What else can the elderly do besides taking medicine when the flu strikes? | Popular Science Interpretation of Winter Respiratory Diseases

Editor's note: Recently, Guangming Online's Science Channel and the "Dayi Xiaohu" medical communication think tank launched a special topic called "Winter Respiratory Disease Series Popular Science Interpretations", inviting medical experts to provide popular science interpretations on the causes, transmission routes, prevention measures and treatments of respiratory diseases. Please pay attention.

Author: Wang Shuxin and Fang Hao, Shanghai Geriatrics Center

Scientific review: Shen Jian, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Recently, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Aging Office released the latest "2022 National Aging Development Bulletin", which shows that by the end of 2022, the number of people aged 60 and above in the country will be 280.04 million, accounting for 19.8% of the total population; the number of people aged 65 and above in the country will be 209.78 million, accounting for 14.9% of the total population. With aging so serious today, the health protection of the elderly needs to attract our sufficient attention. Since the beginning of winter, respiratory infectious diseases, especially influenza, have entered a high incidence period. After the influenza virus invades the human respiratory system, it mainly manifests as fever (body temperature can be as high as 39-40℃), headache, muscle aches, chills, chills, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc., most of which are self-limiting. However, the immune defense system of the elderly is weak. If treatment is not timely, the influenza virus can invade the lungs and cause viral pneumonia, and may also be infected with bacteria and combined with bacterial pneumonia. Both types of pneumonia can cause severe coughing, severe breathing difficulties, persistent or recurrent fever, and sometimes bloody or purulent sputum, and can even cause serious complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome or death. So what can the elderly do to help themselves survive the cold winter and withstand the ravages of influenza?

Prevention is the key. Winter temperatures are low and fluctuate greatly, so you should keep warm and add or remove clothing as the temperature changes. Take rest, avoid overwork, and get enough sleep. Try to avoid crowded places. If you need to go out, wear a mask correctly and take precautions. Wash your hands frequently and ventilate more. Eat a balanced diet to enhance your immunity. If conditions permit, get a flu shot.

Once flu symptoms appear, seek medical attention promptly and use antiviral drugs (such as oseltamivir, mabaloxavir, etc.) for treatment under the guidance of a doctor as soon as possible. During home treatment, be sure to rest and drink plenty of water.

However, as people age, their body functions decline, their respiratory muscles weaken, their coughing power weakens, and their ability to clear lung mucociliary fluid is slow and weakened. When they have purulent or bloody sputum, they are more likely to have difficulty expectorating. However, if the sputum is not discharged in time, it will aggravate the condition. Next, I will introduce a simple method that can be done anytime and anywhere to help eliminate sputum - active circulation breathing technique.

This is a set of specific breathing training methods, which is a common method of airway clearance technology in breathing training. It opens the airway, fully expands the alveoli, increases the air vibration in the airway, and helps to discharge sputum.

Active cyclic breathing technique consists of repeated cycles of three key parts: breathing control, chest expansion movement, and forced exhalation technique.

(1) Breathing control: This is abdominal breathing, which can relax tense respiratory muscles and avoid airway spasms. You can sit on the bed with your body slightly leaning forward, or sit on a chair. The specific method is: take a deep breath through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. When you inhale, your abdomen bulges, and when you exhale, your abdomen sinks. Control the inhalation and exhalation time ratio to 1:2-3. Try to relax yourself in this step and try to slow down your breathing. When doing this, put your hands on your abdomen and feel the changes in the bulge and sink of the abdomen.

(2) Chest expansion exercise: Deep breathing exercises that focus on inhalation can loosen secretions, fully expand the chest and lungs, and improve the strength of respiratory muscles. The specific method is: take a long and slow breath through the nose, hold your breath for 3 seconds at the end of the inhalation, and then exhale like a sigh.

(3) Forced exhalation technique: It can expand collapsed airways, increase airflow in blocked but unclosed airways, and move and clear secretions. The specific method is: divided into two small steps. The first small step: inhale normally, then exhale quickly and for a long time. This action may cause coughing. The second small step: inhale deeply, then exhale briefly and forcefully. Exhale 1-2 times each time. If you can hear the sound of phlegm in the throat when exhaling, then cough, the expectoration effect will be much better.

The order and frequency of the above three steps are not fixed and can be adjusted flexibly according to the patient's condition, but they are indispensable. You can refer to the following plan A or plan B for flexible circulation. You can do active circular breathing training 2-3 times a day, each time for 10 minutes.

As the elderly age, they already show signs of decreased lung function, such as increased residual volume, decreased vital capacity, decreased lung capacity and pulmonary artery oxygen partial pressure, decreased elastic recoil of lung tissue, and decreased tidal volume. After viral infection causes pneumonia, alveolar epithelial cells are damaged, and pathological changes such as exudation in the alveolar cavity further affect lung function. Therefore, in addition to effective expectoration, you can also monitor the progression of the disease and judge the quality of your lung function through a few simple actions in your daily life, such as blowing, holding your breath, or climbing stairs.

1. Blow some air

Light a candle, stand 15 cm away from it, take a deep breath and blow out the candle. If you can blow it out in one breath, it means your lung function is good.

2. Hold your breath

Take a few deep breaths first, then hold your breath after taking a deep breath until you can no longer hold it. During this period, do not inhale or exhale secretly. If the breath holding time is greater than 30 seconds, it means that your cardiopulmonary function is good.

3. Climb a building

Wear comfortable shoes and climb the stairs at a normal speed without stopping until you can no longer climb. If you can reach the third floor without any obvious chest tightness or shortness of breath, it means your lung function is good. If you can't climb more than three floors, it means your lung function is poor and you should pay attention to it. However, if you can't climb three floors of stairs because of leg and foot problems or joint pain, this test is of no reference value.

The above tests are a rough assessment method. If you find that your lung function is declining, you need to go to the hospital for further formal examination and treatment in time.

According to the World Health Organization, influenza can cause 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths each year. A domestic study in 2019 showed that there are an average of 88,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths in my country each year, and 80% of them are elderly people over 60 years old. Therefore, respiratory health management for the elderly is even more important. In daily life, taking good precautions, mastering effective breathing exercises and expectoration methods, and monitoring lung function are not only beneficial for resisting influenza and accelerating recovery, but also can help the elderly improve their health level and quality of life, and help reduce the care burden on families and society!

May every elderly person be healthy! Stay away from influenza and defeat influenza!