Preventing Pneumonia in the Elderly: Tips and Advice from Healthcare Experts

2024-04-14 16:10:35

Dick Chan, the “Leaf King of Hong Kong”, has performed in 280 dramas and more than 100 movies, including “Legend of the Condor Heroes”, “The Deer and the Cauldron”, “Brother Xinzha” series, and “The Story of Qin”. Although he always plays supporting roles and villains, But it was very popular with the audience. The 76-year-old had always been healthy in the past and had no known illnesses. However, on March 15, it was reported that he died of illness! Friends said that Chen Dick told his family that he was not feeling well and sought medical treatment. After examination, the doctor told him that the infection caused pneumonia and that he had to be hospitalized. Unexpectedly, he died of the illness.

Chow Yun-fat’s “Shanghai Bund” “Super Handsome Way to Die” was designed by Dick Chen

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Dick Chen has been in the industry since 1969 and has been with TVB for 45 years. He has participated in 280 TV series and more than 100 movies. He has also been able to take on the roles of gangsters, kidnappers, drug dealers and other bad guys. “The name. Not only is he good at acting, he also served as a martial arts instructor. Even the classic scene where Chow Yun-fat was shot to death in “Shanghai” was designed by Dick Chen. He has never played a leading role in his life but is loved by fans. The news of his death from illness also made fans sad.

Although Dick Chen looked healthy in the past and had no chronic diseases, he was 76 years old and died suddenly due to pneumonia, catching his family by surprise. Fang Kezhi, an attending physician at the Department of Chest Medicine at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital in Chiayi, said that 90% of pneumonia patients who died were over 65 years old. Although everyone is good at taking care of themselves now, even if they are in their 60s or 70s, they still look cold. However, aging will also reduce the mucociliary function of the respiratory tract in resisting foreign pathogens. Once an infection occurs, it is more likely to be complicated by pneumonia after infection due to reduced immunity and multiple chronic diseases.

Pneumonia is a killer of the elderly

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Generally, pneumonia is usually easy to recover as long as it can be treated early. However, among the elderly, the mortality rate has continued to increase in recent years. Fang Kezhi said that this is because pneumonia is usually a complication of other diseases, such as the recent influenza epidemic and the new coronavirus. The epidemic of pneumonia is also at its peak, and influenza or COVID-19 are easily complicated by pneumonia.

If you delay seeking medical treatment, you are very susceptible to bacterial infection, especially Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. According to statistics, the mortality rate of bacteremia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in the elderly is as high as 60%. If septic shock occurs, the risk of death is as high as 80%!

Fang Kezhi said that especially the elderly may have other chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to smoking, asthma, etc., which may increase the risk of pneumonia complicated by a simple cold.

“5 Things” to Avoid Pneumonia

To avoid pneumonia, he suggested that the elderly should pay special attention to the following points:

1. To quit smoking

Substances in smoke can damage the self-cleaning function of the respiratory tract and lungs, and can cause damage to the respiratory system such as the bronchi and lungs, making smokers more susceptible to pneumonia. Quitting smoking is very important to prevent pneumonia.

2. Vaccination is required

Vaccination is one of the effective ways to prevent pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the common pathogens that cause pneumonia, especially for the elderly. It is recommended to take the Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine to prevent pneumonia. It is necessary to receive influenza vaccine and new coronavirus vaccine every year to reduce the risk of pneumonia caused by influenza or new coronavirus.

3. Maintain good personal hygiene

Frequent hand washing can especially prevent exposure to potential pathogens when there is an epidemic in the community. We should also pay attention to reducing the time of close contact with sick people, take protective measures such as wearing masks, and prevent pneumonia.

4. Have a healthy lifestyle

A balanced diet, adequate rest, and regular exercise can strengthen the immune system and help fight infections.

5. Have regular medical examinations

Regular health exams can identify and treat health problems early that may increase your risk of pneumonia, such as lung cancer, chronic lung disease, or heart disease.

◎ Picture source/reproduced from Weibo
◎ Consulting expert/Dr. Fang Kezhi

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Further reading:

Urine leakage occurs when coughing or laughing. Traditional Chinese medicine improves urinary incontinence through three types of physical conditioning.

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