Chronic respiratory diseases are especially dangerous during the coronavirus pandemic, but any viral infection can exacerbate serious diseases. In the hustle and bustle, people may not pay attention to a mild winter cold and low temperature, although these are the most common body signals that indicate a possible exacerbation.
ENT doctor Vladimir Zaitsev says that in most regions of Russia with a high population density there is a damp, chilly climate all year round, which causes the development of chronic diseases of the bronchopulmonary system.
“The northern and southern regions are not so populated, and we know that a large population contributes to the rapid spread of various viral and bacterial infections,” explains Vladimir Zaitsev. "Combined with bad weather, this creates an increased risk of developing broncho-pulmonary diseases, including coronavirus."
These diseases, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, trachitis, or a mixture of these diseases, quickly spill over into chronic diseases for three common reasons. First, a negligent attitude towards the state of their health: people are not observed for a long time by doctors, knowing full well that these acute diseases are not actually fatal.
Secondly, not all people have the opportunity to urgently contact qualified specialized specialists - ENT doctors and pulmonologists. The third category is people who specifically relate to their health and medicine in general. The ENT doctor recalls that the average level of trust in the country in the "white coat" has grown significantly only last year, when the coronavirus epidemic began.
“It all boils down to the fact that people are not treated or are treated poorly, which ultimately leads to chronic inflammatory processes,” says Vladimir Zaitsev. - “It all starts with the“entrance gate”- ENT organs, that is, the nasal mucosa, the back of the pharynx, the tonsils. Therefore, as a rule, everything starts with ARI or ARVI."
To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, it is important not to endure the first symptoms "on your feet", but to cure the disease in the early stages. If it was not possible to keep track of their health, chronic patients should monitor it as closely as possible in the future. Indeed, in addition to remission (a state when the disease practically does not bother), if even the most harmless virus enters the body, a serious exacerbation can begin.
How to recognize an impending exacerbation
How to calculate that the risk of exacerbation of bronchopulmonary disease is approaching, and prevent it? The ENT doctor listed several body signals at once.
“When a person realizes that he gets tired earlier and stronger than usual, this is the first symptom,” says Vladimir Zaitsev. “Because of chronic fatigue syndrome, people have reduced immunity, they have a tendency to develop diseases.”
The body gives a signal that it does not have time to recover during sleep, a person every morning feels overwhelmed and tired for a week, in this regard, the broncho-pulmonary system may malfunction.
Secondly, people with chronic diseases need to dress strictly according to the weather - the slightest signs of a cold can develop into an exacerbation. The third point is to limit conversations on the street, when it is damp and cool outside the window, as this also leads to hypothermia and inflammation.
“If a cough appears, this is already a neglected situation,” says Vladimir Zaitsev. “At first the cough will be dry, then wet. This symptom is very pronounced, since any exacerbation begins with ENT organs."
Dry throat, a tickling sensation, changes and hoarseness of the voice and pain when swallowing may indicate an impending exacerbation. The patient's temperature may rise to 37.6 degrees, that is, not too much, because some workaholics continue to deal with work issues, despite the symptoms, which is fundamentally wrong.
“If a person takes active breaths in and out, with an approaching exacerbation he will be able to hear some whistles in his chest, noisy breathing,” continues Vladimir Zaitsev. “This suggests that the bronchi are already in a state of spasm. The next step is suffocation, so whistling is a very bad prognostic sign."
How to prevent flare-ups
The ENT doctor advises people with chronic diseases to move as much as possible, to devote their free time to long walks, to ski, ice skate, and cheesecakes in the winter season when the first symptoms of deterioration are detected.
“On weekdays, walking should be preferred over comfortable transport, because there is comfort and there is health,” recommends Vladimir Zaitsev. “You also need to do breathing exercises and carefully monitor the condition of the ENT organs. Even a mild cold can exacerbate."
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The main advice of an ENT doctor is that a person needs to live in conditions of hypothermia, not be afraid of the cold, and temper in the cold.