Heart&LungPhysio

28/07/2026

Do you know what most people with bronchiectasis have in common when they first come to see me?

They've been doing their best with almost no information. 

Nobody has explained what bronchiectasis is. Nobody has showed them how to clear their airways properly. Nobody has helped them recognise what their personal baseline looks like, or how to spot an exacerbation before it becomes serious. Nobody has talked about why the infection cycle keeps repeating — or what they can do to interrupt it.

The information is out there! It's established best practice, reflected in international guidelines for bronchiectasis management.

But... it rarely reaches the people who need it most!

That's the gap I'm here to close — translating clinical jargon into plain language, practical skills, and strategies that actually make a real difference day to day.

If you're managing bronchiectasis and feel like you're still missing a piece of the puzzle, I'm here to help. 💙

17/07/2026

🤔 Were you ever taught how to manage your bronchiectasis?

For most people, the answer is no — and it's one of the biggest gaps in bronchiectasis care.

Self-management doesn't mean managing alone. It means understanding your condition well enough to make informed decisions about it every day. It means knowing what to do to keep your airways clear, how to recognise the early signs of an infection before it takes hold, how to stay as active as possible, and when to seek help.

The nature of bronchiectasis — the cycle of mucus, bacteria, infection, and damage — means that what you do day to day has a direct impact on how often you get sick, how quickly you recover, and how the condition progresses over time.

International guidelines recommend that self-management support should be part of standard bronchiectasis care. In practice, it often isn't.

Have questions about managing your bronchiectasis? Drop a comment below or send me a message — I'm here to help! 💙

14/07/2026

❄️ For most people with a lung condition, winter is the season they dread most.

Cold air, more viruses circulating, and less motivation to move — all things that can make an already challenging condition harder to manage.

Here are 10 practical tips to help you love your lungs this winter:

1️⃣ Protect your airways from cold air
2️⃣ Maintain good indoor air quality
3️⃣ Keep up your airway clearance
4️⃣ Keep taking your medications as prescribed
5️⃣ Stay hydrated
6️⃣ Stay active, even indoors
7️⃣ Pace yourself
8️⃣ Consider wearing a mask in crowded spaces
9️⃣ Check your vaccinations are up to date
🔟 Know your early warning signs — and have an action plan

Save this one — and let me know in the comments which of these you already have in place. 💙

11/07/2026

🫁 Let’s talk about bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a lung condition in which the airways get damaged and widen. They’re no longer able to clear mucus properly, and this leads to inflammation and infections, which cause further damage.

In normal, healthy lungs, bacteria, dust, and other particles get trapped in the thin layer of mucus lining the airways. Tiny hair-like projections called cilia sweep that mucus upwards and out of the lungs. But if this system is damaged, mucus builds up, bacteria multiply, and infections follow.

We don’t always know why bronchiectasis develops, but it can result from a childhood illness, a previous infection, a weakened immune system, or other inflammatory conditions.

Unfortunately bronchiectasis is not curable, and treatment is focused primarily on managing symptoms and breaking that inflammation/infection cycle.

Bronchiectasis presents very differently from person to person. Some people have mild symptoms, others experience frequent exacerbations, significant sputum volume, and reduced exercise tolerance. Understanding where you sit on that spectrum is the starting point for knowing how to manage it effectively.

If you want to understand what that management actually involves and how physio can help, I’m going to be posting lots more on this topic over the next few weeks.

02/07/2026

🫁 Understanding Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by the irreversible widening and damage of the airways in the lungs.

When the airways become permanently widened and scarred, they lose the ability to clear mucus effectively. Mucus accumulates in the damaged airways, creating an environment where bacteria can thrive — which is why recurrent chest infections are one of the hallmarks of this condition.

Common symptoms include a persistent productive cough, recurrent chest infections, shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, and sinus problems.

Symptoms can vary significantly between individuals, and many people live with bronchiectasis for years before receiving a clear diagnosis.

Bronchiectasis can develop following a severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia or whooping cough, or in association with other conditions including immune deficiencies, inflammatory diseases, or other chronic lung conditions. In some cases, no underlying cause is identified.

Diagnosis is confirmed by high-resolution CT scan — a chest X-ray alone is not sufficient to diagnose bronchiectasis.

Physiotherapy plays a central role in its management — from airway clearance assessment and technique, to exercise prescription, breathing retraining, and self-management education.

Have questions or personal insights to share? Drop a comment below! 👇

30/06/2026

🫁 Today is World Bronchiectasis Day 🫁

Observed annually on July 1, World Bronchiectasis Day is a global campaign designed to raise awareness of bronchiectasis. World Bronchiectasis Day unites people living with bronchiectasis, caregivers, health care professionals, and advocates as they share knowledge and help more people receive the care they deserve.

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition where the airways become permanently widened and damaged — and because of that structural change, mucus builds up more easily and is much harder to clear.

That build-up creates an environment where bacteria can thrive, which is why many people with bronchiectasis experience recurring chest infections — sometimes several times a year.

For many people, bronchiectasis goes unrecognised for years. And even after diagnosis, many are not told about the self-management strategies that can make a meaningful difference to how they feel day to day.

Airway clearance — done correctly, consistently, and tailored to you — is one of the most important things you can do if you have bronchiectasis. It's clearly supported by international clinical guidelines. And yet it remains one of the most under-delivered parts of bronchiectasis care.

If you have a bronchiectasis diagnosis and haven't had support with your airway clearance, it would be worth considering a consultation with a respiratory physiotherapist.

We're here to help. 💙

02/06/2026

Great article! 🙌

The pitfalls of the all-encompassing term of "chest physio" and why the language we use matters. An insightful read for all physiotherapists.

Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ehqY9ksb

22/05/2026

PhD graduation day! 😁 A huge thanks to my supervisors who supported me over the last 9 years! There were some hurdles and meltdowns along the way but I made it! So proud to walk across that stage and hear doctor before my name! Huge achievement!

02/04/2026

Happy Easter 🐣 We're taking a short break and will be closed 3rd - 13th April. See you soon!

22/12/2025

Heart & Lung Physio will be closed from Monday 22 December to Wednesday 7 January.

Thank you for your support throughout the year. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year. 🎄