"As we age, the local defense function and overall immune function of the respiratory tract decrease. In addition, elderly people often have multiple underlying diseases, making them susceptible to respiratory infections. Once diagnosed, they are prone to developing into severe cases, making them a group of people that we need to pay special attention to." On November 26th, the National Health Commission held a press conference to introduce the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases in winter, Experts provide advice on the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases for the elderly.
Vaccination is the most necessary preventive measure
Li Yanming, Director of the Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department at Beijing Hospital, stated that it is currently the season for influenza outbreaks. For elderly people, especially those with underlying diseases, vaccination is the most important preventive measure.
She also reminded to pay attention to changes in temperature. If the temperature at home is relatively low, you can choose some small appliances to maintain a suitable temperature and humidity in the home environment. If the home environment is too dry, it is also not conducive to respiratory health. If going out, try to minimize going to places where people gather in enclosed environments, while wearing masks and paying attention to the cleanliness of your hands. In addition, the living room should be ventilated every day.
In addition, strengthen the management of basic diseases and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Because for basic diseases, acute exacerbation of basic diseases is prone to occur once respiratory infections occur, and it is necessary to control basic diseases in a relatively good state. In addition, it is important to maintain a healthy diet, reasonable sleep, reduce smoking and alcohol consumption, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Pay attention to the atypical symptoms of elderly onset
Li Yanming also reminded attention to the atypical symptoms of elderly people suffering from respiratory infections. She stated that a typical respiratory infection is fever, accompanied by respiratory symptoms such as cough and sputum. However, for elderly people, this manifestation may not be specific, especially for elderly people or those with disabilities and dementia who cannot express their discomfort well. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen daily monitoring.
Firstly, many elderly people tend to prioritize falls as a manifestation of respiratory infections, as the elderly themselves are relatively weak, and respiratory infections can further exacerbate their decline in stability. In addition, there may be some gastrointestinal or central nervous system symptoms, which generally worsen, such as poor appetite, drowsiness, etc., which may be symptoms of respiratory infections in elderly people.
Strengthen nursing during treatment
Regarding the treatment of elderly people, Li Yanming introduced that comprehensive treatment is a very important part of it. For respiratory infections, the first step is anti infection treatment, following medical advice and providing anti infection treatment based on possible or identified pathogens. When choosing antibiotics for treatment, attention should be paid to their effectiveness and safety.
Elderly people often have multiple underlying diseases and use a lot of drugs, so it is important to pay attention to drug interactions. Meanwhile, adjust the dosage according to the liver and kidney function of the elderly. In addition, elderly people have more underlying diseases and are prone to worsening during infection. Therefore, care and monitoring of underlying diseases become very important during respiratory infections.
During the treatment period, strengthen the care of the elderly. Once the elderly suffer from respiratory infections, they are prone to poor appetite, difficulty swallowing, coughing, and poor sputum production. We need to supplement nutrition during this period, supplement with digestible and high-quality food, and strengthen the drainage of sputum.
