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How do you pronounce bronchiectasis?
(Brong-kee-ek-tuh-sis)
“One of the things that did frustrate me a lot was that I never knew how to pronounce it – bronchiectasis, and it probably wasn’t until after about 6-9 months that I actually found out how to pronounce it properly, and it sounds such a silly little thing but if you mention it to somebody and you don’t know how to pronounce it, it’s a little bit embarrassing.” Mike, 43
Why have I got bronchiectasis?
What is actually wrong with my lungs?
Does bronchiectasis run in families?
- Yes, Bronchiectasis can run in families but this appears to be very rare.
- In our clinic of over 400 patients we have only found 6 people with a possible family history.
- Researchers are very interested in such families as researching them might help us find out what genes might increase the risk of bronchiectasis in any patient.
- It is important to note that most people with bronchiectasis do not have any family members affected and the chances of “passing it on” seem very small. This does vary dependent on the cause of bronchiectasis, so if you are unsure ask your clinical team of nurses and Doctors.
Is bronchiectasis caused by smoking?
People often ask if bronchiectasis is the same as the smoking related lung disease COPD, and people who have bronchiectasis are often upset and frustrated that others assume smoking has caused the problems with their lungs.
Bronchiectasis is not the same as COPD.
Bronchiectasis is caused by many different conditions.
Many patients with bronchiectasis have never smoked, whilst COPD is caused by smoking fairly heavily. It is important to note that some patients develop bronchiectasis as a complication of COPD. Smoking could be considered an underlying cause in this specific scenario, but smoking is not a primary cause of bronchiectasis like it is for COPD.
One thing that clearly links the two conditions is the need to stop smoking if you are a smoker to reduce your chances of further lung damage and also reduce the risks of developing lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases.
If you have bronchiectasis and you do smoke, trying to give up is very important. You can find out more about this in our diet, exercise and lifestyle section.
Is bronchiectasis the same as COPD?
People often ask if bronchiectasis is the same as the smoking related lung disease COPD, and people who have bronchiectasis are often upset and frustrated that others assume smoking has caused the problems with their lungs.
Bronchiectasis is not the same as COPD or asthma.
Bronchiectasis is caused by many different conditions.
Many patients with bronchiectasis have never smoked, whilst COPD is caused by smoking fairly heavily.
It is important to note that some patients develop bronchiectasis as a complication of COPD. As both conditions can cause, cough, breathlessness, repeated chest infections and abnormal breathing tests, it is not surprising that they can also sometimes be mixed up.
In the UK, most GPs will look after 150-200 patients with COPD, whereas most practices will have less than 10 patients with bronchiectasis.
One thing that clearly links the two conditions is the need to stop smoking if you are a smoker to reduce your chances of further lung damage and also reduce the risks of developing lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases.
