"Reactive airway disease is a group of conditions that include reversible airway narrowing due to an external stimulation. These conditions generally result in wheezing. Conditions within this group include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and viral upper respiratory infections."
whereas
"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
It includes:
emphysema – damage to the air sacs in the lungs
chronic bronchitis – long-term inflammation of the airways
COPD is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who smoke. Many people don't realise they have it.
The breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit your normal activities, although treatment can help keep the condition under control."
So COPD is there all the time, reactive airways disease means you have difficulty breathing in response to a trigger but it can and does reverse.
My husband missed his flu shot a few years ago because he had bronchitis when it was due - he forgot to go back. He caught flu and spent the best part of 2 weeks in bed. Then he developed pneumonia which took 6 months to clear completely and meant him needing 2 CT scans - to be sure it wasn't anything worse. Since he only has one and a rather useless bit of his lungs it matters. He won't be missing the flu shot again!
Having done my homework - I see it is now recommended that people over 65 with chronic conditions get both types of pneumococcal vaccine.
BUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME:
PCV13 should be given first and PPSV23 at a later visit.
He'd had the 5-year one before but then was given the one-off and told he needn't bother again. I think we may revisit this with the GP!
Thanks Eileen. I am an ex smoker so that accounts for the COPD among other things, like being brought up in an area full of coal smoke, smog and factory chimney's belching muck out post war but can't get my GP's to admit this, they can't get past me having smoked in the past!
Hey tpaggs, yes you definitely should get both the flu and pneumococcal vaccines!!!!
Tinaj ❤️
Please let me know what you find out. Our doctor, who is of course new to us, and especially my husband, told hubby he needn't get a further pneumonia shot. He used to get a bout of pneumonia at least once a year, usually May, before the shot, and never since then, several years now. Has allergies, sinus trouble and asthma. She made no mention of the fact that there are now two vaccinations for the disease and given his lifelong history I think he should be getting them both. I'm a bit puzzled about this as she's keen on vaccines and makes sure to ask about flu vaccination, and even if tetanus booster is up to date.
There are two kinds of pneumonia vaccines. I don't know if either of them need to be repeated.
But if they don't do drastic things "to keep you alive" is pneumonia not called the old man's friend? I remember having flu many years ago, haven't had it since, and at the time all I wanted to do was lie in bed and sleep. I thought it wouldn't be a bad way to die. At least it wasn't painful. But one of my sons made me go to the doctor and get treated, so I've lived to see many more days. Now I'm ever so much older and there's not much point to being alive.
Come on Anhaga - I suspect there are a few people at least who'd rather have you alive. And if you feel like that - you need help. I'm not a lot younger than you and I'm looking forward to at least another 20 years...
Anhaga - last sentence! Do you really feal like that? I thought you were doing so well! You often advise people to keep active and eat well. Or have I misunderstood you?
Yes, pretty much. The only help I need would be to live in a community where I could run into friends and acquaintances on a regular basis instead of having to work on setting a time or date. There was an item on the radio this morning about social isolation being at a crisis level amongst seniors in a number of countries. They talked about a silver line or something in the UK which is basically a help line for isolated seniors to call in for a chat with a friendly voice. Unfortunately the Canadian expert interviewed made rather light of the situation here. Over twenty years ago I had a job as a census representative which involved among other things calling at every dwelling in an area. I found two groups of people wanted to be sociable with me. One was the poorer people living in flats who would invite me in to see the new kittens, that sort of thing; the other group was the old women who desperately wanted to have me stay and have a cup of tea with them (I couldn't). As children and young teens my friends and I used to go calling on the old women in our neighbourhood, and for years, until they died off one by one, I'd send them Christmas cards and small gifts. I still make a point to keep in touch with my dwindling number even more aged relatives by post. We used to shovel the driveways of old people on our street when we moved here. For some reason I fantasized that this was the way old people were cared for in a community. But the world has changed.
One point made in the interview re social isolation is that this can only be dealt with through friendships, families do not alleviate this feeling.
I'd love it if we could get cohousing here. Lots of people want it, but we have never been able to get the critical mass which could get a project up and running.
I live in America and my Rheumatologist spends, at least, 1/2 hour with me. In the beginning of PMR, she spent an hour with me. She also shares all my information with my GP and vice versa. I am a lot of confidence in her.
What bothers me about the flu shot is that people I know who had the shot, got the flu and then they were told it was because it was a different strain.
There's a 5-year shot; the other one is a one-time only.
Last year I understand that there was only 20% effectiveness for the flu shot, They have to make an educated guess at which strains are likely to be effective in a given year, and sometimes they just guess wrong. I believe there is research ongoing to find a flu shot which will work more universally against most if not all strains.
Are there no Senior Citizen Clubs in your area? Libraries? They often provide as an outlet for seniors looking to mingle with other seniors.
I used to work in the library. This week I'm getting together with several former coworkers. It's taken several weeks and numerous emails to organize this - and really all I wanted was lunch with one or two at a time, to spread the joy! I go to any library programs which interest me, and they are getting quite good at catering to the older folk. I volunteer at various places. I take classes but what I want to do (draw) is hard to come by. No, I'm not holed up in my house not trying, although it may seem like it. Today I walked, did some errands, and am home for a while before going out to learn how to be a volunteer with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. But it would be nicer for me if a friend was also doing the same thing. Have always been a bit of a square peg in a round hole which makes things a lot more difficult, but that's really nothing new. Just harder to meet like minded people now. One of the things older people say, especially those who've been widowed, is they miss having someone to do nothing with. I think in olden times, if you lived long enough, you could hang out on a bench under the village tree and be part of the life of the village.
Have you checked your neighborhood schools? Ours offer classes; art, knitting, exercising, writing, dancing, etc.
Thank you for your suggestions, We used to have a fantastic continuing education department. Long before the concept of "senior" ever entered my mind, through classes offered through this school board program I learned to watercolour, smock, stencil, needlepoint (tapestry), studied Chinese brushwork, did calligraphy, went to a workshop on reflexology. My husband did woodworking. But this department was closed to save money quite a few years ago. There's nothing equivalent available today. Classes at the local art college which I used to sign up for quite regularly are now prohibitively expensive. I've signed up to make my own furoshiki at a Craft Council workshop in November, if they get enough students, and have taken classes in felting and painting on silk there. Our city Parks and Recreation department offers programs related to physical activity, which is where I study Tai Chi, and another local organization offers a free lesson in Nordic walking, which is what got me started with that. I also, although I've no voice to speak of, joined a community choir which I absolutely love.
I'm part of a small writers' group, which I actually started years ago, which meets fortnightly, and that's the best, but every two weeks can often be the only real conversation I have with anyone for months on end. But all of this, along with the volunteering, is busy work, to keep my mind off the fact that there really is no purpose.
Oh, but there is a purpose. Volunteering is a wonderful outlet; not only for you but for those you are helping. I have a friend, much older than I (a very active 85) who volunteers at the local hospital. She is with people all day long and she loves it. She does it 3 times a week. Also, I don't know of what faith you are, but the church is also a wonderful place to meet people, and they are always needing volunteers. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE!
❤
Well, the powers that be better tell me what that purpose is pdq because time is awasting here and I've been trying on activities for size, both the making or doing things kind and the volunteering kind, forever. I'd better go now and get some productive chores done here. Thank you for your kind words.