Confused

[Alice70]

Hi, can anyone tell me is a ecsasabation (spelling) the same thing as infection ,or can you have one on it's own without infection ,not spelling it twice lol

[skischool]

Alice the dodgy site have an answer for you right here;

blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...

Does it have to be an infection that causes it? the answer is no, oh and by the way don't worry about the spelling we knew what you meant which is more important.

Best wishes Ski's and Scruffy x

[Alice70 in reply to skischool]

Thanks you just checked that sight, I'm on three azithromicyn per week ,I dont feel is if I have infection, but when I breath in deeply it hurts as if I'm inflamed ,not sure if I should take some prednisolone without the antibiotics

[HungryHufflepuff]

I've apparently given your post -1 likes. I think my internet is so slow that it's confusing the website. 🐌

[Alice70 in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

After reading the blf surport sight I'm more confused ,as it says excesabation is infection ,I think that is what it said,and if I understood it properly

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to Alice70]

I don't know. I'm confused too. At first I thought it inferred that it's not an infection but further on it's talking about infections 🤔

[hypercat54 in reply to Alice70]

Hi the spelling is exacerbation - I had to practice myself before I got it right!

As far as I am aware it is a worsening of your symptoms whether caused by an infection or not. If an infection you often need antibiotics and maybe steroids as well. If no infection steriods only are sometimes needed to clear it up. x

[JANET127]

They could of given it a better name! I do not like the nme! LOL Janet127

[Katinka46]

Sometimes predictive text calls it an “exasperation”. And gets it right. Professor Robert Wilson (one of the country’s leading experts on bronchiectasis) said all exacerbations are infections. But that may apply to bronchiectasis only. Certainly when I had asthma attacks there was not necessarily infection present.

Sorry, not very helpful.

K x

[Hidden in reply to Katinka46]

Yes he was giving you advice re bronch exacerbations.

[Phil40]

There doesn’t have to be infection present with an exacerbation it can be progression of the condition on its own, or poor air quality, or pollen, etc., is my understanding. My Ma has antibiotics and steroids as rescue meds and is only told to take antibiotics when her sputum (nice) is not white or she has a temperature ie obviously an infection; on other occasions she has been advised to take steroids only. Sometimes both at once too. Sometimes I think it just depends on who you talk to or where you live; the health authority area next to mine has different protocols and care availability than here too. Regards

[veg58]

Exacerbation means "worsening or flare up". It does not necessarily mean infection. For example you could have an exacerbation of asthma and not necessarily an infection.

[Hidden]

I’m not sure if you have bronchiectasis or copd. In bronchiectasis an exacerbation is an increase in the number of bacteria which lurk in the pools of mucus in the lungs and airways to an extent that they make you poorly. So yes, it is solely an infection.

I am not an expert in copd but as I understand it there can be an exacerbation ( which really means. flare up) when there are breathing difficulties but not necessarily an infection and also when there is an infection caused by the fact that those with emphysema and chronic bronchitis are susceptible to them. I hope that helped a bit and that somebody more expert in copd than me can confirm.

[Sabeel]

Exacerbation simply means acute worsening of the condition

[Davegt in reply to Sabeel]

I would agree with that. Emphasis on the word acute rather than chronic. GERD (acid reflux) can cause an exacerbation.

[PollyP]

An exacerbation is an acute inflammatory response, which can be with or without an infection.

Do you have a self management plan which guides to you how to manage any deterioration in your condition?

To check if you have an infection you can take a sputum sample into your surgery and ask them to get it checked in the lab for bugs.

I also take Azithromycin 3 times a week.

Sometimes I need to take a short course of steroids without AB’s

Wishing you well 😊

[sueedw]

It means another infection.

[BrianTaylor]

An exacerbation is a flare up of your symptoms, not necessarily a chest infection 😊

[Hidden]

Ok, so...what an exacerbation is depends on the condition involved and the context, the word itself purely means a worsening. In chronic respiratory diseases such as cf and bronchiectasis, my understanding is that exacerbation is solely used to mean active infection. If you were more breathless without any other symptoms of an infection, or you had an increase in sputum production but no change in appearance and no positive microbiology, this wouldn’t be classed as an exacerbation, but a worsening of symptoms and responded to accordingly.

In asthma, an exacerbation would most likely be a flare up of shortness of breath, or an increased requirement for relief inhalers, but clearly that wouldn’t warrant antibiotics the way an exacerbation would in some other respiratory diseases. When my daughter is particularly hive-y and struggling with nausea etc. this is medically documented in her notes as an exacerbation of her suspected mast cell disorder. What condition specifically were you asking in relation to?