What is Bronchiectasis? How to manage it? What are the precautions to be taken? What are the signs and symptoms? What is the cause of this disease? How to treat it? How can homeopathy help you? All of this answered, in this post and of course our doctors always there to help you. Just fill in your details in the form down below and we will answer all your questions for FREE!

What is Bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis is a disease of lungs occurring as a result of partial or permanent destruction to one or more conducting bronchi or airways. This defect in bronchioles occurs after the previous infections to lungs. The damage is seen in the smooth muscles present in the bronchial tubes. These smooth muscles of bronchial tubes play a very important role in the elasticity of tubes and prevent the secretion of lung tissue to be cleared up.

Due to recurrent inflammation of the airways (bronchial tubes) they collapse and this collapse causes difficult clearance of secretions (often with impaired cough) ultimately resulting in obstruction of airflow and shortness of breath. Sometimes blood in sputum (hemoptysis) is also seen.

In bronchiectasis part of lungs involved is one segment or one sub-segment or a single lobe. Rarely there is involvement of many sections of lungs, it occurs only when there is an association of other systemic diseases along with it such as CYSTIC FIBROSIS.

Is Bronchiectasis a Congenital Disease?

Bronchiectasis is rarely a congenital disease, most commonly it is an acquired from disease due to regular exposure to chemicals of the environment.

Due to recurrent infections, walls of bronchial tubes get fibrosis. As a result, the elastic component in the smooth muscles present in the walls of bronchial tubes is destroyed. Ultimately leading to the weakening of walls of the bronchial tube that leads to slow in movements of tubes and therefore dilation of tubes decreased.

Changes occurring in affected areas are seen as edema, scarring, ulcerations, transmural inflammation.

The final result of the destruction of bronchial walls is impaired dilation and not clearance of secretions.

These secretions then keep on accumulating in lungs and when bacteria’s from outside enters lung they settle on these accumulations and grow.

After settlement on this they colonize and start releasing toxins, these toxins destroy walls and purulent discharges are released. These discharges then become expectoration.

This cycle of damage continues and goes on with recurrent infections.

How to classify Bronchiectasis?

Three types are –

• Cylindrical bronchiectasis

• Cystic bronchiectasis

• Varicose bronchiectasis

Cylindrical bronchiectasis

In this type of bronchiectasis, there is involvement of diffused mucosa (edema) which results in changes in affected bronchiole as they become straight, with regular outlines and end squarely.

Cystic bronchiectasis

In this type new vessels formed around affected area are involved and ulcerations occur there. This result makes bronchioles appearance balloon shape.

Varicose bronchiectasis 

In this type, bronchioles are dilated, seen dispersed sites of construction and sites of obstructive scars. This type complicates as pneumonitis and parenchymal damage.

Who are more prone to Bronchiectasis?

-Bronchiectasis is once thought to be a disease of infants.

-It can occur in any age and any sex but most common in older woman.

What are the causes of Brochiectasis?

Bronchial obstruction

Bronchial obstruction can occur due to many factors such as bronchial stenosis from infection, Broncho lithiasis, endobronchial tumors, foreign body aspiration.These causes lead to bronchiectasis. Right middle lobe syndrome is the major factor.

Primary infections

There are many organisms involved in primary infection of lungs. Organisms are as following:-

• Pertussis virus

• Measles virus

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Herpes simplex virus

• Nontuberculous  mycobacteria

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis

• Mycoplasma pneumonia

Cystic fibrosis

This disease involves almost every organ of the body so it affects lungs also and cause fibrosis of lung tissue, especially of bronchioles.

Young syndrome

Young syndrome presents three characteristic diseases bronchiectasis, sinusitis and obstructive azoospermia.

Bronchopulmonary allergic aspergillosis

In this disease immune system respond to Aspergillus antigen when inhaled and reaction to is bronchospasm and bronchiectasis.

Aspiration

After aspiration of foreign products or gastric material (peptic juices in cases of in lungs it leads to post-obstructive pneumonia that finally result in bronchiectasis.

Other causes are:-

• Sarcoidosis

• Relapsing polychondritis

• Systemic lupus erythematosus

• Sjogren syndrome

• Regular to external environmental polluted agents

What are the signs and symptoms of Bronchiectasis?

• Long history of a cough with large amount of offensive sputum

• Fatigue

• Blood on coughing  along with sputum

• Odour of breath

• Clubbing is seen in fingers

• Paleness

• Breathing is short during exercise

• Wheezing

• Weight loss

On examination of chest by a doctor with stethoscope, it is found

Wheezing

Rattling

Bubbling

Clicking in lower lobes of chest

What investigations are advised in cases of Bronchiectasis?

• Culture of sputum

• Complete blood count(CBC)

• X-ray chest anterior-posterior view and lateral views

• Alpha 1 antitrypsin blood test

• Aspergillosis precipitin test

• CT scan of chest

• PPD skin test

• Serum immunological electrophoresis

What is the prognosis of Bronchiectasis?

Future of the disease depends upon the cause of bronchiectasis.

Many cases are treated but complications lead to disability.

What are the complications of Bronchiectasis?

• Repeated attacks of pneumonia.

• Blood in expectoration on coughing.

• Cor pulmonale.

• Oxygen levels are low in the blood.

What treatment is advised in cases of Bronchiectasis?

In acute cases of obstruction to airways and difficulty breathing relieving of air, the passage is most important.

Daily drainage of accumulated secretions is must from lungs.

Antibiotics are used in cases of fever with infection.

Bronchodilators are used in cases of difficulty in breathing.

What are the commonly indicated Homeopathic medicines for Bronchiectasis?

Antimonium tartaricum

Kali bich

Stannum metallicum

Hepar sulphur

Balsanum peruvianum

For more information, you can visit HealthLine and NHS.