We hear a lot about heart health and how to maintain it. Sure, heart health is important, but it’s also important to maintain other organs. One organ that many people have trouble with as they get older are the lungs. Lungs can be affected by asthma, respiratory infections, cancer, and more. There are many ways your aging relative can improve their lung health, including the 4 ways listed below.
#1: Quit Smoking
The number one piece of advice that most experts give people for keeping lungs healthy is to not smoke. Smoking damages the airways, making them inflamed and narrow. That makes it hard to get air into the body and deliver oxygen to tissues. Smoking is also the top cause of lung cancer.
Elder care providers can help seniors to quit smoking. An elder care provider can be there for encouragement and also to offer a distraction when your aging relative feels like smoking.
#2: Breathe Harder
No, this doesn’t mean that your aging relative should sit in a chair and breathe loudly. Instead, they should get up and exercise, which increases their breathing rate. Exercise makes the lungs work harder, so they stay healthier and get stronger.
If your aging relative isn’t spending enough time being physically active, an elder care provider can change that. Elder care providers can keep the older adult more active at home, go for walks with them, or drive them to a gym or exercise class.
#3: Keep the Humidifier Clean
Many older adults use a humidifier to keep the air in their house from getting too dry. However, if the humidifier isn’t properly maintained, it could be doing more harm than good. An airborne fungus can grow in the humidifier. The humidifier spews the fungus spores into the air as it releases moisture.
One of the surprising things you may not know about elder care is that they can help with household tasks, including changing humidifier filters and helping to keep them clean.
#4: Stay Hydrated
The lungs have a thin lining of mucus in them. When your aging relative stays properly hydrated by drinking lots of water throughout the day, that lining stays thin. This makes the job of the lungs easier. Hydration is particularly important for seniors who have COPD because thinner mucus is easier to cough up, making it easier to breathe and reducing uncomfortable symptoms.
Elder care providers can help your older family member to drink more water by keeping a bottle or glass of water near the senior at all times. They can refresh the water to keep it cold and inviting as the day goes on.
Sources
https://www.healthline.com/health/understanding-idiopathic-pulmonary-fibrosis/ways-to-keep-your-lungs-healthy-and-whole
https://www.webmd.com/lung/ss/slideshow-ways-to-keep-lungs-healthy
If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Greenwood Village, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Denver. Call today: (303) 756-9322.
