Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified pulmonologist and respiratory therapist Your parent is sitting in the kitchen looking tired after walking up the stairs. They say it is normal, just getting older, nothing anyone can do about it. That is only partly true. Lung capacity does decline with age, and damaged lung
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, affecting more than 16 million Americans according to the CDC. It is caused primarily by smoking and cannot be cured. However, proper management with inhalers, oxygen, and pulmonary rehabilitation can slow
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified speech-language pathologist and geriatrician Food is one of the last great pleasures. The smell of cookies baking, the taste of a favorite meal, sharing a plate with family. These things matter to people in ways that go beyond nutrition. So when eating becomes dangerous, when food
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. Adults over 65 account for a disproportionate share of active tuberculosis cases in the United States, according to the CDC. Most cases in older adults are reactivations of infections acquired decades earlier. Unlike many conditions of aging, TB is curable with proper treatment,
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. According to the CDC, adults over 65 account for 50 to 70 percent of influenza-related hospitalizations and roughly 90 percent of flu-related deaths each year. A respiratory infection that would be a minor inconvenience in a younger person can become pneumonia, hospitalization, or
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. Sleep apnea affects an estimated 20 to 30 percent of adults over 65, according to the NIH, and most cases are undiagnosed. Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and cognitive decline. It is also one of
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by a board-certified pulmonologist Your parent calls and says they have been wheezing for months. You think of your nephew's rescue inhaler, not someone in their seventies who never had breathing problems before. But asthma in older adults is far more common than most families realize, and
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. Pulmonary fibrosis affects roughly 200,000 Americans, with most cases diagnosed in adults over 60, according to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. The disease is progressive and has no cure. Treatment focuses on slowing progression and managing symptoms. Understanding what to expect helps you
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. Respiratory emergencies in older adults can escalate from distressing to life-threatening within minutes. Call 911 immediately if your parent cannot speak in full sentences, is using their neck and shoulder muscles to breathe, or has blue-tinged lips or fingertips. Knowing what to do
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in adults over 65 in the United States, according to the CDC. In older adults, it often presents without the classic symptoms of cough and fever, showing up instead as confusion, fatigue, or loss of
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. It is never too late to benefit from quitting smoking. According to the NIH, adults who quit smoking after age 65 still gain measurable improvements in lung function, circulation, and heart disease risk within weeks to months. The damage already done cannot be
Understanding What They're Facing
Reviewed by Dr. Marcus Webb, M.D. More than 1.5 million Americans use supplemental oxygen at home, according to the American Thoracic Society. Home oxygen therapy is prescribed when the lungs can no longer deliver enough oxygen to keep organs functioning safely. It does not fix the underlying lung