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  What Is Bronchiectasis?
                                                  
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          Bronchiectasis
BronchiectasisWhat Is Bronchiectasis?

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A sick woman sitting on her couch coughingBronchiectasis is a condition that occurs when the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs get damaged, causing them to widen and become loose and scarred. These tubes are called airways.Although the cause of bronchiectasis is unknown, bronchiectasis usually results from an infection or other condition that injures the walls of your airways or keeps the airways from clearing the mucus they make.Injured airways slowly lose their ability to clear out
  mucus
, a thick substance that removes germs, dust, and other tiny particles in the air we breathe. This mucus buildup creates an environment in which harmful
  bacteria
can grow more
The illustration shows the lungs with normal airways and with widened airways with bronchiectasis.***How bronchiectasis affects the lungs.*** The illustration shows the lungs with normal airways and with widened airways with bronchiectasis.easily, leading to repeated flare-ups from serious lung infections.The injured airways and infections can become a vicious cycle. Each infection causes more damage to your airways. Over time, they lose their ability to move air in and out. Early diagnosis and treatment are important. The sooner your healthcare provider starts treating bronchiectasis and any underlying conditions that are causing your bronchiectasis, the better the chances of preventing further lung damage.Bronchiectasis can affect one section of a lung or many sections of both lungs. It often occurs with other lung conditions. In children, it commonly occurs withcystic fibrosis(50%-75% by 3-5 years of age) andprimary ciliary dyskinesia(up to 26% of children). In adults, it may occur along with immune conditions, such ascommon variable immunodeficiency(53% of the time). It can also occur with other lung conditions in adults, such as severeCOPD(35%-50% of the time) and severeasthma(25%-40% of the time). It can occur with many other conditions as well. When these conditions are present, bronchiectasis can cause serious health problems, includingrespiratory failure,pneumothorax(a collapsed lung), andheart failure.Currently, bronchiectasis has no cure. However, most people can enjoy a good quality of life andmanage the conditionwithstepwise treatment, including clearing their lungs, exercising, and taking steps to lower the chance of lung infection.
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