Bronchiectasis - Dr. William Girard 

I have had bronchiectasis all my life. I was hospitalized frequently for high fevers the first 5 years of my life. Only later in life, I was told it was most likely pneumonia because my lungs looked damaged in X-rays. I spent every night coughing all night to get what I thought was sinus mucus out of my throat. I was treated with injections for allergies. For 60 years doctors listen to my lungs and had no clue what was wrong. Finally, I was exhausted and felt guilty keeping family members awake at night with my coughing. I finally asked for a consult with a pulmonologist. Bingo! My cat scan showed chronic varicose bronchiectasis. After years of taking antibiotics to treat the infections, I found a doctor that understood and added new treatments to my daily regimen to get the mucus up and out. Every day I start with the nebulizer to hydrate the mucus making it less tenacious. Then the Vest to percuss the deeply embedded mucus out. Followed by utilizing the Accapella and last but not least my Anoro. I still occasionally have nights of coughing but they are far between. Since this daily regimen, I've had no new lung infections. I hope more doctors become familiar with this disease so people with this problem get some relief. Thank you for making this video available!

Thankyou for this video. My partner passed away just over a year and a half ago.He had been diagnosed with T.B,swine flue+pneumonia,all of which where found quite late+he had to be put into a coma+have his lungs drained,for 9days. Shortly after coming home from hospital,where he'd spent 4 weeks in quarantine,his lung Dr told him he had developed bronchieactasis. After about 2 years living with this,also being an alcoholic,who would not listen to any1 about his drinking,caused his liver to gradually fail. He then lost more than half his weight,his hair went white+fell out,then he was reluctantly taken back into hospital after falling. The Drs had said his bones where that of an elderly mans+when he fell,he'd shattered his hip.Due to the state of ill health they told us (myself+his family) that there was little likelihood that he would've survived the surgery needed to put 3 pins into his shattered hip. We where all told that if he hadn't fallen at home,he would've died at home in a matter of weeks! But even though he was in the best place,for the state of his ill health,he never lasted even 1 week in Intensive Care,even though he was hooked up to nebulisers,etc..Watching your video+writing this reply to it,may seem cold,but it has helped me to understand how+why he died,which was from double pneumonia+multiple organ failure,no doubt due to his lack of oxygen in his body. I miss him every single day+will never forget how wonderful a man he was,he was only 41 years old,his name was Scott,but I take comfort from knowing he's no longer suffering the agonising pains I often witnessed. Doctors like yourself are fantastic+I don't think that is appreciated as often as it should be. Thanks for reading Scott's story. In loving memory of Scott W. 8/8/71-20/7/13..may he rest in peace.X

Good job on the moderation: sometimes terms like 'chronic' are applied vaguely, even by medical professionals. I like the way the moderator kept probing for clear definitions. This REALLY helps patients (and med students) understand conditions and the pathophysiology and other features, better.

Thank you for this. I learned more about the disorder from this than the two specialists I've talked with.

Rap Sokoi...thank you for the recipe. It works! Before I read your comment I was and I am still using another recipe: FLOR DE SAUCO tea. ( muy husband and I are living in Puerto Vallarta) Sorry, I don't know the name for flor de sauco in English. Instead of powder ginger I use it fresh. I cut it up into tiny pieces, simmer it with Tumeric powder, cinnamon sticks. Once it is cool, I place the mixture in a blender and store it. I would say it is @ 1l2 gallon. Actually, I use my intuition for amounts of above. My husband has been taking two cups a day: Flor de Sauco, the above mix and honey with fresh lemon. Symptoms of constant coughing, phlegms, shortness of breath have disappeared! Our pulmonary specialist agreed with us and said, " If it works continue giving him the tea." My husband was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis @ two months ago. He has been struggling with Asthma for few years. We moved from the States to P V. will be married 51 years Nov. 6. I am grateful to you Rap. Thank you and Bob and I are enjoying the present moment. GRACIAS.

Thank you so much, I've found this very easy to understand. I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis when I was 16 years old I'm now 37. Having bronchiectasis and being asthmatic its hard to do the simple things like walking short distance and the constant coughing which is a real pain and always getting sick especially chest infections. I have found some new things that you have mentioned which I will bring up with my specialist the next time I see her.

Excellent explanation! Wish we lived close to Tyler.

Very interesting I have had it from the age of four my mother had TB I had hooping cough and TB I have lived with it all my life its horrible very embarrassing if you go out with people your life style is all around tablets rest coughing try not to get colds keeping warm try eat I had surgery when I was eight I am now 71 it's very difficult to walk far but it have made me a very strong minded person I will live until I am in my late 80 I am positive about that

Try to use steam vapour with help of vaporizer....drink luke warm water....drink ginger tea....do some exercise which will cause you breathlessness but it is good for lung....

