What restrictions with water usage and ice cubes should I be following

I am learning, too, and unfortunately, I have only more questions. What do people with our diagnosis do when traveling? You can't avoid showers, baths, and other necessities when traveling. And hotels, Airbnb's, etc., don't have all the special filters. What about eating out or washing your vegetables before cooking? This is all so overwhelming.

@mtinderscott2626 You are right, it does seem overwhelming at first!
Probably every question you have today has been asked here on Connect at one time or another - here is how to search for the discussions that may help you:
Near the top of the page, click on the label "MAC & Bronchiectasis"
This takes you to the home page for our group, where there is a box that says "Search Discussions" a little way down the page (not the top one.)
Type in the topic of interest like "Traveling with Bronchiectasis" or "Eating out" and press enter.
You will get a list of discussions and comments with those key words. Choose some and begin reading. You can use the back button to go back to the list to read more.

Hint: Look for more recent discussions or comments to get the latest information. Some protocols and recommendations may have changed over time.

@mholm why specifically 'Spring Water"?

Spring water has been shown to have least amount of NTM vs other bottled water especially that come from a public facility

@mtinderscott2626 Apparently a lot of bottled water commpanies use city/municipal water sources that, although safe to drink, may have the bacteria (MAC, NTM) that many of us are susceptable to.

A question for our mentors--are all of these precautions necessary for those of us with uncomplicated bronchiectesis? I continue to use unfiltered city tap water, shower and live my life in the world as before diagnosed.

@snoei I would like for you to do a taste test. Buy unfiltered water. Make a soup with unfiltered water and then another at the same time with city tab water. Big difference.
Also, boil city tap water in a pot. Once close to empty do not wash it fill it again with city tap water and let it boil down. Do not wash it again. Boil it again until there is no water in it and you will have allowed all the calcium and particles to have surfaced and remained on the bottom of the pot.
Also, all water is best boiled, hard boil, for ten minutes to be sure to rid any water of possible bacteria. Spring water....what spring is it from....how do we know the particular spring is what would be considered safe. So much to reflect on and decide on.
I use purified water, hate buying it, but I do. I bring it to a hard boil and boil it for ten minutes. I also think of it as helping to bring moisture into a dry winter home heated with forced air heating system.
Barbara

@snoei Great question and a hated answer - It depends! I am a person who lives life with asthma, bronchiectasis, rheumatoid arthritism and a few other "disorders", but I am not defined by them, nor obsessed with every aspect of my health.

You sound like me - a person who tolerates some risk in order to live their life - I call myself a "belt or suspenders" type. Then there are those who are more cautious - let's call them "belt and suspenders" types. Finally, there are those who try to totally avoid risk - I'm not sure what to call them - maybe "belt, suspenders and superglue" types?

Common sense tells us that with bronchiectasis we have "an increased risk of lung infection" - but not in a critical way like someone who has had their immune system killed by chemo. And not every encounter with a germ leads to an infection, otherwise we would need to live in a bubble. So each of us needs to find our own risk tolerance.

Like you, I tend to "live my life in the world" with the fewest restrictions possible, but having survived MAC antibiotic treatment, I know I don't ever want to go there again! As a precaution against reinfection, I do daily airway clearance sometimes with saline.

With respect to drinking water and ice - If you have gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) - either diagnosed or "silent", ice and drinking water precautions can help avoid infection because you reduce the risk of aspirating water with NTM in it.

Showers, on the other hand, seem to pose a greater risk if your water is contaminated with NTM. By repeatedly inhaling aerosolized particles, you have a greater risk of infection. To minimize the amount of NTM in your hot water, according to Dr Joe Falkinham, increase the temperature on your hot water heater to be above 130F. Other recommendations would include cleaning the shower head, ventilating the bathroom, and short showers.

Another of the bigger risks for inhaling too much NTM & getting infected is indoor pools & all hot tubs, where the air above becomes filled with concentrated, aerosolized NTM. Outdoor pools and lakes are not so risky, as any bacteria is highly diluted by fresh air.

How do I live? I hang out with my dear grandsons, who could be described as germ factories. We wash hands, cover coughs, and go on adventures. I swim outdoors in the pool, lakes and ocean. I entertain, eat out and drink the water/have ice in my drinks. I travel - a lot - and wear a mask on planes with their close quarters and recycled air. I garden - in wetted soil or with a mask, leaving the dusty tasks to someone else. I constantly gather with others, indoors and out, but usually avoid crowds in cold and flu season or mask, and stay away from sick people.

Some of the places I think people tend to go overboard on precautions - worrying about NTM on produce, steam from the dishpan or dishwasher, getting a shampoo and haircut, never going out unmasked, even worrying about passing neighbors in their apartment building hallway.

If my level of caution happens to shorten my life a bit, I will go out with great memories, a song in my heart and a smile on my face.

What precautions or changes have you made since diagnosis?

@snoei I'm doing the same as snoei. Roz

@sueinmn I appreciate your common sense approach. I was first diagnosed with BE and MAC last October.I have learned knowledge is power. Many people have had this for decades.There are so many precautions to take while at home, and it’s not all inhibiting as you work to figure it out as you travel, go out,etc.Life altering?….definitely. But at age 74 I agree with you. Let this final chapter play out, and embrace all the joy you can and still be cautious too.Jeanne