Did my Smoking 50 years ago cause Bronchiectasis

@picartist
I saw this on the internet but I can't speak to its accuracy.

While there isn't a single identified number of chemicals in cigarettes that directly cause bronchiectasis, many of the over 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke can contribute to the condition. Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing bronchiectasis and other lung diseases like COPD, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
How cigarette smoke damages the lungs and potentially leads to bronchiectasis:
Irritation and Inflammation:
Chemicals in cigarette smoke irritate and inflame the airways, causing them to widen and become damaged.
Host Defense Impairment:
Smoking impairs the body's natural defenses in the lungs, making it harder to clear mucus and fight off infections.
Oxidative Stress:
Cigarette smoke introduces free radicals and oxidants into the lungs, which can damage cells and tissues.
Impaired Mucus Clearance:
Smoking can disrupt the cilia (tiny hairs that help move mucus) and increase mucus production, making it harder to clear the airways.
Chronic Bronchitis:
The inflammation and damage caused by smoking can lead to chronic bronchitis, a type of COPD, which can further contribute to bronchiectasis.
Specific chemicals and their effects:
Tar: A sticky residue containing hundreds of chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
Formaldehyde: Known to cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat and is classified as a carcinogen.
Hydrogen Cyanide: Considered one of the most toxic agents in tobacco smoke, with many short and long-term toxic effects.
Benzene: A known carcinogen and toxic compound.
Cadmium: A heavy metal that can damage cells lining the blood vessels.
In summary: While there isn't a specific number of chemicals that directly cause bronchiectasis, the many harmful substances in cigarette smoke, including carcinogens and irritants, can damage the lungs and airways, increasing the risk of developing bronchiectasis and other lung diseases.
Take care,
Jake

I am 80, diagnosed with Bronchiectasis more than 50 years ago. Have never smoked a day in my life! As a preschooler I had Whooping cough, followed by bronchitis, sinusitis & allergies (airborne) in childhood & teen years to present. My pulmonologist would not venture a guess as to the cause of my BE, but did tell me I most likely would avoid being on oxygen due to not smoking. So far, he is right!

I think it also depends on how many years you smoked a pack/day. I only took a brief look, but found this which says duration matters more than pack-years, the traditional measurement of impact.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7405110/#:~:text=Pack%2Dyears%2C%20the%20product%20of%20cigarettes%20per%20day,for%20clinical%20practice%2C%20research%2C%20and%20healthcare%20policies.
I also found this from MD Anderson which I think helps with your question though it says damage is permanent in one place then quitting allows lungs to recover if under 30. I'm pretty sure the latter is true and that recovery happens to some extent even after 30.
I'll add a note about sinuses in a bit.

Sinusitis and bronchiectasis...
I have both and when I initially saw a pulmonologist about a CT that showed bronchiectasis and changes possibly due to MAC, the local pulmonologist thought the changes might be from micro aspiration of the secretions. The ENT doc was skeptical, though about month 5, he had checked and said it was possible. I did a search and found "sinobronchial syndrome" frequently mentioned, but mainly in very old Western studies or by more current Japanese studies, where it seemed a common diagnosis.
After MAC cultures were negative, the theory was that I'd had MAC and cleared it or it was from the secretions. My sinusitis was treated aggressively and cough dramatically improved.

After your question, I searched for updated research and found this. (CRS is chronic rhinosinusitis)

"In summary, this study is the largest to date examining the prevalence of bronchiectasis in patients with CRS. Overall, we found a significant and potentially under-recognized prevalence of bronchiectasis in patients with CRS. While additional studies are needed to further elucidate the complex interactions between CRS and bronchiectasis, physicians should be aware of these clinical associations and potential implications for both diagnosis and treatment of more severe comorbid disease."
It's from this study.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11216716/

@hoopsnest17897 I’m younger than you and have never smoked. I’ve heard something similar to your experience from my pulmonologist. Not having ever smoked is probably the reason that despite having evidence of Bronchiectasis in every lobe, I’m still considered to have a mild or very mild case, but do I have mucus production. The cilia in my lungs must be very damaged because I clear my lungs of phlegm twice daily.

Mine was likely caused by ongoing infections that were not treated properly, since I have no other issues with my lungs.

Smoking a terrible addiction making it very difficult for many people to quit, but there are more assistance and techniques available now.

You probably know that Whooping cough can lead to Bronchiectasis. It was a common ailment before the vaccine.

Take care. Thanks for your post.

I had CRS for many years, took allergy shots for about ten years, had sinus surgery and had episodes that were like Asthma that affected my breathing. I would suspect this is a likely suspect as was smoking but after quitting fifty years ago I always had allergies so this study indicates it could just as well come from CRS issues. Thanks for the information.

I am 82 and 9 months and never smoked .....and hope the pulmonologist is right about those who never smoked..."most likely would avoid being on oxygen."
I never smoked but Mother and brother smoked in the house and anywhere else one could light up a " cancer stick/emphysema sick" back in the days before they finally limited smoking areas. So we who are of a certain age were possibly around a lot of second hand smoke.
My best guesstimate is that I have had BE, Bronchiectasis, for at least 10 years before being diagnosed. Finally diagnosed in 2022. I believe the straw that broke the camels back was developing the infection, MAI, that possibly brought on the need to clear the throat of mucus. The clearing of the throat developed in late 2020 after three possible dramatic episodes of breathing in peat moss particles, bird nest dust, and dried leaf and soil dust. All within a couple of years just prior to 2022. That is called reflection after being diagnosed and learning about where we possibly come in contact with bad bacteria and what condition our lungs may be in at the time.
My philosophy is that it is never just one thing that has caused an event or happening....things happen along the way as we walk this earth and breath. If we are lucky the build up of all the events and happenings don't manifest into anything serious. However my other belief is that with Covid we all can chalk that one up to one of those events that could have added to other events and happenings, causing damage.
We and the professionals don't have all the answers yet and probably never will.
Barbara

Hi again.
NJH has everyone start the Neal nasal rinses and believes CRS is there with BE, Bronchiectasis.
They give you the Neal box with all the necessary items in it to do the rinses......Given to you when you are there for BE evaluation.
Barbara

My experience suggests no one knows what caused any particular person's BE, and, as someone else said, there's likely not just one causal factor. When I was first diagnosed, the pulmonologist practically insisted that I must have be born prematurely. I was not, and he came close to calling me a liar. Others said my history of smoking was probably not a cause. One doc said perhaps the MAC caused the BE; seems to me the BE was a set-up for getting MAC (an opinion with which my current doc agrees); another said measles (which I had at age 4) could have caused it. My brothers smoked more than I, and one had a different lung disease, but neither had or has BE. So, who knows? I'm not sure it matters how any of us got the condition.