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Treatment
Bronchiectasis

Damage done to the airway is irreversible and while bronchiectasis can be socially embarrassing, regular treatment can help the patient live a normal life. The goals of treatment include:

Controlling Infections

  • Medication
    Antibiotics are often used to clear an infection, but avoiding smoking and pollution — including secondhand smoke — may decrease susceptibility to infection.

Relieving Airway Obstruction and Clearing Secretions

  • Medication
    Medicine can be prescribed to thin the sputum, and bronchodilators may be prescribed to help keep the airway open.

  • Coughing Device
    Secretions can be controlled with a coughing device. The device helps to loosen mucus so that it can be removed from the airway.

  • Clearing Technique at Home
    Patients can learn how to remove sputum from the lungs and should perform the technique once or twice a day to keep the airway clear. To begin, the patient should be positioned so that the airway and damaged lungs can drain with the help of gravity. This may be done by hanging over the side of a bed, making sure that the upper torso is upside down and the patient’s head is near the floor. The patient or a family member should begin clapping on the chest to help loosen the mucus. Done regularly, this technique will help to clear secretions.

  • Exercise
    Exercising regularly will improve muscle strength and tone and help make breathing and clearing mucus from the airway easier.

  • Surgery
    If the patient does not respond to therapy or experiences massive bleeding, surgery can be performed. Lung transplantation is also an option in severe cases.


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