DIAGNOSING BEIs it bronchiectasis?
How to know.
A CT scan is the standard way to determine if you have bronchiectasis.
500,000 people in the US are diagnosed with bronchiectasis, but many more may have the disease without realizing it.
Bronchiectasis (brong-kee-ek-tuh-suhs), or BE, is a chronic and progressive lung disease with symptoms that overlap with other more common respiratory conditions. But while the symptoms may be similar, BE still requires a unique approach to management and treatment.
“I definitely wish I had been diagnosed with bronchiectasis sooner and maybe researched my symptoms on my own sooner.”
—Allison
Bronchiectasis (BE) can sound, look, and feel different than other lung conditions and needs to be treated differently, too.
What does BE
sound like?
Click to hear an example of what a BE cough sounds like.
BE sounds like...
What does BE
look like?
Image adapted with permission from the
European Respiratory Society. ©2009
In the lungs, BE looks like a widening of the airways, but to you, BE can look like coughing up yellow or green mucus daily. The illustration above represents how the color of your mucus changes from light to dark.
BE looks like...
What does BE
feel like?
Click to hear a person with BE talk about her fatigue
BE feels like...
Some people might be living with bronchiectasis without knowing it.
If you have an existing respiratory condition and your symptoms continue to get worse despite treatment, there could be something more happening in your lungs. Talk to your doctor about whether or not you could have BE.
In the United States, as many as 29% of people with asthma, 26% to 69% of people with COPD, and 37% of people with NTM lung disease could also have BE.
Signs that you could have underlying BE include:
A wet, productive cough that won’t go away with treatment
Symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue that keep coming back
(this could be a flare)
Coughing up a lot of mucus that looks yellow or green
Repeated lung infections
If this sounds like you, talk to your pulmonologist about getting a CT scan.
A CT scan of a lung with bronchiectasis
Think your symptoms might be bronchiectasis (BE)?
Prepare for your doctor’s visit.
Why are my symptoms not getting better despite the treatment I take for my existing respiratory condition?
Should I be concerned that I continue to have flare-ups?
I have seen a change in the mucus produced (amount or color) when I cough. Should I be concerned?
Are there other tests, like a CT scan, that I should get to determine if I have bronchiectasis?
Screenshot these questions or save the BE Prepared Guide so you have them handy for your next appointment.
Get your BE Prepared Guide
Don’t have a pulmonologist? Find one who specializes in bronchiectasis today.
BE can be a complex disease and not all doctors have experience with diagnosing or managing it. A pulmonologist specializes in treating lung diseases and can diagnose BE with a CT scan.
Below are links to help you find BE care near you:
