DISABLING DISORDER

Asthma-related deaths occur mostly with individuals who are over the age of 65. Unfortunately, asthma can be misdiagnosed or left untreated in seniors. Although the majority of individuals with asthma have initial symptoms when they are young, asthma can develop at an older age. When the individual is older, asthma treatments tend to require more medication and the disease rarely goes into remission. Asthma may be hard to identify in seniors since they lead less active lifestyles, and therefore any symptoms that are triggered by exercise are not present. Coughing and wheezing may be interpreted as bronchitis or congestive heart failure. Should a senior have asthma-like symptoms, he or she should be tested for the disease.

P.S. Medications taken for other health issues may worsen a senior’s asthma symptoms.

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