Breathing Issues with Age – Here what one can do about it

Breathing Issues with Age – Here what one can do about it

When we think of breathing, it reminds us of our lungs and how we should take care of them more to avoid any breathing troubles. Lungs, one of the most vital organs of our body has primarily two major jobs to do.

First is bringing the oxygen to our body when we breathe in & second is throwing the carbon dioxide outside while we breathe out. With age, it’s normal for the organs to have a gradual decline in the functioning because the body and your organs age too along with you.

There is decrease in the heart function, weakening of respiratory muscles, bagging of air sacs and many more and therefore there is more pressure on the organs. There are changes to the entire body when one grows old. The immune system gets weaker, brain starts to get tired and lose some of its function and the body starts needing more oxygen to function.

Along with age, there are few other major reasons which could cause breathing issues such as:

Pneumonia & other clinical ailments :

Pneumonia causes fluid to get stuck in lung sacks which results in cough and breathing issues.other diseases like asthma and COPD are also lung conditions which worsens the breathing issues COPD is one of the common ones in older adults. It’s a type of Illness which takes years to develop fully.. One suffering from these diseases have difficulty in breathing. With these it’s not just about old age but these are serious issues to be treated on priority.

Smoking:

Lungs obstruction issues like asthma and COPD are usually caused by Smoking. This habit causes way more damage than anything else. It is harmful to the entire body but is a poison for the lungs.. Smoking. causes the muscles to tire quickly, make skin more dull and wrinkled, wounds are harder to heal and the body is a whole mess. A study says that this habit causes about 1 in 5 deaths every year in the United States.

It doesn’t matter if you are old or have been smoking from a long time, quitting at anytime is beneficial. When you quit, you are actually saving days in your life and perhaps adding to it. Ask for a doctor or any other help or try self help, friends or group counselling and start today.

Obesity:

United States of America has been struggling with Obesity issues from a long time. It is prevalent in all the age groups however it’s rise in the number of older adults is a major concern. Several health problems are associated with being obese and some are life threading too. The increased weight on the chest walls of obese people makes its very difficult for them to breathe.

Common symptoms of breathing problem includes :

A) Fatigue

B) Chest tightness & difficulty in breathing

C) Fever and chills

D) Regular Coughing

E) Shortness of breath doing smallest of the tasks

F) Wheezing

G) Swollen legs and feet

H) Sleep disorders and gasping for air sometimes

If we go by certain reports, Every 1 in 7 older adult suffer from any lung disorders like mild breathing problems, COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or asthma. Some reports also say that Lung issue is a huge problem in the United States and is third leading cause of death in the country.

Now that we discussed the issues, let’s come to the solution and see what can be done about it.

First and foremost, quit smoking if you already haven’t. Smoking speeds up the lungs ageing and harms them to a greater length.

It’s always advised to add exercise to one’s routine and with Age it is a necessity. We are not talking about hardcore gym exercises with heavy body lifts but few basic Yogasanas and meditative exercises certainly helps.

Regular medical checkup and being under medical supervision really helps in slowing down anything unwanted that can come up.

Sitting Idle is absolutely not an ideal thing to do. Move around and give your body some fresh air to breathe.

Minimise exposure to indoor pollution by staying away from chemical smokes

Check the air quality index of the outdoors before stepping outside and prevent yourself from outdoor pollutants.

Seniors who suffer from breathing troubles often need support in performing activities of daily living and assisted living centres like Riversedge assisted living have full capability and capacity to perform those duties. Our well trained staff and 24 hour support service would let me stay worry free and enjoy the free days of your life!