My parents' cough sound was not unusual...It's more than a million patients
Mar 12, 2025
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According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 345,729 (about 25%) of 1,373,925 asthma patients were aged 65 or older in 2019. The number of patients decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic has again exceeded 1 million in 2023, of which 27% are over the age of 65.
Asthma is a chronic disease in which symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness appear as the airways narrow due to bronchial inflammation. However, the elderly may miss the timing of treatment by considering shortness of breath as simple aging or mistaking it for a cold, and accurate diagnosis may be difficult because symptoms are similar to heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
"If you feel easily short of breath after exercising, or if you are exposed to cold air, your chest feels tight, and if you catch a cold, you need to suspect asthma for more than a month." `If you feel short of breath or wheezing just by smelling cigarettes, you should visit a hospital for an accurate diagnosis,' he said.
Asthma is a chronic disease that is difficult to cure, so constant management is essential. Treatment is based on medications such as control agents with anti-inflammatory effects such as inhalation steroids and bronchodilators, and can be gradually controlled in consideration of the patient's condition. Symptoms can be exacerbated by colds, flu, stress, etc., so you should also pay attention to prevention.
To prevent asthma in the elderly, it is important to improve lifestyle habits. Refrain from going out on days with severe fine dust, and make sure to wear a mask if inevitable. In addition, smoking is a major cause of worsening asthma, so you must quit smoking.
"Athletic patients should be careful not to catch a cold, and drink warm water frequently to prevent their bronchial tubes from drying out," said Dr. Min Ju-won, a specialist. "If you are obese, you can worsen your symptoms, so it is helpful to do light aerobic exercise regularly along with weight loss."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
