What causes the bacteria to grow in some people and not other?

l believe the first step to solving your mystery is the one thing you haven't put much thought into...what you eat. Do some sleuthing there, determine what's irritating your digestive tract causing excess mucus, and eliminate it. I learned quite a while ago I can eat whatever I want and be miserable, or cut out what my body can't tolerate and be much happier!

@jensfcv, Hello Jen, and welcome to our group. I too struggled with excess phlegm for 20+ years. I used to take antihistamines daily to dry up the muck. It helped, but turns out that is the wrong thing to do. Antihistamines can cause the phlegm to solidify and form 'mucous plugs' that in turn cause infection in the lungs. Not only that, but they made me dingy as well. Seventeen years ago, I read books by Dr. Andrew Weil and learned that diet has a lot to do with our health. He stated that the leading cause of many diseases are due to unknown food allergies. He said the most common culprits are DAIRY, EGGS, GLUTEN, and SUGAR. (food dyes are another one) Many of our members on the site agree that those foods do cause them phlegm. He suggested keeping a food diary and doing an elimination diet to see if you notice any changes. I did just that 17 years ago. I noticed a difference by the end of one week. My biggest culprits were gluten and sugar, and food dye. To help ease the symptoms of phlegm, I use 'Breathe Easy' tea by Traditional Medicines. Can be purchased in the natural food isle at Krogers. Plus, doing a twice daily saline breathing treatment with a nebulizer helps clear out the gunk. You can ask your doctor if 7% sodium chloride in a nebulizer would be good for you. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. Just curious, how did you learn about Mayo Connect?

@lindam272 , Hi Linda! Boy, haven't we all been there with the coughing in inconvenient places. I used to cough non-stop, sunup to sundown. I had to avoid restaurants, movie theatres, plays, etc.

Hello and thank you for the information. I will take note of my diet - I do not do sugar at all....I do have an egg now and then...must admit to loving cheese so will abstain and see how it changes. I try to stay bland as I have pancreas issues and don't want to stir things up! No spices or much beef...mostly turkey, chicken etc. we don't have a Kroger here so will have family in Atlanta send me some of the tea you mention....I am a Mayo Jacksonville Fla patient and that is where I learned of this site. I feel I am one of the truly lucky ones to be so close to such a cutting edge facility! I am using the nasal lavage as stuggested by another contributor and in only three days I already see some progress. Thank you once again. J

@lindam272 I have very similar experience with coughing and phlegm. I wake up with phlegm in my throat every morning that I have to cough out several times. I always have water on hand when I'm in a meeting or in a movie theater. I don't have CF. The cough is mostly caused by tickling or itchy throat which can come on after I have eaten something hard like peanuts, or something sweet. If I don't have water to sooth the throat right away, the coughing will escalate to a fit. I don't have CF. But I have numerous allergies, such as pollen and dust mote which can cause itchy throat which will in turn lead to coughing. I believe the phlegm is from my bronchiectasis which has no cure. This has been going on for over 20 years and I've learned to live with and manage it. Sometimes I would go most of a day without coughing or phlegm. It almost feels abnormal to me. But it does feel good when that happens.

@windwalker, @ling123, @boomerexpert, @jensfcv Hi, Everyone! I must admit that the diet aspect of this has been the one thing that I have not wanted to deal with. I like to eat what I like to eat, but I also don't like the phlegm so perhaps this will be my 2018 goal - to work on my diet. I may look into reading some Dr. Weil books and have saved some posts that reference other resources. The Clear Lungs doesn't seem to have any affect on me. I may try the Breathe Easy tea and see if that helps. Terri, I find that when I go out to gatherings now that it's best for me to sit on the end of a row so I'm not surrounded by people. Last memorial service I went to I had to move because some lady behind me had on some very strong perfume and I was choking even sitting on the end of the row ahead of her. Thanks for all the input!

@lindam272 I have been doing the no dairy, gluten, sugar diet around 6 months and have had no phlem or post nasal drip,, and felt great, however I was at a party yesterday and had alot of cheesecake and garlic bread, I coughed a lot during the night and had major post nasal drip all night,also I will now go back to the diet.. It it takes a bit of getting used to , but really worth it! to me..Good luck

@lindam272 I, too, like to eat what I like to eat. And I don't like the phlegm either. But I believe in my situation the bigger reason is the allergies (non-food allergies) because most of the phlegm is not produced after eating, although certain food could have caused a bit of extra phlegm as well. Besides, my love for food is ranked a lot higher than my distaste for phlegm. I have already had to make necessary sacrifices with my diet after being diagnosed with prediabetes. Since I have already cut most of the sugar intake in my diet, I think I'm OK with not changing my diet any further. I also have a big problem with perfumes. I used to have a co-worker whose perfume would linger minutes after she had left an area. I would cough and get heart palpitations the second I smelled it.I stay far, far away from perfumed people if I can.

Hi all They now have new imaging that can detect bacteria. Its on Bronchiectasis news today. Detects them in 60 secs!!!!!!! yipeee!!!! see link below
https://bronchiectasisnewstoday.com/2018/02/23/probe-speeds-detection-of-bacteria-in-bronchiectasis-patients

@heathert Wow, this will benefit so many people if it can be approved for use. Great news. I'm also receiving Bronchiectasis Newsletters. But have not had time to read today's issue. Thanks for sharing.