Old Chronic Branch, learn to breathe and expel sputum

  When autumn and winter arrive, the number of people suffering from respiratory diseases increases significantly, especially those with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who have to cough for a while every morning to get up and cough up the phlegm and get their breath down. Patients with LBP often have a combination of emphysema, which we usually call chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD for short).  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a kind of irreversible airway obstruction, the patient’s lung function will gradually decline as the disease progresses, specifically in the form of reduced mobility, such as walking distance, walking speed, etc. (having to stop due to shortness of breath; then a simple action, such as going to the toilet, will be out of breath; and finally, even to the extent that the patient is completely unable to take care of himself or herself and cannot breathe even if he or she is lying quietly). The degree of  In order to reduce pain and improve quality of life, we need to find ways to slow down the rate of decline in lung function and maintain it at a stable level.  Breathing for more stable lung function requires patients to learn self-care, especially respiratory training and sputum evacuation, in addition to regular medication. Respiratory training can strengthen the patient’s respiratory muscles, reduce the degree of dyspnea and slow down the development of the disease; sputum evacuation training allows the patient to better expel the sputum from the airway, reduce the obstruction of the airway and reduce the number of exacerbations.  Among respiratory training, the simpler and easier one is lip retraction breathing training.  The specific method is to consciously use the strength of the pectoral and abdominal muscles to inhale deeply through the nose, then pucker the lips (like whistling), exert some resistance, and slowly exhale the exhausted air from the body through the mouth. Since pouting and exhaling will artificially increase the resistance to exhalation, the internal pressure of the airway increases and can prevent trapping of the airway. The ratio of inhalation and exhalation is carried out at 1:2, and slowly exhale to reach 1:4 as the goal, so that you can achieve the purpose of exercising the respiratory muscles. It is important to note that repeated deep inhalation and exhalation will increase carbon dioxide discharge, when the body may have the feeling of mind swelling. Therefore, it is best to sit quietly during the exercise, or stand holding the wall, and take a break after every one or two exercises to avoid falling due to head swelling discomfort.  Patients with old slow-onset branch often have a lot of phlegm, and when they cough, they can hear a distinct phlegm sound without using the earpiece. If the phlegm cannot be expelled in time, getting stuck in the airway can affect breathing and even cause the patient to suffocate. On the other hand, if sputum accumulates in the airway and cannot be expelled, the infection will not be well controlled and the condition will be prolonged or even aggravated.  Therefore, it is also important for the patient to learn to expel sputum efficiently. The specific method is to inhale every morning and evening after brushing teeth, and then consciously use the strength of abdominal and chest muscles to drive the body to cough hard and repeatedly several times.  In addition to living and not eating too lightly, patients should also pay attention to some details in their daily lives.  For example, they should carry a close-fitting undershirt and scarf with them to prevent their backs, necks and shoulders from getting cold, otherwise it is easy for their cough and phlegm to worsen. When you feel hot, you also need to know how to lose your clothes, otherwise your body will sweat and wet your clothes, and then you will immediately catch a cold as soon as you get to a cooler place. Contrary to patients with coronary heart disease and other diseases, patients with old chronic branch and slow obstructive pulmonary disease should not eat too lightly in their diet, otherwise they may have changes in their condition due to sodium and potassium deficiency (salt).  Generally speaking, these patients do not need to abstain from eating as long as they are willing and able to eat, as long as they eat less fried and hot poisonous things. After all, most of them are thin and weak and need better nutrition. Therefore, they are advised to eat more high quality protein that can be easily digested and absorbed, such as steamed water eggs, chopped (salted vegetables/mushrooms, etc.) meat cakes, stewed milk, fish and other dishes, and moderate weekly stews of lean ginseng soup, which also have the effect of boosting energy and removing deficiency heat. It is important to know that malnutrition can lead to a decline in immunity, which can also easily induce the aggravation of the disease.  Another point is that the patient must not hold his breath to relieve the bowels, otherwise shortness of breath is likely to increase, and even pneumothorax and other dangerous situations. Therefore, it is appropriate to always have lactulose, fruit guide tablets or open-loop laxatives at home.