LAM: Lifestyle Management Make an Appointment Refer a Patient Ask a Question Reviewed by Ann Mullen, RN, CNS, AE-C, CDE, TTS, Gregory P. Downey, MD (October 01, 2018) Living well with LAM includes seeing your doctor and care team for regular checkups, taking your medication as prescribed and adhering to your treatment plan. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle through eating, exercise and coping with the emotional challenges of a chronic disease. Here are additional resources to help you. Eating Eat healthy meals that are balanced with vegetables, fruit, lean protein and calcium-rich foods. Limit sugars and fats. Your doctor will tell you if you need a special diet. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise Exercise is important to maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin levels; decrease anxiety, depression and body fat; and improve strength, stamina, balance, coordination, bone health and self-esteem. If you don’t regularly exercise, talk with your doctor before you start. Your doctor can help recommend an exercise plan for you. More here. Breathing Retraining Learn new breathing techniques will help you move air into and out of your lungs. It is helpful to use effective breathing techniques with exercise to minimize shortness of breath and assure adequate oxygen to you working muscles. Coordinated breathing is also helpful to assure adequate oxygen to your working muscles and to prevent you from holding your breath. More information here. Coping Manage your emotional health is important to your overall well-being. It is common to feel a range of emotions after being diagnosed with a rare disease and to need help in handling stress related to your diagnosis. Communicate with your care team and your personal support system about challenges you are facing and ask how they can help you through them. More information here. Lifestyle Changes Quit tobacco, marijuana and drug use; sleep for seven to nine hours each night; and get the flu, pneumonia and other vaccines your care team recommends. Clinical Trials You may want to consider participating in clinical trials related to LAM to learn more about your disease and help contribute to the field of medicine that may help others in the future. See the current list of clinical trials at National Jewish Health here. Additional Resources Benefits of Staying Hydrated Coping with Chronic Lung Disease Exercise and Weight Exercise, Healthy Eating and Lung Disease Flu Vaccine Handling Psychological and Social Issues Healthy Eating Healthy Snacking Insomnia Minimizing Shortness of Breath On the Go with Oxygen Pneumonia Vaccine Shortness of Breath and Eating Stress Management Tips for Preventing a Cold The LAM Foundation also offers resources including support group information. LAM: Treatment LAM: Associated Conditions Clinical Trials For more than 100 years, National Jewish Health has been committed to finding new treatments and cures for diseases. Search our clinical trials. Investigational Medication Sirolimus for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)
Reviewed by Ann Mullen, RN, CNS, AE-C, CDE, TTS, Gregory P. Downey, MD (October 01, 2018) Living well with LAM includes seeing your doctor and care team for regular checkups, taking your medication as prescribed and adhering to your treatment plan. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle through eating, exercise and coping with the emotional challenges of a chronic disease. Here are additional resources to help you. Eating Eat healthy meals that are balanced with vegetables, fruit, lean protein and calcium-rich foods. Limit sugars and fats. Your doctor will tell you if you need a special diet. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise Exercise is important to maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin levels; decrease anxiety, depression and body fat; and improve strength, stamina, balance, coordination, bone health and self-esteem. If you don’t regularly exercise, talk with your doctor before you start. Your doctor can help recommend an exercise plan for you. More here. Breathing Retraining Learn new breathing techniques will help you move air into and out of your lungs. It is helpful to use effective breathing techniques with exercise to minimize shortness of breath and assure adequate oxygen to you working muscles. Coordinated breathing is also helpful to assure adequate oxygen to your working muscles and to prevent you from holding your breath. More information here. Coping Manage your emotional health is important to your overall well-being. It is common to feel a range of emotions after being diagnosed with a rare disease and to need help in handling stress related to your diagnosis. Communicate with your care team and your personal support system about challenges you are facing and ask how they can help you through them. More information here. Lifestyle Changes Quit tobacco, marijuana and drug use; sleep for seven to nine hours each night; and get the flu, pneumonia and other vaccines your care team recommends. Clinical Trials You may want to consider participating in clinical trials related to LAM to learn more about your disease and help contribute to the field of medicine that may help others in the future. See the current list of clinical trials at National Jewish Health here. Additional Resources Benefits of Staying Hydrated Coping with Chronic Lung Disease Exercise and Weight Exercise, Healthy Eating and Lung Disease Flu Vaccine Handling Psychological and Social Issues Healthy Eating Healthy Snacking Insomnia Minimizing Shortness of Breath On the Go with Oxygen Pneumonia Vaccine Shortness of Breath and Eating Stress Management Tips for Preventing a Cold The LAM Foundation also offers resources including support group information. LAM: Treatment LAM: Associated Conditions