What foods should you avoid if you have bronchiectasis?

Answer 1

According to the US National Institutes of Health site (see link in related links section), the only recommendation found about foods and nutrition in bronchiectasis includes getting plenty of fluids and eating a healthy diet while following a healthy lifestyle. Avoid sodium, solid fats, processed grains, and sugar:

A healthy lifestyle also involves following a healthy diet. A healthy diet includes a variety of vegetables and fruits. It also includes whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and protein foods, such as lean meats, poultry without skin, seafood, processed soy products, nuts, seeds, beans, and peas.

A healthy diet is low in sodium (salt), added sugars, solid fats, and refined grains. Solid fats are saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Refined grains come from processing whole grains, which results in a loss of nutrients (such as dietary fiber).

Staying hydrated also is important. Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, helps prevent airway mucus from becoming thick and sticky.

More from nih.gov about bronchiectasis:

Bronchiectasis (brong-ke-EK-tah-sis) is a condition in which damage to the airways causes them to widen and become flabby and scarred. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs.

Bronchiectasis often is caused by an infection or other condition that injures the walls of the airways or prevents the airways from clearing mucus. Mucus is a slimy substance. It helps remove inhaled dust, bacteria, and other small particles from the airways.

In bronchiectasis, your airways slowly lose their ability to clear out mucus. The mucus builds up, and bacteria begin to grow. This leads to repeated, serious lung infections.

Each infection causes more damage to the airways. Over time, the airways can't properly move air in and out of the lungs. As a result, the body's vital organs might not get enough oxygen.

Still more about bronchiectasis:

Bronchiectasis is a lung condition where your child's bronchi become too wide and build up mucus in them. Your child's bronchi are medium-sized airways (tubes) that carry air in and out of his lungs. Your child's lungs make mucus to trap and remove germs and irritants that he breathes in. The mucus made in his lungs is also called phlegm and sputum. Your child's airways are lined with ciliated cells that help move the mucus out of his lungs. With bronchiectasis, your child's airways are damaged and he will have trouble clearing the mucus out. The mucus stays in his airways and germs may grow in it, causing new and repeated lung infections. Over time, this can cause your child's airways to swell, stretch out, and scar.