Is it possible to develop bronchiectasis years after exposure

Welcome to Mayo Connect. I think you’ll find this a very nice and helpful group.

I’m not sure you’ll find a study that evaluates your type exposure with short term exposure in distant past then no more risk factors. However, exposure to second hand smoke has been demonstrated to cause small airway changes and long term exposure has been associated with CT changes including mild bronchiectasis. Here’s a small study. One limitation of this study is that it doesn’t tell the patient history of allergies, short term respiratory infections they might have had, etc., but it’s still interesting.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36121625/
There are other studies about second hand smoke exposure and respiratory illness on Pubmed or by a Google search using scholarly at the end.

Personally, I had exposure to second hand smoke from my father who was a chain smoker during my childhood. I think I am a rare patient with bronchiectasis who has the bronchiectasis development documented on CT’s. I had a CT with a couple nodules, with no bronchiectasis mentioned. A year later on a CT to f/u the nodules, I had multiple nodules, ground glass, etc. By the next CT 3 months later, I had bronchiectasis, too.
I’d had sinus issues and colds had frequently turned into bronchitis, sinus and ear infections. As part of work up, I had allergy testing and have a couple severe ones and I was also found to have mild asthma. Those are also risk factors.

While it’s a scary diagnosis at first, many of us are managing and are able to live full lives. I would recommend seeing a pulmonologist well versed in bronchiectasis at a Center for Excellence. They can get you started on an airway clearance plan to keep you healthier and prevent worsening of the bronchiectasis.

Feel free to ask your questions, share more about how you were diagnosed, etc and I think you’ll get great help here.

@pacathy
Thank you for the info. I google my question and the answer comes up as a YES - it is possible, but it is AI and the references has no connection. Thanks for posting the study. I am going to keep searching for solid evidence.

@trebligaf1 I think many of us can trace our bronchiectasis to early exposures to smoke, dust, chemicals, and other irritants that set us up for issues later in life. In my case it was childhood exposure to asbestos (playing in mica tailing piles), many polluting industries and a coal buring power plant in the neighborhood, then working in dirty places, exposed to a lot of paper and other dusts. This set me up for a lifetime of lung infections and asthma (which I denied and failed to manage for many years.)
Voila! At 65 I was diagnosed with MAC, pseudomonas and bronchiectasis after being sick (ans misdiagnosed) for two solid years.
Many members here can tell similar stories.

@trebligaf1 PubMed is part of National Library of Medicine and is the place I look for research studies. It uses Boolean terms AND, NOT, OR to refine the searches.

I would be negligent if I didn’t encourage you to not only look for the cause, but to learn how to manage bronchiectasis to prevent its progression and the serious infections that can happen down the line. Also, if your doc hasn’t mentioned airway clearance, it might be a sign they don’t manage a lot of patients with bronchiectasis.
I’ll look for a link to ABC’s.

This has a lot of info.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/resources-for-the-abcs-on-bronchiectasis-and-mac-ntm/

@trebligaf1 All the responses you have received here are right on.
We all wish we knew the exact reason of the why, when and how of developing BE, Bronchiectasis.
The important thing for now for yourself is that you know you have a health concern that needs a specialist to follow you and give you the right care and attention.

One thing you may or may not know of is National Jewish Hospital in Denver, Co. It has dealt with lung and respiratory health problems for patients since the late 1800's. If you are close to it, it is a worthwhile center to consider. Many of us have gone through their weeks testing program and visit to be sure there is not another underlying problem that could be contributing to the BE.

Have you been asked to submit a sputum sample for testing to be sure you do not have an infection in the lungs that can possibly be there with having BE.
Glad you found your way to this site.
Barbara

@trebligaf1 Another tool to consider in finding research based materials is scholar.google.com.
Use key words in the search box, not questions like you might with AI.

Thank you all for great info. I am on a biologic treatment plan that has helped. I will keep searching for clinical evidence to my query. Please post if any more info.
Sincerely - Gil

My search brought this up which may not tell you much in terms of hard evidence:

Yes, exposure to respiratory irritants, infections, or inhaled foreign objects in the past can cause bronchiectasis many years later. Initial lung damage creates a "vicious vortex" where, over time, chronic inflammation and repeated infections lead to permanent, irreversible widening and scarring of the airways.
Potential Past Exposures and Causes:
Severe Early Infections: Childhood pneumonia, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, or tuberculosis.
Inhaled Foreign Objects: Inhaling food particles or small objects as a child can cause blockages leading to later damage.
Chronic Exposure: Long-term exposure to second-hand smoke or toxic fumes can damage airway walls.
Underlying Conditions: Conditions like cystic fibrosis, asthma, or immune deficiencies may exist for years before triggering significant damage.
Bronchiectasis often develops in two phases: an initial "insult" or damage, followed by a long period of progressive damage driven by persistent infections and inflammation. Symptoms, such as a chronic cough with significant mucus, can take years to manifest after the initial lung damage occurs.

@trebligaf1 I’m curious about your biologic treatment. What are you finding helpful?