasis (brong-ke-EK-ta-sis) is a chronic lung disease. Damage to the airways causes them to widen, become flabby, and scar. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs.
This disease is usually the result of an infection and other conditions that injure the walls of your airways prevent preventing them from clearing mucus.
My children Heather and Logan, have bronchiectasis because they have primary ciliary dyskinesia, (PCD,) which is a genetically inherited lung disease.
With lung disease, your airways slowly become unable to remove mucus. When this happens, the mucus builds up and creates an environment in which bacteria grow. The growth of bacteria leads to repeated, serious lung infections.
As a result, each lung infection causes more damage to your airways. Over time, the airways lose their ability to move air in and out which can prevent enough oxygen from reaching your vital organs.
The damage incurred by having this disease can lead to serious health problems, such as respiratory failure, atelectasis (at-eh-LEK-tah-sis), and heart failure.
Outlook
Currently, bronchiectasis has no cure. However, with proper care, most people who have it can enjoy a high quality of life.
Early diagnosis and treatment of bronchiectasis are necessary. The sooner your doctor starts treating bronchiectasis and any underlying conditions, the better your chances of preventing further lung damage.
