Understanding Respiratory Illnesses
Respiratory illnesses are the leading causes of unplanned hospitalizations and death for people with developmental disabilities. While many respiratory illnesses can start out as minor illnesses, such as the common cold, they can sometimes develop into much more serious and life-threatening illnesses, including pneumonia. As a direct support professional, you can play an important role in protecting the individuals who you support from the more serious effects of respiratory illnesses. By understanding what respiratory illnesses are and recognizing the signs and symptoms at an early stage, you can keep the individuals who you support healthy and strong.
What are respiratory illnesses?
Respiratory illnesses are those that affect the parts of the body used for breathing. For example, respiratory illnesses can affect the:
- Nose
- Sinuses (air pockets located inside the bones of the skull)
- Throat
- Bronchial tubes (the tubes that bring air to the lungs)
- Lungs
Many people experience at least one or two minor respiratory illnesses each year. If left untreated, some minor respiratory illnesses can turn into more serious and life-threatening illnesses. Some common respiratory illnesses that you and the individuals who you support may have experienced (or may experience in the future) include:
- The common cold
- Influenza (flu)
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
What are the risk factors for respiratory illnesses?
Everyone experiences respiratory illnesses periodically. However, some people have a greater chance of experiencing more serious respiratory illnesses more often. These people include:
- Older adults and young children
- People who smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes
- People who live in an area with polluted or smoky air
- People with other, ongoing illnesses or conditions
Respiratory illnesses are contagious (can spread from one person to another). Because of this, people are more likely to develop respiratory illness when:
- They live in homes where they often come in close contact with others who may have respiratory illnesses
- They visit their doctor's office more often than others; while at these visits they may come in contact with other people who have respiratory illnesses
- They don't use proper hygiene or come in contact with people who don't use proper hygiene
What are the cold and flu?
The common cold and flu are two of the most common respiratory illnesses. If one of the individuals who you support has a cold, they will probably:
- Feel more tired than usual
- Have a stuffy or runny nose
- Have a sore throat
- Sneeze a lot
If one of the individuals who you support has the flu, they will probably:
- Have a fever of about 101 degrees
- Have a headache, cough, and sore throat
- Feel general aches and pains in their body
- Feel more tired than usual
The cold and flu are usually caused by viruses. This means that they cannot be cured by taking antibiotics. Most cold and flu symptoms do not require a doctor's care and will get better on their own. However, some of the time, and especially among people with other health concerns, the cold and the flu can become more serious diseases and lead to unplanned hospitalizations and even death.
When you see that one of the individuals who you support has a cold or the flu, you should monitor their symptoms carefully over time to see if they are improving. If you see that the individual's health is getting worse or does not seem to be getting better after a few days, you should call their doctor for advice. The doctor may ask you to come in with the individual so that she can observe the symptoms in person. Or, the doctor may give you advice for relieving the symptoms at home and ask that you call back in a few days if the individual's health has not improved.
For example, if you see any of these symptoms, you should call the individual's doctor for advice:
- Fever over 101 degrees that lasts more than three or four days with treatment that had been recommended by the person's physician.
- Inability to keep fluids down (vomiting after drinking)
- Painful swallowing
- A sore throat that lasts for longer than a week
- A cough that lasts for more than two weeks
- Headaches or a stuffy nose that don't go away with over-the-counter medication
If the person has difficulty breathing or chest pain, you should get the individual immediate help by calling 9-1-1.
If you are worried about an individual's health for any reason, it is always okay to call their health care provider for advice and recommendations. By catching symptoms early and making sure the individual receives the proper treatment, you can prevent a minor respiratory illness from spreading into the lungs and becoming more serious.
Even though there is no cure for the cold or flu, you can help the individuals who you support to relieve their cold and flu symptoms and to feel better while they wait for the illness to run its course. Encourage the individuals you support to:
- Make time for extra rest and sleep
- Drink plenty of liquids-such as: juice, tea, water, or soup
- Use over-the-counter medications such as pain relievers, decongestants, or sore throat lozenges
*Before giving the individuals you support any new over-the-counter medications, check with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to make sure that the new medications are safe to take with any medications the individual is already taking. For people who live in Community Care Facilities, per Title 22 regulations, over-the-counter medications require a doctor's prescription for PRN (as needed) administration of the medications.
What is bronchitis?
Another common respiratory illness is called bronchitis. Bronchitis is a disease that affects the bronchial tubes (the tubes that carry air to the lungs). When someone has bronchitis, their bronchial tubes become inflamed, causing coughing and difficulty breathing.
If one of the individuals who you support has bronchitis, you may notice that they are experiencing symptoms such as:
- A cough that brings up mucus
- A fever of about 101 degrees
- A general feeling of tiredness
- Pain in the chest when they try to breathe deeply
- Shortness of breath
Most cases of bronchitis are caused by a virus; this means that they cannot be treated with antibiotics. Often, bronchitis is caused by an infection such as a cold or flu that spreads to the bronchial tubes.
Most people who have bronchitis will feel better within a few weeks, although sometimes a cough will last longer (up to several weeks or months). If the bronchitis seems minor, there is no need to call a doctor right away. However, it is important to carefully monitor the symptoms of a person with bronchitis because some cases of bronchitis can become serious or develop into pneumonia and lead to unplanned hospitalization or death.
