Explore Pulmonology & LungBronchiectasis Care
What Is Bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis is a chronic and often serious and pulmonary condition that requires specialized care. It is marked by chronic cough and chronic infection of the bronchi (the tubes that conduct air from the windpipe to the lung) resulting in inflammation and permanent dilatation of the bronchi, worsening the condition.
Possible Cause
The possible causes of bronchiectasis may be:
- Prior severe viral or bacterial pulmonary infection, which causes irreversible damage to the bronchi and makes the airways prone to infections
- Genetic conditions
- Problems with the immune system
However, sometimes no specific cause can be found.
Symptoms
While most patients will not have all of these symptoms, the following are the most common:
- A cough that lasts for more than eight weeks
- Mucus in your cough (also called “sputum”)
- Frequent episodes of lung infection (pneumonia)
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Occasional coughing up of blood
How Is Bronchiectasis Diagnosed?
Structural changes in your lungs mark bronchiectasis. A diagnosis is made by going through your medical history to look for chronic symptoms, a CT scan to show damage or progression, a lung function test, and other medical tests.
Treatment
We tailor our treatment approaches to meet your goals at UConn Health. The main treatments that can help you improve your quality of life with bronchiectasis are mucus-clearing techniques and antibiotics. We are also exploring new treatment options and will offer you the latest therapies when they are available or as part of clinical trials of new experimental treatments.
Center for Bronchiectasis Care
At UConn Health, we are proud to have the first dedicated Center for Bronchiectasis Care in New England. The specialized program for diagnosing, evaluating, and treating patients with bronchiectasis has provided high-quality care to the people of Connecticut for over fifteen years.
Our team of pulmonary specialists has vast expertise in caring for patients with bronchiectasis and provides patient-centered, individualized care. You will also have the opportunity to meet with a respiratory therapist since clearance of the excessive mucus is often essential to treating and managing bronchiectasis.
If you need additional specialized care, we will set up consultations with specialists in immunology, infectious diseases, ear, nose, and throat, or genetics. The care we provide is multidisciplinary and covers all aspects of your health.
Research
UConn Health is the major academic medical center in the region and the leader in specialized bronchiectasis care. Our Center for Bronchiectasis Care conducts research in order to expand the existing knowledge about the condition and develop new treatment options. We conduct numerous clinical trials, take part in national research, and assist in writing national guidelines for bronchiectasis care.