According to the American Lung Association, 23 million people have asthma, 13.6 million people have COPD, and an equal number still have not been diagnosed. Most have heard of asthma, COPD, bronchitis, and pneumonia. For some, these are very common lung issues; but have you ever heard of bronchiectasis? According to the American Lung Association, bronchiectasis is a chronic condition where the walls of the bronchi are thickened from inflammation and infection. Bronchiectasis is divided into two categories: cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and non - cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. No matter the form, this disease is long term with symptoms that need to be managed over long periods of time, causing a toll on individuals struggling with this lung disease.
Symptoms for bronchiectasis can include: pain in the chest area or back, shortness of breath, sinusitis, wheezing, fatigue, weight loss or gain, coughing with phlegm or blood, recurrent infection, and a cough that occurs over months or years and daily production of large amounts of phlegm. For some, finding …show more content…
This much more mild form of bronchiectasis is characterized by the enlargement and scarring of the lung’s airways. Similar to cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, the cause of the non cystic fibrosis form can be tough to discover for some, but it is usually developed because of re-occuring infections and inflammations that damage the walls and airways of the lungs. Ironically though, nearly one third of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis cases are actually caused by cystic fibrosis itself. No need to fear though, when treated correctly, non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that one can learn to live a normal life with. Playing sports, owning pets, and having a family is something individuals living with this disease can look forward to. But the only way to achieve this is by staying
Symptoms for bronchiectasis can include: pain in the chest area or back, shortness of breath, sinusitis, wheezing, fatigue, weight loss or gain, coughing with phlegm or blood, recurrent infection, and a cough that occurs over months or years and daily production of large amounts of phlegm. For some, finding …show more content…
This much more mild form of bronchiectasis is characterized by the enlargement and scarring of the lung’s airways. Similar to cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, the cause of the non cystic fibrosis form can be tough to discover for some, but it is usually developed because of re-occuring infections and inflammations that damage the walls and airways of the lungs. Ironically though, nearly one third of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis cases are actually caused by cystic fibrosis itself. No need to fear though, when treated correctly, non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that one can learn to live a normal life with. Playing sports, owning pets, and having a family is something individuals living with this disease can look forward to. But the only way to achieve this is by staying