Identifying any respiratory disease in older adults in time is very important to be able to provide the appropriate treatment and that the disease does not worsen quickly, damaging the quality of life of the person who suffers from it.
Being living in retirement residences, the elderly can easily infect each other due to the coexistence they have and therefore, they could unexpectedly contract respiratory diseases that can affect some more than others depending on the health of their lungs or their organs in general, as well as how high their defenses are.
It is important that as visitors of a loved one living in a nursing home or as their main caregivers for those who still live at home, we know how to identify the main symptoms of this type of disease in our older adults, so here we share what are the most common and which ones should be paid attention to in order to see a doctor as soon as possible.
The main signs of respiratory diseases are:
-Shortness of breath
-Chest pain
-Constant coughing and in more severe cases, coughing up blood
-Tiredness when doing simple activities
-Headache and muscle pain
-Constant fever
If you or a loved one is presenting any of these symptoms, go to a doctor who will review your health situation in order to detect if you have any of the most common respiratory diseases of old age such as: asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, bronchitis or pulmonary emphysema.
Any of the diseases mentioned above can represent a high risk to the health of an older adult because they tend to affect quickly and have symptoms that make life difficult for older people. Treating them in time can make the difference between a better quality of life for those who suffer from these diseases thanks to the treatments that exist to reduce or combat them.
Always remember to be aware of any signs of illness that you or a loved one present and if you detect any, go to the doctor immediately, it is better to take preventive measures than regret not having come on time.