You should always call a doctor if the individual:
- Continues to wheeze
- Continues to cough for more than 2 weeks
- Has a high fever that isn't going down over time
- Coughs up blood
- Has trouble breathing when lying down
- Has swollen feet
Call 9-1-1 immediately if the person has difficulty breathing or chest pain.
If you are worried about an individual you support, it is important to call their health care provider for advice and recommendations. By catching symptoms early and making sure the individual receives the proper treatment, you can prevent the respiratory illness from spreading into the lungs and becoming more serious.
If an individual you support has bronchitis, you may be able to help the person to relieve their symptoms and feel better. Encourage individuals to:
- Make time for extra sleep and rest
- Drink plenty of liquids - such as: juice, water, tea, or soup
- Cut back on smoking, if they smoke
- Breathe moist air from a humidifier, hot shower, or sink filled with hot water
- Has trouble breathing when lying down
- Use over-the-counter cough drops or sore throat lozenges*t
*Before giving the individuals you support any new over-the-counter medications, check with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to make sure that the new medications are safe to take with any medications the individual is already taking. For people who live in Community Care Facilities, per Title 22 regulations, over-the-counter medications require a doctor's prescription for PRN (as needed) administration of the medications.
What is pneumonia?
One of the most serious respiratory illnesses is called pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and can be caused by either a viral or bacterial infection. Pneumonia can often begin as a more minor respiratory infection, such as a cold, the flu, or bronchitis, which spreads to the lungs. Most healthy people who get pneumonia will recover within a few weeks. However, pneumonia can be serious and can cause death in older people or in people with certain health conditions.
If you suspect that one of the individuals who you support is suffering from pneumonia, it is important to call their doctor right away. The faster treatment is started, the faster the individual will get better. The common symptoms of pneumonia include:
- A cough that brings up mucus that my have blood in it
- A fever
- Fast breathing or feeling short of breath
- Shaking or chills
- Chest pain that will feel worse when the individual coughs or breathes in
- Feeling very tired and weak
If an individual you support has these symptoms, you should call their doctor. It is especially important to contact a health care professional if you notice that the individual:
- Is having trouble breathing or is breathing very quickly
- Has a bluish or gray color on their fingernails or lips
- Has a fever of over 102 degrees
The individual's doctor will be able to tell if he or she has pneumonia. In most cases, pneumonia will be treated with antibiotics. In serious cases of pneumonia, the individual may need to stay in the hospital. In other cases, the individual will be able to return home while he or she recovers.
If an individual who you support has pneumonia and is being treated out of the hospital, you can support this individual as they recover. There are some things that you can do to help the individual feel comfortable and to speed their recovery.
- If the individual's doctor has prescribed antibiotics, you should support the individual to take their medicine daily and for as long as the doctor has recommended. Even if the individual starts to feel better, he or she should continue to take antibiotics until they are gone.
- Ask the individual's doctor before using over-the-counter medications (such as pain relievers or cough suppressants) along with any medications he or she has prescribed.
- Take the individual's temperature at least twice each day (in the morning and in the evening); if their temperature rises above 102 degrees, call the doctor for advice.
- Encourage the individual to drink plenty of fluids.
- If the individual has chest pain, try using a heating pad or warm compress on the chest. Make sure the heating pad or compress does not get hot enough to burn the individual.
If the person does not seem to be getting better or if new symptoms develop, make sure to check back with a doctor.
It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between different categories of respiratory illnesses. For example, you may be able to tell that an individual you support has a respiratory illness, but not know whether it is the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia. Therefore, you should call the person's doctor for advice if you are concerned about their respiratory health for any reason. By catching symptoms early, you can prevent respiratory illnesses from becoming more serious. The doctor will ask you about the person's symptoms and may ask you to bring the person in for additional tests so that she can decide on the best course of treatment.
You can print out this Fever Quick Check for recommendations about when a person's fever should necessitate a call to their doctor: Fever Quick Check
How can I prevent respiratory illnesses?
As a direct support professional, there are actions that you can take to lower the chances that the individuals you support will develop a respiratory illness. You can encourage individuals to:
- Talk to their health care provider about getting a flu vaccine and pneumonia vaccine
- Wash their hands with soap and warm water often, especially if they are spending time around people with colds or other illnesses
- Keep their hands away from their nose, eyes, and mouth
- If they smoke, stop smoking
- Stay indoors with the doors and windows closed if air pollution levels are high
- Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet
- Get plenty of sleep and rest every day
You can also protect the individuals who you support by making sure to keep yourself healthy.
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water when moving between the different individuals who you support
- If you are feeling sick, stay home and rest. If you try to continue your work, you may spread germs among the people who you support and cause these individuals to become ill as well
In addition, by paying close attention to the respiratory health of the individuals who you support, you will be able to assist the person in receiving medical care before their respiratory illness becomes more serious and life-threatening. Minor respiratory illnesses can turn into more serious ones, but early treatment can keep the individuals who you support healthy and strong.
How can I learn more?
To learn more about the respiratory illnesses discussed in this article, you can visit these websites:
-
Cold and Flu:
-
Bronchitis:
- "WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/hw/lung_disease/hw32162.asp
- Family Doctor: http://familydoctor.org/677.xml
-
Pneumonia:
- WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/hw/pneumonia/hw63870.asp
- Family Doctor: http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&article_set=23001
-
General Respiratory Illnesses:
To help consumers learn more about respiratory illnesses, check out this month's DDS Safety Net slideshows. You will find slideshows for consumers on:
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