Best Shower heads for MAC

@windwalker
@janovr
Will think about getting my water tested.
As I have researched shower heads and MAC I'm finding a lot: (
Here is one link of many.

Maybe be giving up baths/ showers lol.
Shari

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@windwalker888
When I ordered the shower clear shower head I also emailed the company that I had questions and left my number. That was one of my questions about mac still being in the water supply. The owner and inventer personally called me to answer my questions. He stated that it's in the shower head where most all of the biofilms are formed. There could be a small amount in the water still but its not colonizing like it is in the shower head. Almost all shower heads never dry out so they sit and get mac and mold growing in them. I have had mold in my sputum several times along with pseudomonas and Mac. I'm unable to use the tub because of bad knee so this shower head gives me some peace of mind. I will take short not steamy showers and hope for the best.
He sent me studies on the showerhead. My thoughts were my shower head was time to replace and why not do it with a solid brass flip open one that I don't need to worry about. Wasn't it in one of the links that you posted that in the studies they looked for the mac in homes of people with MAC infection that it was always found in the bathroom mostly the showerhead?
Shari

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@pfist Yes, that was me that had posted an article stating that. I don't blame you one bit for orderimg your showerhead. Especially after reading the article you posted.

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The science nerd here again -
While I agree that it is prudent to avoid vectors of infection, I still find the research on the issue of NTM in showers to be inconclusive as to whether there is high risk of infection there.
While the study cited, https://www.pnas.org/content/106/38/16393.long, was somewhat alarming regarding the widespread incidence of NTM in shower heads, I found this paragraph especially interesting:
"...Showerhead biofilms and water are potential sources of aerosolized microorganisms. However, different microbes and biofilms have different qualities that can influence partitioning into aerosols. Indeed, we and others have shown that mycobacteria can be selectively aerosolized, possibly a consequence of their waxy, hydrophobic quality (3, 25). To determine the makeup of shower aerosol microbiology, we collected aerosols during 20-min unoccupied shower operations with three showerheads analyzed rRNA gene sequences and compared them with biofilm, water, and ambient bathroom air samples. Microbial constituents were reflective of feedwaters and not biofilm. It seems possible, however, that any initial pulse of biofilm components would have been extensively diluted by water delivered during the aerosol collection period, and so not detected..."
In other words, the very characteristic that makes NTM difficult to eradicate, the waxy biofilm, may also make it less likely to aerosolize in the shower.
While the study goes on to conclude that showers may be a vector of infection, the paragraph above doesn't support the specific conclusion, in my opinion. Instead, I think the conclusion "...We conclude that there is need for further epidemiological investigations of potential sources of NTM infections, including showerheads. The methods we use here provide an experimental approach for such investigations..." is much more important.
My takeaway from all of this is to exercise caution, minimize exposure to the initial blast of hot, steamy water from any shower head, and continue to my healthy life precautions. For those who are seriously concerned about water-borne infection, I would say shower head replacement or disinfection is one of those reasonable precautions.
Also, I find it very interesting that NTM are far less prevalent in well water - makes me happy that for half the year, that is my water source!

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@sueinmn
That's good you have well water 1/2 the time anyway. I guess Mac isn't inhibited by all the chlorine in the city water supply much at all.
Are you in Minnesota thought maybe from your title sueinmm?
I'm in St Paul Minnesota.

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@migizii I’m in Bemidji, MN and perhaps you doctor at Mayo in Rochester, too? I have not entered the shower head discussion as I am not convinced it to be anymore of a problem than anything else we run into in our life. We need to be careful, but I don’t want to be overly concerned. I checked with my pulmonologist and he wasn’t worried about hot tubs as long as they are cleaned regularly, so he thought that means excluding going in people’s home hot tubs as they are less likely to be cleaned as often as commercial settings. My recent scan showed indications of NTM infection but since I rarely produce sputum, I have to start wearing one of those vests and then he is going to order new sputum tests after there is some mucus production.

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Here is a article that just came out today. It quotes top microbiologist Joseph Falkingham.

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Hi all:
I received my Shower Clear and it is a very high quality heavy brass shower head that flips open to dry after use. I got mine for 235.00 with a discount code. Its a little spendy but the quality is there and I will never need to replace this shower head. Happy that it completely dries between uses. I've had pseudomonas and aspergillus mold also in my lungs and feel it (may) help prevent these infections also.
The owner told me there is a hospital that using his Shower head now primarily. There is also a study on Mac in shower heads being conducted and they are including his Shower head in the study. It will be interesting to hear the results!

Shari

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