For over 40 years, celebrity designer and carpenter Ty Pennington's mother lived with unresolved respiratory symptoms like chronic cough, excess mucus, and lung infections. As her caregiver, he saw firsthand how difficult it can be to live without answers.

"Watching my mom cope with breathing challenges, hospital visits and the uncertainty of not always knowing what was going on had a big impact on our family," Pennington said.

Together, mother and son looked deeper into her health, spoke with a pulmonologist and got a CT scan to see what might be behind her symptoms. Because these symptoms can overlap with other respiratory conditions, like COPD or asthma, it can take years for some people to receive a proper diagnosis.

After decades of searching for answers, she was diagnosed with a little-known, chronic and serious lung disease called bronchiectasis, providing clarity to her unresolved respiratory symptoms.

Taking a deeper look

Bronchiectasis occurs when the airways become permanently widened, making it harder for the lungs to clear mucus and bacteria. Over time, bronchiectasis may worsen and lead to further lung damage.

Around 500,000 adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with bronchiectasis and experts believe many others, like Pennington's mother, may be living with the disease without knowing it.

That's why Pennington has teamed up with Insmed as a paid spokesperson for Suspect Bronchiectasis (Suspect BE), an educational initiative that aims to raise awareness of bronchiectasis and encourage people with unresolved respiratory symptoms to speak with a pulmonologist to determine whether additional testing, such as a CT scan, can help rule out or confirm the disease.

Digging deeper may sound daunting, but it can help you find the answers you need. Pennington likens it to his experience with home improvement.

"When I begin a renovation, I start by scanning the home — the foundation, the walls and the attic — because looking deeper can give you a full picture," Pennington said. "I believe the same is true with your health — taking a closer look could help with getting the answers you need."

How to start a conversation

If something doesn't feel right, it may be time to look deeper and talk to a pulmonologist to see if additional testing, like a CT scan, is the right next step to rule out or confirm bronchiectasis.

"Through Suspect BE, I hope to encourage people to have deeper conversations with their healthcare providers, and suspect bronchiectasis."

For more information on bronchiectasis, resources, and to learn about Pennington's story, visit SuspectBE.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.