Learn about Bronchiectasis symptoms from Consumer Reports Health.

Bronchiectasis

What are the symptoms of bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis has some unpleasant symptoms that can make you or your child feel ill and tired. But there are treatments that can help you cope.

The main symptom of bronchiectasis is coughing up a lot of mucus (also called sputum).

Source:
Rosen MJ.
Chronic cough due to bronchiectasis.
Chest. 2006; 129: 122-131.

¹ You might cough up as much as half a liter (about a pint) of mucus in a day.

Source:
Nicotra MB, Riveera M, Dale AM et al.
Clinical, pathophysiologic, and microbiologic characterization of bronchiectasis in an aging cohort.
Chest. 1995; 108: 955-961.

The mucus may:

Source:
Kelly MG, Murphy S, Elborn SJ.
Bronchiectasis in secondary care: a comprehensive profile of a neglected disease.
European Journal of Internal Medicine. 2003; 14: 488-492.

Be yellow or green if it is infected
Have blood in it.

If your mucus looks infected, it's important to see a doctor. You may need to take antibiotics to cure the infection.

If you have bronchiectasis, you may also:

Feel breathless
Cough up blood
Wheeze
Get tired because of all the coughing.

These symptoms can be alarming and make you feel unwell. It can be especially distressing watching this happening to your child. If the symptoms seem worse than usual, you should talk to your doctor.

Some of the symptoms of bronchiectasis can happen with other lung diseases. These include

asthma
Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. It makes you wheeze, cough and feel short of breath. Asthma attacks are caused by iflammation and narrowing of the airways, which makes it hard for air to pass in and out of the lungs.

asthma and

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an illness that causes coughing and difficulty breathing. Most of the people who get it have smoked for a long time. COPD can include both emphysema, which is the breakdown of air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs, and chronic bronchitis, which is a recurrent, long-lasting cough that brings up phlegm.

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). So, your doctor will need to rule out these other conditions before diagnosing bronchiectasis.

To find out if you have bronchiectasis, your doctor will:

Source:
Rosen MJ.
Chronic cough due to bronchiectasis.
Chest. 2006; 129: 122-131.

Ask you about your symptoms
Listen to your chest with a

stethoscope
A stethoscope is a tool doctors use to listen to people's bodies. One part of the stethoscope is a disc (called the bell), which doctors put over a part of someone's body (like their heart or a vein). The bell is connected to ear pieces, which the doctors put in their ears so they can listen to sounds that come from that part of the person's body.

stethoscope
Check how well your lungs are working by asking you to blow into a measuring tube called a spirometer
Send a sample of mucus from your lungs to the laboratory to check for infection.

You may also go to the hospital or clinic for tests to look at your airways. You may have:

Source:
Rosen MJ.
Chronic cough due to bronchiectasis.
Chest. 2006; 129: 122-131.

A chest

X-ray
X-rays are pictures taken of the inside of your body. They are done by passing very small amounts of radiation through your body and onto film. X-rays can also be used as a treatment, such as in radiation therapy for cancer.

X-ray to get a general picture of your lungs
A lung scan (called a high-resolution

CT scan
A CT scan is a type of X-ray. It takes several detailed pictures of the inside of your body from different angles. CT stands for computed tomography. It's also called a CAT scan (computed axial tomography).

CT scan) to get much more detailed pictures of your airways.

The pictures should show how much your airways have widened and how much of your lungs are affected.

Bronchiectasis can be caused by a condition called

cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a disease people are born with that gives them problems with their lungs and bowels. The main results are breathing and digestive problems.

cystic fibrosis. So you may also have a test for cystic fibrosis.

Sources for the information on this page:

Rosen MJ.Chronic cough due to bronchiectasis.Chest. 2006; 129: 122-131.

Nicotra MB, Riveera M, Dale AM et al.Clinical, pathophysiologic, and microbiologic characterization of bronchiectasis in an aging cohort.Chest. 1995; 108: 955-961.

Kelly MG, Murphy S, Elborn SJ.Bronchiectasis in secondary care: a comprehensive profile of a neglected disease.European Journal of Internal Medicine. 2003; 14: 488-492.

This information was last updated on Jan 08, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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