Tips for Living with Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease (NTM)

You can expect an individualized treatment approach

Treatment of NTM lung disease varies from person to person.
How your nontuberculosis mycobacteria is treated depends on the type of organism causing the infection, the severity of your symptoms and your health history.

You can expect to make lifestyle changes that keep you healthy.

It will be important to prevent infections through good hygiene and regular immunizations.
Exercise will help you build your endurance, strengthen your breathing ability and lift your mood.
A well-balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and get the nutrients you need to fight your infection.
Take some steps to reduce your exposure to NTM in your environment

You can expect you might experience side effects from treatment.

Side effects from the medications are common.
It will be important to stay in close communication with your healthcare team about your treatment, and any side effects you are experiencing.
Learning how to best manage your side effects will help you to be able to follow your recommended treatment plan.

You can expect to feel a variety of emotions.

Because your treatment may last for a year or more, it is normal to have different emotions related to your ongoing treatment, symptoms and side effects that you may experience.
It can be helpful to join the American Lung Association’s Living with Lung Disease Support Community to connect with others facing this disease. You can also call the Lung Association’s Lung Helpline at 1-800-LUNGUSA to talk to a trained respiratory professional who can help answer your questions and connect you with support.

You can expect to continue seeing your health care provider for checkups.

No matter what treatment approach your healthcare provider and you decide on, you will need to be monitored with regular follow-up exams to make sure that the treatment method is working best for you.
Contact your healthcare provider sooner if you have any changes or concerns about your health or treatment plan.

What to Expect