Management and keeping well

All patients are different. Everyone should learn to recognise what symptoms are “normal “ for them.

General management (things to consider at all stages of disease)

• Daily airway clearance techniques –taught by a respiratory physiotherapist.
• Good hydration – adequate fluids.
• Vaccination -  against influenza (annually) and pneumococcus.
• Not smoking.
• Exercise - Pulmonary Rehabilitation is proven to improve quality of life, exercise capacity and endurance. Everyone can benefit from exercise tailored to individual symptoms, physical capability and disease characteristics. It is important that exercise activities are continued after the PR programme has ended.
• Prompt identification and treatment of exacerbations.
• Mucus – patients are encouraged to hand in mucus samples on the first day of a suspected infection before an antibiotic is started. This will ensure the correct choice of antibiotic is given.
• Manage other health conditions - especially co-existing lung disease and underlying cause of bronchiectasis, if this has been identified.
• Mood and emotional wellbeing can have a significant impact on physical health; this should always be considered.
• Diet - recurrent infections can cause a reduction in patient’s weight. A healthy diet and healthy BMI have shown to improve outcomes and reduce exacerbation frequency.