I went the traditional route, to treat my chronic lung infections, and shortness of breath, even though I have been a vegetarian most of my life. Made me miserable for several years. I went to a Functional Medicine internist and changed my life. A low histamine diet and herbal and nutritional program has done far more than the antibiotics, all the powders and cortico steroids I was inhaling. Doing Postural draining, an Acapella OPep device and breathing exercises as well. Together, I am doing so much better.

I was officially diagnosed with bronchiectasis circa 2010-11, but suspect I had it for some time prior to that. Not sure what caused it, but did battle a serious case of pneumonia for a good five-plus months around the turn of the century. (Also, I was a brass-instrument playing musician for quite a few years, ending 1992, if that means anything.) Besides cough, phlegm and infections, I suffer from chest pains that become quite stressful during flareups, and am moderately to very tired almost all the time. For now I'm on once per month 10-day antibiotic treatments and a two-puff twice daily medicated aerosol inhaler. (Dulera. Advair was an absolute disaster.) Flareups, which can be triggered by something as simple as mowing the lawn, can be hard to endure. Doesn't help that a number of flareup symptoms (tingly/burning extremities and lips, left-sided chest pain, and so on, might also point to heart issues, which scares me to no end despite knowing that Bronchiectasis is almost certainly the culprit and that I just need to take my antibiotics, stick it out, and hope for the best.

Doing m return to practice so this has been helpful, thanks for posting.

Unfortunately I have been told I have this. I take an antibiotic regularly. I use Advair and Pro-Air if needed. Prednizone if needed. I have the thing you blow in. I have never smoked.

I’ve had a chronic, productive cough for the past seven years, and have had every test known to man, doctor, and I sometimes wonder what God would have to say about it. The mucus is very thick, and when I cough it up it’s opaque, but not foul tasting, yellow or green. The consistency is like gummy bear material; I can rarely get it up from my throat, but when it does come into my mouth, I look at it, and it’s always the same. An asthma stress test showed possible mild asthma at the highest lever of inhaled irritant. X-ray, CAT scan, MRI, camera down into my lungs show nothing. I’m not getting repeated check infections; when I do, or get a cold once or twice a year, the sputum starts tasting foul, but when I get better the bad taste goes away. There’s a constant feeling of fullness in my chest, especially on my right side. I can take a marker and put a dot on my skin to show the doctor where the unpleasant feeling is originating, but nobody has found anything. My girlfriend notices a difference in the way my skin feels over that spot when she rubs my back~~ The cough is always productive. I feel like I’m going to have it for the rest of my life. My father, a general doctor who passed away in 2008, thought I might have some malformation in the bronchial tubes, but none of the test have indicated this. Occasionally, my throat will itch and send me into a coughing fit, which I can stop with an anesthetic spray like Chloraseptic or equivalent. As night, it keeps me up, often until I’m so tired I drop off to sleep just because it exhausts me. My sinuses block up like they’re filled with cement, but the ENT doctor says nothing is wrong. Bottles of cough syrup, codeine, Albuterol and steroid inhalers, nothing works. Half a liter of vodka with orange juice doesn’t even do anything, but it might help me get some sleep. I’m 60, mild type 2 diabetes, chronic pancreatitis and diarrhea, hyperhidrosis, and clinical depression, which might be expected under the circumstances. Primary care, ENT, GI, pulmonology, urology, neurology, endocrinology, nutrition, allergy testing~~ everything...... They call it idiopathic. Any ideas?? I’d like to start doing something in life other than just sitting around coughing [and more], sitting around getting old and waiting to die.

Anyone get diagnosed with this after a Covid infection?

Thanks

Hello I am stelios from greece I have diagnosed before two months..its very diff8cult to live with that.i was trying to find it 9 month with a lot of doctors and all doctor saying me that the dificult to my breath is pshycological reason..so I lost almost 1 year for find it

I had pneumonia when I was young and I have scar on my lungs and had a cough since I can remember I have sputum every day and a gravity pump to help loosen and spit it out but I have been ill a lot in the last five years and bacterial growth in my sputum and just got over influenza like illness but I am very tired a lot with this

great instructional video. So clear. Thank you.

How to threat broncentasis cause bad breath?

Is bronchietasis the same as cystic fibrosis?

How about for 20 yrs

Thanka

its NOT congenital. its enviormental and contagial. which influences the EPIgenetics,which are reversable. this "dr" just explained the SYMPTOMS ,and NEVER explained WHAT causes it( which is known by real drs.)