Reason for shielding?

[chestergirl39]

Interested to know the reasons why people had to shield at home and why these seemed to vary widely across the country. Was it down to individual gp’s? Will the criteria change next time? Will Bmi be a factor?

That leaves bronchiectasis.
FedUpSomeMore and Madhairday It's rare to come across someone with bronchiectasis, how bad is yours and do you think you'll be shielding again?

I've only just seen this comment so apologies for late reply.

My consultant tells me it's severe, I get a lot of chest infections, sometimes it feels like I get rid of one and then have another a few weeks later. I produce a lot of mucus and blood and have to clear out my lungs the best I can several times a day. Have had spells in hospital with it for IV antibiotics when I can't get rid of infections.

My close family and close friends know but others don't and to look at me you'd never know. I'm 40 and I don't doubt there'll be people who think I'm a hysterical hypochondriac or shielding for no need but I try not to worry about that too much because the people who matter know the truth. I don't know if I'd get a letter again.

How do you get rid of the mucus? Sorry to be so vile so early in the morning! I am plagued with it.

I was given some breathing exercises pretty much like this video and I'm on meds that thin it which help. Sometimes bending over is enough to make it run out, some times it feels like very hard work.

I couldn’t sleep last night I was so “full” of it, if that makes sense.

@IrmaFayLear

How do you get rid of the mucus? Sorry to be so vile so early in the morning! I am plagued with it.

Ds has respiratory physio so has some exercises to do each day and has a teapot to clear his mucus through his nose with a saline solution and he has a little device called an acapella which he breathes into daily to in theory make everything move and come up (it doesn’t it moves and stays in!)

We are on the verge of trialing saline nebs to see if they help and we have long term antibiotic too (on top of other asthma medication)

Oh, your poor ds. What a bind for a young chap.

@IrmaFayLearThere are some good videos online on lung clearance, look up active cycle of breathing. I found some really useful stuff on an Australian website but can't find it just now.
Once I got my diagnosis it was like a blue light moment. I worked out a routine myself which works for me although I did see a chest physio as well.
The thing that works for me is to lay flat on my back and do the deep breathing, it feels like you're drowning at first but then I sit up and huff, and the mucus comes up. My bronchiectasis is mild compared with others on here but I'm conscious that it does progress. I take a drug to thin the secretions as well as asthma inhaler.
Mine was probably caused by a very severe infection in my late 30s. (Its possible that same infection triggered my rheumatoid arthritis as well).

Same here - a random infection for which I was hospitalised for weeks. It infected quite a few organs and struck completely out of the blue.

I couldn’t sleep last night I was so “full” of it, if that makes sense.

It makes total sense and it sucks arse. I struggle with sleep (hence why I was posting at 3am). I often feel like I can't breath when I'm laid down.

I find the active cycle is good along with an acapella. Autogenic drainage is also good when I'm too poorly to even do deep breaths. All of these techniques are online, my chest physio taught them to me.

The best thing I've now found is a device called aerobika which attaches to my nebuliser. I nebulise hypertonic saline and it breaks up the mucus so much more than anything else I've tried.

Sometimes when I'm really full dh does back clapping etc, the physio taught him how and it's helpful but I hate it.