The following symptoms and complaints may indicate bronchiectasis:
Pathognomonic (indicative of disease).
- Increase in sputum production (sputum = sputum) – especially in the morning after changing position; “mouthful”
- “Three-layer sputum“: foamy upper layer, mucous middle layer, viscous sediment with pus (Latin pus, Greek πύον pyon).
- Odor: sweetish foul; color: green-yellowish.
- The sputum may contain blood (Latin sanguis, ancient Greek αἷμα haima) or pus.
- In some cases, increased sputum production occurs only during an exacerbation (marked worsening of the disease).
Main symptoms
- Bronchospasm (constriction of the bronchi and bronchioles).
- Chronic cough
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Fever (> 38 °C)
- Weight loss
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Reduction in performance
- Lethargy (disturbance of consciousness associated with sleepiness and increased threshold of irritability), fatigue.
- Pneumonia (pneumonia)
- Thoracic pain (chest pain)
- Drumstick fingers and watch glass nails – due to chronic oxygen deficiency; the end links of the fingers are distended like pistons, the fingernails are strongly curved outward and have a roundish shape
- Loss of lung function – in non-smokers with bronchiectasis about 50 mL/year.
- Increased wheezing (whistling sounds) during expiration (breathing out).
