We have a hot air heating system, which is notorious for creating very dry air.  For years I struggled with upping the humidity with multiple portable humidifiers around the house.  Even though we also had a bypass humidifier connected to the furnace, it alone did not provide adequate humidity.  Three years ago I installed a central steam humidification unit.  Not only did it releave me of the hassle of maintaining multiple portable humidification units throughout the house, it was significantly more effective: I am now able to set the humification level I want and  the unit automatically provides it .  The device does increase my electric bill, but the contstant, consistant and hassle-free humidity it provides has really upped the quality of my indoor life.  If you are able to afford it, I highly recommend installing a whole house steam humidifier if you rely on hot air heat.

Below is information on humidifiers from Joe Falkinham,PhD, who has been studying NTM, water systems and environmental issues impacting NTM patients for many decades at Virginia Tech:
Household-Size Humidifiers (HVAC). In an on-going study of NTM-patients in Philadelphia (the same hospital and area where the elderly, slender women were first identified at risk for NTM pulmonary disease), our colleagues at the Lankenau Medical Research Institute (led by Dr. Leah Lande) discovered that all the NTM-infected women have whole house humidifiers that are simple fabric or plastic woven filters with a channel above with holes for tap water to drip down through the filter. Those systems are like the “swamp coolers” used in the desert southwest to cool homes. The wet filter cools the air during passage. However, NTM adhere to the filter material where they grow and are transferred the household air that is drawn through the filter. Such house-size humidifiers are difficult, if not impossible to disinfect. Theoretically, if the incoming water to the filter was sterilized by 0.2 micrometer filtration or ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the filter was disinfected regularly like a showerhead, the duct work leading in and out of the humidifier throughout the whole house was free of NTM, and the incoming air was free from outside dust, the humidified air would be relatively free from NTM.

Hello! We have assistance available for you in many forms. In addition to the community support you receive here on BronchiectasisandNTM360, you can call one of our Patient Ambassadors directly by phone at (833) 411-5864. Our Ambassadors are real live patients with experiences similar to yours and understand questions that you may have.  You can also email us at contactus@bronchandntm.org to get more information about home humidifiers. Our Ambassadors can’t provide medical advice but may be able to assist you with additional information and resources. 

Nasal washes are a good way to deal with dry nasal passages due to the dry heat of the winter. Below is information on nasal washes from the Cleveland Clinic. I recommend boiling water for 10 minutes (instead of 5 minutes mentioned in the article), let it sit and then use the nasal wash.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24286-nasal-irrigation

Also, continue to drink water and hydrate from the inside out! 💦