How to prevent respiratory diseases in winter

Instructor: Zheng Deqing, Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Respiratory Medicine, tung wah hospital.

The cold weather in winter is easy to cause various diseases, especially respiratory diseases. Middle-aged and elderly people are not only prone to acute respiratory infection, but also patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema are more prone to relapse or aggravation, pneumonia, respiratory and circulatory system failure and even life-threatening. How can we prevent the occurrence of respiratory diseases? Help middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease spend the winter safely and reduce acute attacks? This is a problem that many people care about. In response to these questions, Director Zheng Deqing of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of tung wah hospital gave detailed answers.

Cold weather is the cause of frequent respiratory diseases.

The respiratory system itself has a complete set of local immune defense mechanism, which is the key to prevent bacteria, viruses and other pathogenic microorganisms from entering and prevent lung infection. Invasive pathogenic microorganisms can only lead to the replication and reproduction of viruses and bacteria and cause bronchial and lung infections if they break through the defense line. On the one hand, the severity of the disease depends on the virulence of pathogenic microorganisms, on the other hand, it depends on the location of diseased microorganisms and the immune ability of the body. Generally speaking, there are a few bacteria in the upper respiratory tract, nasal cavity, throat and trachea of healthy people, and the lower respiratory tract remains sterile. Usually, the portal is maintained by a rather complicated defense mechanism to maintain a healthy balance. If the defense mechanism is defective, or the virulence of pathogenic microorganisms is too strong, it will cause acute respiratory infection. In particular, the respiratory tract is directly connected with the outside world and is more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Infants and middle-aged and elderly people are most likely to cause upper respiratory tract infection and lung infection because of their weak constitution, low immunity and disease resistance, and the lung defense function is more likely to change in severe cold or severe climate change.

Main measures to ensure respiratory health In order to prevent and reduce the occurrence of acute respiratory infection, prevent the recurrence of old diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and avoid serious complications, prevention must be given priority to, and the immune function and disease resistance of the body must be improved. Therefore, the following protective measures should be taken:

1, exercise properly, especially pay attention to cold-resistant exercise (insist on washing your face with cold water, runny nose, etc. ), you can carry out breathing exercises, chest exercises, abdominal breathing and other training, enhance physical fitness, improve the ability to adapt to the climate, improve immunity. Exercise should be based on people's age and physique, choose the exercise that suits them and persevere. The intensity of exercise is not to feel tired and breathless. The elderly and the infirm, when encountering windy and cool weather, foggy days and snowy days, had better not go out to exercise, but can do appropriate activities indoors.

2. Cold and warm colds are the cause of many diseases. More than 90% of elderly patients with chronic bronchitis can cause acute attacks after catching a cold. So try to avoid direct contact with cold air. In cold and windy weather, it is best not to go out in the morning, and those who have to go out can wear masks. Pay attention to cold and warmth, add clothes in time, especially pay attention to the warmth of head, chest, back and feet to prevent colds and colds.

3, to prevent sadness Chinese medicine believes that the lungs are sad, sad lungs. After the end of autumn, the sunshine decreases day by day, and the cold wind bursts, which often makes people feel depressed and the immune function of the lungs decreases. Therefore, in winter, we should pay attention to emotional adjustment, maintain a cheerful and optimistic attitude, try to avoid the stimulation of bad emotions such as sadness, tension and anxiety, reduce psychological pressure, and maintain emotional balance and stability. Patients with chronic respiratory diseases should establish confidence in overcoming the disease, actively cooperate with the treatment and promote physical recovery.

4. Improve the cold weather. Many people like to stay indoors and often close doors and windows to increase the indoor temperature. In this way, there is not enough oxygen and light indoors, and it is easy to breed and multiply a variety of bacteria and viruses. Therefore, in winter, we should keep the living room elegant, the air fresh and sunny, and open the window regularly in the morning and evening to avoid smoke pollution and stimulation. The room temperature should be controlled between 1620 degrees, and it is best not to keep pets such as cats and dogs indoors. Don't spit everywhere, and don't throw away sputum wrapping paper and nose wiping paper, so as to avoid the spread of germs and harm others.

5. Quitting smoking and drinking can damage bronchial epithelium, make cilia fall off, lead to the decline of lung defense function, aggravate respiratory tract infection and induce acute attack. Regular drinking will also stimulate the respiratory tract, produce dampness and accumulate phlegm, and aggravate the condition.

6, conditioning diet to nutrition, light, soft as the principle. Eat less salty, spicy, hot, smoked and greasy things to reduce respiratory irritation. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can choose foods with high protein, high fiber, moderate fat, moderate minerals and vitamins, low carbohydrate, less sugar and less salt, and pay attention to drinking more water; Eat less and eat more; When there is obvious hypoxia, you can take oxygen before and after meals.

7. Replenish water, rest regularly, rest properly, avoid fatigue, pay attention to replenish water in time, and keep the respiratory tract moist and unobstructed. This is a necessary protective measure. Gargling with salt water helps to prevent respiratory tract infection.

8. Wash your nose with cold water in the morning, before going to bed, when washing your face, and when washing your hands after defecation. This can not only enhance the cold resistance and disease resistance of nasal mucosa, but also remove bacteria, viruses and dust mites in nasal passages in time, and reduce the occurrence of colds and allergic rhinitis.

9. Seek medical attention in time. During the epidemic of influenza respiratory diseases, you should go to public places less. See a doctor in time when symptoms such as aversion to cold and cough appear.

Special reminder for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

1, How to deal with asthma: If asthma can't get up, first keep calm, because nervousness will aggravate asthma. Then find a place to sit down, have a rest and relax. Breathe deeply into the lungs by mouth breathing, and then exhale slowly. Try to control the breathing frequency. When the breathing frequency is controlled, you can switch to the method of breathing through the nasal inhalation port. If asthma is still uncontrollable, you can choose a bronchodilator prescribed by your doctor. And you can choose a most comfortable posture: high lateral position, leaning forward sitting posture, relaxing to keep your spine straight, leaning forward standing posture, relaxing standing posture, etc.

2. Insist on continuous family oxygen therapy

. For severe COPD cases, according to the doctor's prescription, oxygen machine or compressed oxygen can be used to supply oxygen when the condition gets worse, so as to reverse hypoxia, relieve asthma, enhance exercise ability and prolong survival time. Low concentration, low flow rate and continuous oxygen inhalation were used. The oxygen flow rate was 65438±02l/min and the time was 65438 05h/day.

3. Know the manifestations of acute exacerbation of symptoms: shortness of breath increases during daily activities; Asthma aggravates; Cough is more than normal; Phlegm increased, thickened and turned yellow than usual; The frequency of using short-acting aerosol increased; Ability to act is lower than usual; It is easier to be tired or unable to sleep; The fever is above 38.8.

4. How to deal with the acute aggravation of symptoms: Find out the causes that may lead to the aggravation of symptoms as soon as possible and eliminate them, such as catching a cold. Stay calm and relaxed, and take measures to relieve asthma. You can take the standby medicine according to the doctor's advice and inhale the bronchodilator prescribed by the doctor in time. After the above treatment, the mild acute attack can be observed for 12-24 hours, and go to the community health service center or outpatient clinic for medical treatment as appropriate. When there are acute aggravating symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough and excessive phlegm, and at the same time there are more than one of the following situations, you should go to the hospital quickly.