BE and MAC...Chicken or the Egg?

I have bronchiectasis (BE) and a history of Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC-LD) lung infections. Both were considered rare, but with increased medical professional education and the use of High Resolution CT scans, BE is being diagnosed more frequently than in the past.

When people have both bronchiectasis and a MAC infection doctors frequently say that it is a “chicken or the egg” situation. Did the bronchiectasis damage and inflammation allow the MAC to set up shop in the lungs or did the MAC infection cause the BE?

Some answers to this question can be found in a person’s medical and lifestyle history. For example, having pneumonia or bronchitis might have caused the scarring in the lungs. A deeper dive might uncover genetic causes and in some cases, these underlying conditions might be treatable.

Although in my case nothing is certain, I probably got the BE from a bad pulmonary infection in my mid-50s that led to inflammation and a welcoming environment for MAC.

At one point, my husband and I moved out of Manhattan to upstate New York. I had a huge flower garden during the eight years we lived there and spread heaps of mulch and soil. MAC loves mulch and because it is fluffy and easily airborne, it can find its way into the lungs and for some people, cause disease.

In my book, “The BE CLEAR Method to Living with Bronchiectasis” available on Amazon, https://amzn.to/333htls I mention my double-whammy diseases but focus on bronchiectasis. This was a deliberate choice as there are many people who have BE and will never get MAC or any Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) infections.

At the same time, because roughly 30% of those with BE in the US will contract an NTM infection, I feel I should talk about it so people, if they so choose, can minimize their exposure.

To learn more about lowering your risks, go to the Resources Page on my website letsbecleartoday.com and scroll to the very bottom where you will see an article from Dr. Joseph Falkinham.

Let me know if you have any questions!

PS my pulmonologist asked if she could use this photo in her slide presentations to show people what not to do with bronchiectasis and NTM lung disease!!😩😀

#Bronchiectasis #NTM #NTMLungDisease #NTMLungDiseaseSupportGroup #NTMLungDiseaseInfo  #falkinham #pneumonia #bronchitis