Skip to main content

The Cold & Flu Season: Early Signs of Pneumonia in Elderly

Early Signs of Pneumonia

A change of season often leads to cough and cold among older adults. The low immunity level becomes a common reason behind this seasonal flu. If unattended or prolonged, it can lead to pneumonia among the elderly. Some of the preliminary signs of pneumonia in older people include a tired and rundown look with warm and clammy skin. You may also notice them shaking and complaining of feeling too cold. Let’s give an insight into what is pneumonia and its early signs.

What is Pneumonia?

It is an inflammation of the lungs caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or other organisms. This inflammation causes an outpour of fluids in the infected parts of the lungs. It can affect either one or both the lungs.

Early Signs of Pneumonia

Some of the first signs of pneumonia that you need to watch out include

  • Cough: If the cough does not clear up, then it can be a sign of pneumonia. In some cases, it can lead to a build-up of mucus in the lungs. Besides, this cough can be greenish, yellowish or even a bloody substance in some cases.
  • Chest Pain: The infection in the lungs can cause pain while coughing or breathing. Sometimes, deep coughing can cause sharp pain in the chest.
  • Fever: In most pneumonia patients, fever is a common sign. However, if you are over 65 years, then you may experience low body temperature too.
  • Fatigue: With age, you may already be feeling low on energy. Besides, consistent coughing and fluctuating body temperature can also sap the body energy. So, you may also feel exhausted.
  • Shortness of Breath: The air sacs in the lungs get filled with pus, which causes difficulty in breathing. You may notice falling short of breath when you try rushing-up for anything. It can be even walking a little fast to answer a phone call or doorbell.

Along with the above signs, a state of confusion is also common in pneumonia patients. These slips are often due to exhaustion and infection.

Ways to Treat Pneumonia

If you notice any of the above symptoms, you should consult a doctor immediately. Pneumonia in older people can get tricky. So, seek doctor advise on a priority basis. If get diagnosed with pneumonia, then follow the below tips for some relief

  • Rest well
  • Stay hydrated
  • Eat fresh and hot meals
  • Maintain personal hygiene
  • Avoid alcohol consumption and smoking
  • Follow doctor advise, stringently

Feeling too tired or need assistance, then consult Samvedna Senior Care. We offer complete care packages for seniors like health care solutions, emergency support, general wellbeing, personal care and home management services. Our personnel can accompany you to the doctor, keep you occupied at home and maintain the home. If you need a doctor on call or any other urgent medical care too, then we can facilitate ambulance assurance and hospitalisation support too. You are precious, and we will be happy to assist in every manner possible. Let’s help you recover and live a healthy and happy old age. Samvedna care is for complete elder care.



from Samvedna Senior Care https://ift.tt/2wFME6D
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Connection Between Aging, Exercise, and Healthy Lungs

Enjoying a long and healthy retirement requires taking good care of yourself. While many people focus on living a heart-smart lifestyle, taking proactive steps to maintain healthy lungs is essential, too. As we age, the lungs become weaker and less flexible. This can contribute to a variety of diseases and chronic health conditions. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , lung-related illnesses are the 3rd leading cause of death in this country. That includes lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma—adding up to nearly 235,000 deaths a year. Here are a few tips you can use to keep your lungs healthy: Stop smoking. Talk with your primary care physician about smoking cessation programs. Avoid secondhand smoke. Research shows it can be just as deadly as being a smoker. Stay away from harsh chemicals. It’s important to avoid breathing in damaging fumes (e.g., home cleaners and weed killers). Prevent infections. Many infections can lead to ...

How You Can Join the Fight Against Alzheimer’s

World Alzheimer’s Month in September is an opportunity to raise awareness about this complex disease and to challenge the stigmas surrounding dementia. Launched in 2012, the awareness month spotlights the fact that 2 out of every 3 people globally believe there is little understanding of dementia in their countries. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia and it is the 6 th leading cause of death in the US, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual report. With the senior population growing quickly, Alzheimer’s and dementia cases will continue to increase as well, unless researchers can find a cure. This upcoming Monday, Sept. 21, is World Alzheimer’s Day, a call to action for all of us to educate ourselves on how to take preventative steps, identify symptoms and support loved ones who have been diagnosed. Read more below to learn how to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. Know the Warning Signs Detecting Alzheimer’s disea...

Sleep in the Elderly: What is Normal?

If you are a caregiver for a senior, or even just have elderly people in your life, you may wonder about their sleeping habits. It sometimes seems that the elderly don’t need as much sleep as the average person. You may feel like the elderly in your life are sleeping a lot, or sleeping too much during the day. Unfortunately when it comes to sleep in the elderly, what is normal may not necessarily be what is healthy. Excessive sleep or daytime sleeping in the elderly are all related to sleep disorders and can be helped. How Many Hours of Sleep Does an Elderly Person Need? A pervading myth related to sleep claims that elderly adults need less sleep than the average adult. It’s not quite clear how this myth began. Perhaps because elderly adults tend to nap in the afternoons and sleep less during the night. Perhaps because the elderly tend to wake up earlier in the morning, it appears they do not need to sleep as much. Whatever the reason, it remains a myth. From the mid-’20s onward, do...