Living with NTM Day to Day
Regardless of the type of NTM lung disease you have or how it is being treated, living with NTM is manageable. There are many things you can do to ease your symptoms and improve your overall health.
Key recommendations include:
- Using airway clearance techniques such as deep coughing and exercise to reduce the mucus buildup in your lungs and airways. Keeping the lungs as clear as possible may help prevent new infections, may reduce uncontrolled coughing, and may improve breathing capacity.
- Preventing additional infections with good hygiene and regular immunizations. Influenza, pneumonia and covid-19, in particular, can cause complications if you have NTM.
- Avoiding exposure to smoke, dust, and other lung irritants to reduce inflammation that can worsen NTM lung disease. If you smoke at all, seek resources to help you quit as soon as possible.
Create healthy habits
Other healthy behaviors that will help you manage your NTM disease include:
- Exercising to build your endurance, strengthen your breathing ability, and lift your mood.
- Adopting a MAC lung disease diet: A well-balanced diet to help maintain a healthy weight, and get the nutrients you need to fight your infection.
Eliminate environmental triggers
Although it would be impossible to completely avoid NTM organisms, there are some basic precautions you can take to reduce your exposure:
Raise the temperature of your household water heater to at least 130° F.
Use a vent fan in your bathroom, kitchen, and other areas that produce steam.
Avoid hot tubs, spas, and other recirculating indoor hot water sources.
Wear a dust mask when doing yardwork or gardening.
Wet down potting soil to reduce dust.
Caregiver and other support for living with NTM
NTM lung disease and its treatment can take a toll on your mental health. While depression and anxiety are common and — completely understandable — they don’t have to diminish your quality of life.
Don’t isolate. Reach out to caregivers, family, friends, and clergy. Consider a health coach if you have access to such resources or joining an NTM support group — it can be reassuring to hear from others who understand firsthand the road you are traveling. Don’t hesitate to discuss your mental health concerns with your healthcare team.
Perhaps most importantly, enlist the help of your caregivers and loved ones.
Our family and friends want us to be healthy and whole, but they often feel helpless. Working as a team is empowering for you and allows them to support you in a meaningful way. Allow them to help you with daily activities, remain vigilant for any changes, and accompany you to medical appointments to record notes and advocate on your behalf.
With lifestyle adjustments, proper medical intervention by pulmonology or infectious disease specialists, and caring support, you can overcome NTM lung disease.
