LIVING WITH BE
Map out your
bronchiectasis journey.
Work with your doctor to help manage your bronchiectasis.
is a and progressive disease, which means it can affect you long-term and may get worse over time, causing . That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about your long-term goals, including what you may experience along the way.
Partnering with your doctor to manage your BE
Make a management plan:
Ask your doctor about how your BE will be managed and the goals of management. This will help you understand and track your long-term plan.
Schedule regular check-ins:
Ask your doctor how often you should come in for follow-up appointments and what they will assess when you come in. This will help you understand the goal of each visit and how your management plan is working.
Track and manage possible BE flares:
Track when your BE symptoms get worse, how the changes make you feel, and what seems to trigger them. BE can be associated with and may make your BE worse over time. Letting your doctor know how often you think BE flares are happening is important, so you both can discuss what to do about them as well as ways to reduce them in the future.
Managing BE.
The goals of BE treatment may include preventing lung infections and , clearing , and preventing future lung damage.
There are many ways your BE may be managed. You and your doctor will work together to decide the best strategies for you. You may even get referred to a who has more experience managing the disease.
2 common BE management strategies
techniques help clear extra mucus from your airway and prevent it from leading to infections. Your doctor may recommend 1 or a combination of airway clearance techniques for you. These can include:
- Deep coughing
- Huff coughing
- Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) and oscillating PEP
- A percussion vest (high-frequency chest-wall oscillation)
Medications may be prescribed by your doctor to help manage your BE. To decide which medications to use, your doctor may need to collect samples of your , or mucus, to understand more about your lungs. Medications can include:
- Mucolytics (medicines to break up mucus)
- like hypertonic saline (to help clear mucus from the lungs)
- Antibiotics (to treat infection in your lungs)
Options for addressing damage to reduce inflammation may include pulmonary rehabilitation—for example, physical activity or exercise—bronchodilators, or surgery.
No matter what the strategies are, it’s important to work with your doctor to find the best way to manage your BE, because every patient is different.
When it comes to managing BE, your lifestyle can make a difference.
When you’re living with a lung disease, it’s especially important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. That’s because exercise and diet can affect how your body works. Here are a few lifestyle habits to keep in mind:
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Getting exercise
Getting exercise
Light exercise can help clear mucus from the airways and benefit overall lung health. Talk to your doctor about what type of exercise may be best for you.
Quitting smoking
Quitting smoking
Consider quitting smoking since smokers with BE can have a higher risk of death from any cause than nonsmokers with BE.
Getting vaccinated
Getting vaccinated
Your doctor may recommend getting vaccinated to help prevent common lung infections that can make BE worse.
Staying hydrated
Staying hydrated
Drinking plenty of water can help keep your airways hydrated, but you can always talk to your doctor about adding nebulized saline to your management plan.
Changing your diet
Changing your diet
Your doctor may recommend changes to your diet since a well-balanced diet can help minimize inflammation. This can include foods that have a high level of key vitamins and minerals.
Remember, talk to your doctor if you have any questions and before starting or changing a diet or exercise regimen.
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