Elderly people gasping for air may be caused by COPD, heart failure, asthma, etc. Different causes are treated differently, and common treatments include medication and surgery. 1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): patients can use bronchodilators, such as ipratropium bromide, salbutamol, etc., and glucocorticosteroids, such as prednisone, prednisolone, etc., and if the effect of conservative treatment is not obvious, the patient can also be prescribed surgical treatment, such as lung decongestion, lung transplantation and so on. 2. Heart failure: patients can follow the doctor’s instructions to use positive inotropic drugs for treatment, such as digitalis, formoterol, etc., and also follow the doctor’s instructions to use β-receptor antagonists, such as metoprolol, bisoprolol, etc., and patients can follow the doctor’s instructions to carry out surgical treatments, such as cardiac transplantation, cardiac resynchronization therapy. 3. Asthma: patients can use leukotriene modifiers, such as montelukast, zalustat, etc., and anticholinergic drugs, such as cetonium bromide, ipratropium bromide, etc., and if the condition is serious, surgical procedures, such as bronchial thermoplasty, can be prescribed. Specific treatments should be chosen under the guidance of the doctor after examination and diagnosis in the hospital, and patients should go to the hospital for regular review, so that the doctor can adjust the treatment plan according to the review situation.