Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition affecting the tubes (bronchi) which carry air through the lungs. In people with bronchiectasis, some of these tubes become permanently widened and damaged and so mucus (also known as sputum or phlegm) is difficult to clear from the lungs and this makes them prone to infection. Most patients will have symptoms for many years before a diagnosis is made (many patients are often wrongly told they have asthma or bronchitis).