If your loved one already has some respiratory problems, you might be surprised how much they can affect her overall health. When you first start helping your loved one with these issues, it seems as if she’s only having trouble breathing. But there’s much more to it than that and more than her lungs are affected.

She’s More Vulnerable to Infections.

Having respiratory issues of all sorts make your loved one more vulnerable to respiratory infections. Any kind of air-borne irritant or infection can infiltrate her system much more readily. In turn, that weakens your senior’s respiratory system even more, leading to a vicious cycle. From there, she is even more vulnerable, which keeps the cycle going.

She’s Weaker Overall.

When your loved one can’t breathe well or has respiratory problems, she’s weaker overall. That can mean that existing health problems are more difficult for her to deal with. It can also mean that your loved one doesn’t have to worry about just her existing health issues. She may be at risk of other types of infections and diseases, too.

Her Entire Body Relies on Oxygen.

The human body relies on oxygen to circulate through the entire body. If that’s not happening, then vital systems are forced to operate at less than optimal levels or even shut down. That can lead to organ failure and ultimately even bigger problems. This is often why your senior’s doctor is concerned about the oxygen concentration levels in her system.

Respiratory Problems Affect How Much She Wants to Do.

Even if the problem isn’t a severe one, your loved one becomes limited in what she can do and in how much she wants to even attempt to do at any given moment. This can lead to your loved one becoming weaker in other ways, such as losing muscle tone from disuse. Your aging parent can become tired from getting too little oxygen, leaving her in a position of wanting to sleep all the time.

Having some extra help from elder care providers when your loved one is experiencing respiratory issues can help quite a bit.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elder care in Princeton, NJ or the surrounding areas, please call Independence Home Care today at 609-208-1111 for more information.