Your Comprehensive Guide To Asthma Attacks in Older People
Advancing years bring on several health complications. People over 65 have their own unique health challenges. Issues such as diabetes, blood sugar, and arthritis take a drastic turn as one grows older. Similarly, respiratory issues like asthma are also common among older people. The risk grows further with advancing age.
According to the National Institutes of Health, there has been an increase in the older population by 77% since 2015. And by 2030, the population will increase to 20%. This means that the healthcare sector will also see a significant rise in asthma cases among older people. Without asthma management, things will get bleaker in the long run.
Today’s post covers asthma among older people. We will talk about the various aspects, focusing on the deadliness of asthma, its symptoms, some asthma management tips, and how caregivers can help.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness that occurs at any point in time. There is no age bar when it comes to asthma attacks. However, the severity may vary from mild to severe.
This chronic, long-term respiratory disease affects your lungs severely. This happens when the airway becomes narrower due to swelling, clogging, or muscle tightening. As the airway has a narrow opening, it gets harder to breathe. This leads to the development of symptoms like wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing.
Causes of Asthma
Asthma is a complex respiratory problem, so till now, it has not been fully understood what can cause asthma. However, there are many causes that contribute to the development of asthma.
Some contributing factors to asthma are
- Genetic or family history of members diagnosed with asthma
- Environmental factors like air pollution, industrial pollutants, and smoking
- Respiratory infections
- Common allergies like dust, pollen, mold, and pets
- Occupational exposures like factory chemicals, dust, and fumes
- Stress and emotional disturbance
- Obesity
- Certain medications trigger asthma attacks
Can Asthma Be Deadly For Older People?
Older people with comorbidities are prone to asthma attacks. Because of physiological challenges, they become vulnerable to various threats.
So, yes, asthma can be severe in older people if there are no proper precautionary measures. In fact, asthma is also the leading cause of death among older individuals. Moreover, the airways in older individuals are narrower as compared to young people. So, they have more difficulty with air intake. As a result, the airways get inflamed, making them more prone to asthma attacks.
In addition to this, if an older individual is diagnosed with another illness like diabetes, high blood pressure, or other cardiovascular conditions, asthma gets more severe. This trigger is combined with an increase in pollution or other environmental factors.
Therefore, it is important to recognize the symptoms of asthma for early intervention.
Asthma symptoms
Recognizing the symptoms of asthma lets you take timely action on what you should be doing. In this section, you read about the top 10 asthma symptoms. Look out for these symptoms and seek timely intervention to prevent their severity.
The symptoms are
- Wheezing
- Breathlessness
- Tightness in the chest
- Coughing
- Trouble sleeping because of difficulty breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Anxiety
- Rapid heart rate
However, do remember that these signs don’t always resemble asthma symptoms. There may be other factors contributing to these symptoms. Therefore, it is important to check with healthcare professionals.
If you or your loved one is showing these symptoms, then you should immediately seek help and a diagnosis for respiratory illness. Moreover, asthma symptoms vary, so some people have mild symptoms while others show severe symptoms that can pose a major threat in the future.
People with asthma aged 18-45 years show severity. Both men and women are equally vulnerable to this severity.
Asthma Management Tips
Since asthma poses a major threat in the advancing years, it is important to take precautionary steps. However, older individuals living alone have unique challenges when it comes to asthma management.
That’s why we have prepared tips to manage asthma among older people. Moreover, you can get an in home caregiver to help you out as well. They keep the house well-lit and clean so that the individual diagnosed with asthma stays fit.
Asthma Management Tips That You Can Do
- Educate yourself about asthma and know your triggers
- Develop asthma management strategies
- Check up with your healthcare professionals regularly
- Create a smoke-free environment for yourself
- Keep your inhaler ready
- Adapt a healthy lifestyle
- Manage your stress
If you or your loved one stay alone at home, there are plenty of home care agencies that have trained caregivers to help you minimize asthma attacks. The trained caregivers have medical knowledge and provide you with the right knowledge about asthma. By offering homemaking services, the caregivers keep your house dust-free and help with chores.
You can use this guide to choose homemaking services for you or your loved ones.
How Does a Caregiver Help You With Asthma Management?
Asthma management is a comprehensive approach that goes beyond medication management. Caregivers offer assistance and provide knowledge about asthma so that the individual can be independent and live stress-free.
Here is how home care providers help older people manage asthma
- Ensures that medicines are taken on time
- Monitor the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms
- Collaborate with the doctor to develop an asthma action plan
- Identify and minimize asthma-triggering points
- Accompanying you or your loved one to medical appointments
- Encouraging you or your loved one to have a healthy lifestyle
- Provides information on asthma
- Reduce stress and encourage relaxing techniques
- Provides immediate medical attention during an asthma emergency
By following these tips, you can simply have a better lifestyle and promote a healthy environment.
In Conclusion
As asthma is a chronic respiratory illness, the symptoms worsen with age. As the lungs get weaker, older people develop chronic health complications. If you or your older loved one have asthma symptoms, be mindful and seek immediate help. Early intervention can minimize the severity of the condition that develops over time.
By seeking help in the early stages, you can be independent and enjoy your golden years with dignity. If you or your loved ones have been diagnosed with asthma, there must be a home care plan. With in-home caregivers, things get easier as they have caregiving skills and help you develop an asthma management plan.
Read about home care for older people diagnosed with chronic illnesses to get a complete picture of home care benefits.
If you have been looking for a home care agency in Silver Spring, get in touch with Comfikare Homecare. The trained staff offers the best care to loved ones so that they can enjoy their golden years with peace and dignity. From homemaking services to dementia care, you get support on medication management, household chores, asthma symptom monitoring, and much more.
Get your home care service now.