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Completed 16 months of the big 3. CT unchanged
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: May 2 7:02pm | Replies (18)Comment receiving replies
@pacathy,
It has always been my understanding that the ground glass appearance and mucus plugs were due to bronchiectasis. All of that mucus being in bronchioles provides a good moist environment for MAC to proliferate. The mucus plugs in your bronchioles cause bronchioles to stretch and they can lose the ability to get rid of mucus. MAC and pneumonia and emphysema, for those who have it, makes all of this worse. I never expected to have good clear lungs again. Just trying to keep down the infectious bacteria and viral things that make it worse. I welcome any input someone can give on this. Like all of you, I too am just looking for answers. The MAC is something we get because our immune systems are already compromised. Everyone is exposed to MAC from our environment, but their bodies don't get sick from it.
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@joyeous Yes, the mucus plugs are often indicative of bronchiectasis. But the ground glass opacities are more general - they often appear as part of any sort of lung infection, and often clear up shortly after it is gone. Not all people with bronchiectasis/MAC have either opacities or mucus plugs.
Why do people with bronchiectasis (or Cystic Fibrosis or COPD) get MAC/NTM when the general population aren't affected? Because our lungs don't work properly to expel mucus. And mucus is the ideal warm, dark, moist breeding environment for the infection to grow. Some of us with bronchiectasis may be immuno-compromised as well, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
The best tool I have found for avoiding reinfection with MAC or Pseudomonas is to keep my lungs clear with daily airway clearance.
Do you practice airway clearance, use the new drug Brinsupri to reduce inflammation in your lungs, or take other steps to avoid infection?