Adjusting to life with a chronic cough

Roberta Martinez — known by many as Bert — has always been an active person. For years, her weekends have been filled with long walks and exercise classes, not to mention a love of travel.

So, when Bert got pneumonia for the first time more than 35 years ago, it was very difficult for her. She recalls feeling “totally wiped out” and needing to spend nearly a month in bed. Fortunately, over time, she recovered and resumed her normal life.

However, it seemed that first bout with pneumonia made her more susceptible to the illness. And over the years, Bert would come down with the infection repeatedly.

“The coughing would be horrible — so bad it would hurt my ribs,” Bert says. “I’d end up in bed for a week each time and sometimes, I’d end up with headaches, pains or a fever.”

Seeking answers

Eventually, Bert would have pneumonia more and more frequently — from once every few years to annually, and later, to as many as four times in a single year. Her primary care physician referred her to Dr. Soud Sediqe, a pulmonary expert affiliated with the Heart and Lung Clinic inside the James S. Brown Pavilion at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Sedige’s team did tests to evaluate Bert’s lung function and looked for potential causes of the recurrent infections. After reviewing her imaging in detail, Dr. Sediqe diagnosed Bert with bronchiectasis, a condition in which the airways inside the lungs are damaged and become wider than normal.

“Because of that damage, the lungs have a hard time clearing out mucous,” explains Dr. Sediqe. “And having that mucous always filling the lungs makes a person vulnerable to infections, such as pneumonia.”

Bert’s chronic illness became a vicious cycle of coughing and infection that began to significantly impact her ability to enjoy her regular activities.

Managing the condition

While bronchiectasis doesn’t have a cure, there are steps that can be taken to help relieve the illness’ symptoms.

“It’s never easy to have to tell someone that this is a condition that isn’t going away,” Dr. Sediqe says. “But we make it very clear that it is manageable, and we’ll be right there working with them on how to do it.”

Bert was given medications and treatments she can do at home to aid with clearing mucous from her lungs. The nurses at the Heart and Lung Clinic also recommended other strategies that have allowed Bert to resume her busy schedule.

“They helped me learn how to handle my illness,” Bert says. “I want to be able to be active, be functional and start to get back to enjoy all the things that I love to do. Now I feel like I can do that.”

Ongoing treatment

There will still be times when, despite all those management strategies, Bert’s lungs are unable to clear enough mucous. When that happens, she returns to the Heart and Lung Clinic for a procedure known as a bronchoscopy, in which a liquid solution is washed through the lungs then sucked back out to clear the airways.

Bert says she appreciates the attentiveness she continues to receive at the clinic. They’re always there when she needs care, she says, and they answer all her questions. She especially likes that she never feels rushed during her appointments.

“To have a physician in this day and age that’s so concerned and attentive is fantastic,” Bert says. “I can’t say enough about Dr. Sediqe and his entire team. The care is exceptional. They go above and beyond. I’ve truly felt The Sharp Experience.”

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