(BPT) - One woman's journey from an unexpected diagnosis to learning how to manage a chronic, progressive lung disease.

When Lavonda was told she had bronchiectasis, she didn't know what the word meant.

"I had never heard of it before," Lavonda recalls. "At first, I thought it couldn't be that serious."

The diagnosis came in 2008, after an incident in a hot yoga class where she suddenly felt lightheaded, struggled to breathe and thought she might faint. Assuming it was pneumonia, she went to her primary care physician who recommended she see a pulmonologist. But a CT scan revealed something far less familiar - a chronic lung condition that would change how she thought about her day-to-day and lifelong health.

She soon learned about the disease from her physician who explained that with bronchiectasis, the airways become permanently widened, making it harder to clear mucus and bacteria. It's a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease, which means the effects can be long-term and may get worse over time, causing potential lung damage.

Symptoms started slowly

In the first few years after her diagnosis, Lavonda believed she could live almost normally with bronchiectasis. She saw her pulmonologist every six months who prescribed occasional airway clearance and antibiotics when flare-ups occurred, usually once or twice a year.

"Back then, I thought bronchiectasis just meant I'd get sick sometimes and bounce back," she explains. "It didn't feel like it would change my life very much."

Over time, Lavonda began experiencing more frequent flare-ups, when her bronchiectasis symptoms would worsen. These flare ups would sometimes happen four or five times a year. That's when she realized the disease was more serious than she first believed.

During this period she was also diagnosed with a bacterial infection of the lungs. After consulting with a new pulmonologist to treat this infection, she learned her lung health had deteriorated due to her bronchiectasis, prompting her to begin taking her disease management more seriously.

The importance of early awareness

There are approximately 500,000 people in the U.S. diagnosed with bronchiectasis, and it is estimated that many more are living with this disease globally. Because the symptoms of BE overlap with many other respiratory conditions, it can take time to get diagnosed. Bronchiectasis is progressive, meaning it can get worse over time, and can lead to permanent lung damage.

For those who want to learn more about the disease and how it can be managed, visit ExploreBE.com.

A positive, proactive perspective

"I never feel like the disease stops me until I have a flare," Lavonda says. "That's when I'm more tired, I don't get as much done and sometimes I even have to miss out on things like sitting on the beach with my family." Despite those challenges, she focuses on staying positive and mindful of what might trigger setbacks. "I try to be mindful of what will trigger a flare. I avoid crowds, I try to stay active. I don't want bronchiectasis to control me."

Lavonda hopes her story helps others understand the importance of recognizing and managing the condition. "It can sneak up on you," she says. "At first, I didn't even know what bronchiectasis was or how to pronounce it. But if I follow my doctor's advice and stay active, I feel like I'm doing something positive for my health." Her advice is clear: "Don't ignore it. Learn about it. Be proactive. You really can take steps that may make a real difference."

This article and ExploreBE.com are sponsored by Insmed Incorporated.