BE Screening Questions - Living With BE

Could you have bronchiectasis?

BE Screening Questions¹

By answering the questions below, you'll learn if you may be a candidate for a diagnostic screening for bronchiectasis.
Check the box next to the question if your response is “YES”. Select all that apply.
- Do you have COPD or another chronic lung disease?
- Have you had a daily cough for the past 3 months or longer?
- Do you have frequent coughing episodes with mucus in varying amounts that is usually or often thick, yellow, green or discolored?
- Have you been on at least 2 courses of antibiotics for a respiratory infection or bronchitis in the past 12 months?
- Have you been hospitalized for a respiratory or lung infection in the past 12 months?

What can you do if you think you have BE?

Knowledge is power. Learning more about bronchiectasis (BE) is the first step to living better. If you think you might have BE, see a doctor. The Find a Provider tool can help you locate a physician near you who understands BE and how to treat it.

If you’re diagnosed with BE, consider the following recommendations from the National Institutes of Health including these:²

Ask your doctor about flu and pneumonia vaccines
Wash your hands often to lower your risk of getting viruses and bacterial infections
If you smoke, try to quit
Avoid toxic fumes, gases, and other harmful substances

Follow a healthy diet
Stay hydrated
Be as physically active as you can
Consider joining a patient support group

References

Screening questions are based on the findings of a number of research studies:
- Kosmas E, Dumitru S, Gkatzias S, et al. Bronchiectasis in patients with COPD: an irrelevant imaging finding or a clinically important phenotype? American College of Chest Physicians. Elsevier Inc., 2016. doi: https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(16)57193-1/fulltext. Accessed 14 Aug 2020.
- Patel IS, Vlahos I, Wilkinson TM, et al. Bronchiectasis, exacerbation indices, and inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004;170:400–7.
- Maguire G. Bronchiectasis–A guide for primary care. Australian Family Physicians. Vol 41. No. 11 November 2012.
- Barker AF. Bronchiectasis. N Engl J Med. 2002; 346: 1383-1393.
- Du Q, Jin J, Liu X, Sun Y. Bronchiectasis as a Comorbidity of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE. 2016; 11(3): e0150532. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150532.
Living with Bronchiectasis. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/bronchiectasis
Updated June 2, 2014. Accessed August 10, 2020.