‌Home Care for Common Lung Diseases

‌Home Care for Common Lung Diseases

Tuberculosis

  1. Rest & Nutrition‌:
    • Bed rest is recommended during active disease phases. Provide a ‌high-calorie, high-protein, vitamin-rich diet‌.
    • Include lung-nourishing foods: pig lung, white fungus, tofu, mushrooms, pineapple, figs, and loquat.
    • For ‌hemoptysis‌ (coughing up blood), consume hemostatic foods like purslane, lotus root, and water celery. Avoid spicy or irritating foods.

Lung Abscess

  1. Acute Phase Management‌:
    • Rest to conserve energy. Gradually resume activity as symptoms improve to aid sputum expulsion.
    • Maintain oral hygiene. Follow a ‌non-greasy, nutrient-dense diet‌ (e.g., buckwheat porridge, lotus root starch with lotus seed soup, mung bean soup).

Emphysema

  1. Lifestyle Adjustments‌:
    • Quit smoking/alcohol. Improve indoor air quality. Prevent respiratory infections.
    • Practice ‌breathing exercises‌ to alleviate early symptoms.
    • Prioritize light, protein-rich meals (lean meat, liver, legumes) and fresh produce. Avoid greasy/spicy foods.

Pneumonia

  1. Supportive Care‌:
    • Provide a ‌high-protein, high-calorie, vitamin-rich diet‌ with ample fluids.
    • Monitor vital signs (temperature, pulse, breathing, blood pressure). Seek emergency care if pallor, cold limbs, sudden fever drop, or hypotension occurs.

Chest Tightness: Causes & Management

Chest tightness is a subjective sensation of dyspnea. Causes include:

  • Cardiac-related‌: Exertional dyspnea, nocturnal paroxysmal dyspnea (e.g., heart failure, myocardial ischemia).
  • Pulmonary-related‌: Asthma, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, pulmonary fibrosis.
  • Neurofunctional‌: Often linked to cardiovascular dysregulation, accompanied by sighing breathing, palpitations, dizziness, or anxiety.

Diagnostic Tip‌:

  • Organic causes worsen with exertion and improve when sitting up. Functional cases persist at rest.
  • Perform ‌ECG‌ to rule out cardiac issues.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Definition‌:
A life-threatening syndrome from acute lung injury, leading to severe hypoxia. Causes include drowning, pneumonia, sepsis, multi-organ dysfunction, or trauma.

Symptoms‌:

  • Progressive dyspnea, refractory hypoxemia.

Treatment‌:

  • Address underlying causes.
  • Mechanical ventilation‌, prone positioning, vasodilators.
  • Corticosteroids remain controversial.

ARDS Etiology

  1. Direct Lung Injury‌:
    • Pulmonary contusion, smoke/chemical inhalation, aspiration, near-drowning.
    • Oxygen toxicity (prolonged high-concentration O₂ use).
  2. Indirect Injury‌:
    • Severe burns, trauma with shock, fat embolism post-fracture.
    • Post-surgical cases (e.g., cardiopulmonary bypass, major vascular surgery).
  3. Systemic Factors‌:
    • Severe infections (e.g., pancreatitis, sepsis).
    • Shock, DIC, massive transfusions, or fluid overload.

Heart Rate Note

A heart rate ≤100 bpm is normal. For persistent tachycardia, discontinue stimulants and evaluate via ‌cardiac ultrasound, 24-hour Holter monitor‌, or ‌troponin tests‌. Visit ‌Shanwei Zhongshan Hospital‌ for specialized care.

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