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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).¹ You might cough up as much as half a liter (about a pint) of mucus in a day.²

The mucus may:³

• 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 and 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:¹

• Ask you about your symptoms
• Listen to your chest with a 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:¹

• A chest X-ray to get a general picture of your lungs
• A lung scan (called a high-resolution 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. So you may also have a test for cystic fibrosis.

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 2008. All rights reserved.