Respiratory health for seniors -
Maintain good indoor air quality : Ensure proper ventilation in your living spaces to reduce the buildup of indoor pollutants and allergens.
Keep your home clean and dust-free to minimize indoor air pollution and allergen exposure. Stay hydrated : Drink plenty of water to keep your respiratory tract moist and help prevent irritation.
Practice property hygiene : Something as simple as washing your hands daily can eliminate conditions that can cause respiratory problems. Get quality home health care and take a daily vitamin to keep your organs healthy. Seek proper medical attention : If you experience persistent cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or other unusual respiratory symptoms, seek medical attention promptly.
It goes without saying it is also helpful to take care of your health overall, regularly seeing your doctor and addressing other health issues that arise. Talk to your doctor about flu and pneumonia immunization, among other topics.
If you're healthy, though, typical age-related lung changes seldom lead to actual symptoms, although you may notice a lesser ability to participate in intense aerobic exercises. Being slightly winded may indicate a need for more physical activity, whereas "incapacitating shortness of breath, chest discomfort, wheezing, and coughing should not be considered a normal part of aging.
While lung and breathing problems are a normal part of aging, respiratory problems may also be a sign of underlying health conditions that may require immediate attention.
If you or a beloved senior are experiencing any of the following symptoms, speak with a respiratory therapist of your GP. Respiratory issues can also result in blue lips cyanosis.
This refers to the bluish or purplish discoloration of the lips and the surrounding skin and occurs due to a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood reaching the tissues. If you or a loved senior experiences blue lips, you should go to the emergency room immediately, as it suggests a drop in oxygen levels reaching certain areas of the body.
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About Kendal Corporation Careers Our Team. Why Kendal At Home Healthy Aging and Wellness Courses and Seminars. Member Resources The Kendal Corporation Blog. What We Do. About Kendal at Home. Knowledge Center. October 04, Let's Start with Physiology: How The Lungs Work Lungs play two critical roles in our health and overall body function.
Common Breathing Problems in Older Adults If you or an elderly loved one is experiencing difficulty breathing, it could be due to one or more of the breathing issues listed below. Age-Related Changes Our respiratory health becomes weaker as we age, which is completely normal. You may find it harder to inhale and exhale due to the following reasons: A decline in lung function and elasticity.
Weakening of respiratory muscles. Reduced cough reflex and clearance mechanisms. Altered chest wall mobility. Changes in respiratory control. Increased airway resistance.
Risk of chronic lung diseases. Interstitial lung diseases. Pulmonary hypertension. Chronic cough. Heart failure. Neurological disorders, including strokes. Respiratory Infections Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs.
Influenza and COVID susceptibility. Common cold and flu. Sinus problems. Environmental and Lifestyle Factors Older people with breathing problems may also need to make certain environmental changes to reduce the chances of contracting respiratory diseases. Some environmental factors that may cause specific breathing difficulties, especially shallow breathing, include the following: Air pollution and respiratory irritants, e.
Humidity levels. High altitudes. Weather changes. Indoor air quality. Cold air. Tobacco smoke. Steps To Take To Protect Your Lungs Healthy aging is all about taking the proper steps now to prevent issues later in life. Here are three crucial strategies for keeping your lungs healthy: Don't smoke.
Sudden onset of severe shortness of breath. Sudden chest pain. Congestive heart failure. A fever of degrees or higher with or without a cough. Increased shortness of breath during activity. Changes in breathing during sleep. Swallowing problems.
Coughing up blood. The prevalence of lung conditions, such as COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, and lung infections, such as pneumonia, increases sharply with age. The physiologic, cellular, and immunologic changes that occur during aging contribute to the development of lung disease.
Studies of age-related changes in physiology and function are not only key to preventing or ameliorating disease, they are also essential for understanding healthy aging.
Individuals with good lung function live longer, healthier lives, although the mechanisms by which this scenario occurs are not understood. The present article reviews changes in the aging lung that facilitate development of disease and the evidence supporting the idea that robust lung function reduces the risk of developing chronic inflammatory conditions that occur with age.
Official websites use. seniorw Respiratory health for seniors. gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Respiratory Respiratory health for seniors are among the Respiratory health for seniors health concerns for seniors. The Rspiratory Institutes of Kiwi fruit allergy information noted older adults are at an increased heaoth for healtg lung-related conditions ffor illnessessuch as shortness of breath, pneumonia, low oxygen levels and bronchitis. Because of the heightened hazard of breathing issues, seniors may benefit from using the following tips to improve their respiratory health:. Get a lung function test Doctors use lung function tests, or pulmonary function tests, to understand the cause of a breathing problem. From the results, the physician can diagnose the condition.
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