Over 60 and Having a Hard Time Breathing

They say 60 is the new 40’s.

Ok, so why do many people over the age of 60 have a harder time catching their breath.

According to the American Lung Association, "After about 35, their function declines as you age and as a result, breathing can slowly become more difficult over time. In a person without lung disease, most of these changes are due to cardiovascular and muscle changes, not changes to the lungs themselves."

Another thought is they may have undiagnosed asthma. In many cases it goes undiagnosed and untreated with older patients.

When we ran our service company we did work for a lot of retired and elderly people. During the conversation many would tell me that they just didn’t have the pep in their step as they did a year or two ago.

They felt tired all the time, had a hard time breathing after a short walk and that cough would just not go away.  I would ask what the doctor told them and in most cases they said they had not gotten with them about. They thought is was just part of getting old.

One of the things I noticed is many of the ones that said they were tired all the time is that the house looked like they did not spend as much time housecleaning.  

When people don’t feel good the last thing they want to do is dust and vacuum. The problem is, if they are suffering from allergies or asthma then having an allergen filled home will only make matters worse.

Dirty carpeting, dusty furniture, un-encased mattresses and high humidity are all things that increase the level of unhealthy allergens and can lead to allergy and asthma attacks.

In other homes that had a cleaning service, they used so much bleach and air fresheners it was hard to stay in the house. Using the wrong or too much of a cleaning product can cause some very serious problems for people.

We have customers that have ended up in the hospital because the cleaning company used too much bleach in the shower.

Bottom line is you need to talk to your doctor.

If you are having a hard time breathing, coughing or wheezing ask them if you should be evaluated for asthma. They may have to give you a referral but it’s worth it to find out what is going on.

After all don’t you want to feel like you were 40 again. I know I do.

Wishing you the best of health