Signs and Symptoms of Acute and Chronic Cough in Old Age

A chronic cough is one of the most common issues that needs to be assessed and treated in seniors. If we understand the underlying reasons and symptoms of a cough and the reason behind it, it is often easy to cure or treat.

When the passages between the nose and mouth to the lungs are irritated by the substances entering through the inhalation of air, the body tries to get rid of them through a cough. A cough is when the air in the lungs is forced to expel under high pressure.

Signs and Symptoms of an Acute and Chronic Cough

Acute Cough
Coughs mainly occur due to infectious and noninfectious causes. Viral upper respiratory infections or common colds, acute bronchitis, sinus infections and pneumonia cause an acute cough. These are often curable or treatable.

1. Infectious cause
Symptoms that point to an infection are body aches, sinus pressure, chills, fever, vomiting, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, postnasal drip, headache, night sweats, phlegm, and sputum.

2. Noninfectious cause  
Noninfectious coughs occur when a person is exposed to certain irritants or chemicals in the environment. It can often be improved with inhalers or allergy medications.

Chronic Cough
It is not easy to find the major signs and symptoms of a chronic cough. Many seniors get this type of cough due to environmental allergy or prior smoking habits. It can be treated to a great extent by medication and quitting the habit of smoking.

Chronic coughs or noninfectious coughs can also occur due to chronic lung diseases like emphysema, asthma or chronic bronchitis.  
   
If your aging loved one is suffering from any type of cough, take them to an experienced specialist who can correctly diagnose and treat an acute or chronic cough. 

If your loved one needs Elderly Assistance, get in touch with Birmingham’s leading senior care agency – Always Best Care. They provide all the senior care and non-medical services your loved one may need to lead a healthy life. For a free consultation, call (205) 874-9730.

Are Senior Living Communities Male-Friendly?

Although the gap is closing, there is a seven year difference in the life expectancy of men and women. In senior living communities, there is a ratio of 7 women to every 1 man, making these communities much more geared toward females. However, because that gap is, indeed, closing, senior living communities will need to address the issue of more and more males becoming part of the resident roster.

Men approach aging and conflict differently than women do, so it’s important for loved ones and family members to approach the idea of in-home care and assisted living respectfully, and with full knowledge of male thought patterns. Throughout men’s lives, they are taught and expected to be in control, they are expected to have leadership qualities and to be fiercely independent. So, when the time comes for them to get some assistance, it can be harder on them than it is on women in the same situation.

If you are looking for assisted living for a senior man, there are some ways to help avoid him from being placed in an overly-feminine community. Although, it might seem to some like a 7:1 ratio would be to the man’s benefit, the reality is that the senior man needs to feel that the community gears itself to him, as well, and to his needs. 

• Talk to senior men who already reside in a community that you are considering for important first-account feedback.
• Talk to these senior men about activities they can do together and what the community offers that they find enjoyable.
• During a tour, find out if there are any specific places where men can gather to socialize.
• Talk to the activity director to find out if there are activities specifically geared toward men.
• Find out if the community offers their male residents the opportunity to help out (this can help satisfy the male need for independence and leadership).
• Only consider placement in a community where men are 20-25% or more of the population.

If you are interested in in-home care in Birmingham, Alabama, or other types of elderly assistance in the area, contact the Always Best Care local office at 205-874-9730 or email them at info.bham@abc-seniors.com today for a free consultation.