Elderly people and children wheeze because of cold weather

Old people and children fall ill together

Having a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Mr. NVM (67 years old) came to Tam Anh General Hospital with severe shortness of breath and respiratory failure. After examination, Mr. M was admitted to the hospital for inpatient treatment. According to Mr. M, "the weather turned cold, I coughed more and had mild difficulty breathing, but I thought it was an old illness that had relapsed, so I treated myself at home with the old medicine. I didn't expect the illness to get worse so quickly."

Elderly patients visit Ha Dong General Hospital (Photo: H.D).

According to the treating physician, it is the cold weather that makes patients with chronic lung diseases such as COPD, bronchial asthma, and bronchiectasis susceptible to recurrent episodes of shortness of breath and rapid progression. Worryingly, antibiotic resistance due to people's habit of self-medicating makes treatment more difficult.

Also being treated here, baby MA (4 years old) was diagnosed with pneumonia, after 3 days of fever and cough at home. Baby A's mother said that at first she thought her child had the flu, so she gave him fever reducer at home, but when her child had a high fever and difficulty breathing, she rushed him to the hospital.

The Department of Pediatrics also recorded a sharp increase in the number of hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases in cold weather. Many cases of children with rhinopharyngitis quickly progressed to pneumonia if not treated properly or if they took medicine without permission.

At Ha Dong General Hospital, Mr. TTT (68 years old) came for a health check because his body had been extremely tired in recent days. Through examination, Mr. T had an increased blood pressure index of 180/100, so he was prescribed to take blood pressure medication daily and monitored.

BSCKII. Phi Thi Hai Anh, Head of the Examination Department, Ha Dong General Hospital, said that recently, the hospital has received over 1,300 patients per day, an increase of 30% compared to the previous period. Of which, the rate of hospitalized patients accounts for 18.9%. Patients are mainly the elderly and children, who have low resistance and are susceptible to disease.

For the elderly with underlying medical conditions such as blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or musculoskeletal diseases, the disease will increase when the weather changes, and the patient will only go to the doctor when the weather changes. Children are susceptible to infections when the weather changes, mainly respiratory infections.

Don't be subjective when the weather turns cold

Dr. Hai Anh said that the changing seasons are conditions for bacteria and viruses to grow more strongly, making people susceptible to respiratory diseases. For those with underlying diseases and poor health, they are susceptible to infections caused by viruses that cause secondary respiratory infections; for patients with cardiovascular disease, they are susceptible to peripheral vasoconstriction and secondary hypertension.

Dr. Chu Thi Hanh, Head of the Respiratory Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, noted that many elderly patients often have the habit of reusing old medications or buying antibiotics when they see symptoms recur. This is not only ineffective but can also cause drug resistance, making future treatment more complicated.

The number of patients seeking medical attention and treatment for respiratory diseases increases during the winter months, especially among the elderly with underlying medical conditions. Many cases start with mild symptoms but can progress to serious complications if not treated promptly.

In particular, in patients with chronic lung diseases such as COPD and asthma, cold weather not only increases the risk of acute relapse but also causes the disease to progress rapidly if there is an infection. This group of patients needs to be monitored and treated more actively, strictly following the treatment regimen during the cold season.

Dr. Hai Anh added that the elderly often have chronic diseases, so when the weather changes, their illnesses are often much more severe than in young people. Weather changes can easily trigger existing diseases in the elderly.

For young children, the immune system is not yet fully developed, resistance is weak, and they are susceptible to infection during the changing seasons. When children get sick, the disease is more likely to progress more severely than adults.

"Weather-related illnesses can also be cured after a few days of active treatment, but they are also very dangerous if not treated promptly, especially in children. Therefore, recognizing the signs of serious illness is very necessary for treatment, helping children recover quickly. When children show signs of high fever and severe cough, they need to be taken to a medical facility to avoid serious developments and complications.

As for the elderly, they must strengthen their resistance, comply with treatment, and when they see unusual symptoms, they need to go to a medical facility immediately for a health check, early detection and timely treatment.

In addition, people need to supplement essential nutrients to their meals to increase resistance. Children and the elderly need to keep warm and avoid catching a cold. Patients with cardiovascular diseases should limit salty foods and exercise regularly," Dr. Hai Anh recommended.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/nguoi-gia-tre-nho-kho-khe-vi-thoi-tiet-chuyen-lanh-19224120416424204.htm