Research Paper on Respiratory Diseases in Older Adults

Introduction

Research shows that aging is one of the common factors that cause respiratory diseases among the elderly (Sharma & Goodwin, 2006). The older age influences the manifestation of chronic diseases through different mechanisms including age-related comorbidity, cognitive as well as affective problems (Dyer, 2012). Physical changes of aging occur in the lungs and these compromises the development of respiratory conditions to the aging population. The thinness of bones usually increases as people get old and causes a change in the shape of the ribcage, making it rigid and hard to expand and contract easily (MedlinePlus.gov, 2018). The thinning of bones around the ribcage also weakens the muscles around the diaphragm, and this makes it difficult for a person to breath air in and out of the lungs (Sharma & Goodwin, 2006). The impact of these changes is impaired breathing in older adults who increase their chances of getting respiratory diseases as it will be demonstrated in this paper. Some common respiratory disorders among older adults such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increase with age (VanderWalde, Pal, & Reckamp, 2011; Dyer, 2012; Negin, Abimbola & Marais, 2015). Aging is a cause of respiratory diseases in older adults and different methods that can be used to prevent these chronic illnesses. The research paper will discuss the connection of physical aging with the various respiratory diseases in older adults and appropriate approaches to prevention as well as identify the gaps in the literature.

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Aging and Respiratory Diseases in Older Adults

Usually, aging affects how the respiratory system for the older adults responds to proper breathing as lung diseases increase with age. Dyer (2012) was investigating the interaction of aging and lung disease and found that the structural and physiological changes that take place with the aging of the lung impacts on lung disease. Aging causes significant changes in the lung including lung elasticity, chest wall compliance, and weakening of the respiratory muscle strength. The elderly will experience breathlessness as well as impairments in their quality of life due to declined lung functioning. Respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are caused by reduced lung functioning when the forced vital capacity falls below the forced expiratory volume. Dyer (2012) also revealed that respiratory infections such as pneumonia among the older adults occur due to the decreased response to hypercapnia and hypoxia associated with the elderly population.

The MedlinePlus (2018) approached the subject of aging and the development of respiratory diseases in older adults by explaining the aging changes in the lungs. The study confirmed that the weakening of the lung tissues due to aging prevents the airways from remaining completely open. The air sacs also lose shape and become baggy hence allowing air to be trapped in the lungs. Oxygen is limited from entering the blood vessels, and less carbon dioxide is removed which makes it difficult for the older adult to breathe. The nervous and immune systems are also affected when there are difficulties in breathing and decreased the sensitivity of the airways to trigger coughing (MedlinePlus, 2018). The effects lead to reduced ability of older adults to fight lung infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis decreases.

In their study, Yanagi, Tsubouchi, Miura, Matsuo, Matsumoto, and Nakazato (2017) were examining the impacts of cellular senescence in elderly pneumonia and in age-related lung diseases that increase the risk of respiratory infections. Age was an associated mechanism to the high vulnerability of pneumonia in the elderly population. Yanagi et al., (2017) critically examined cellular senescence as one of the hallmarks of aging and its impact on reducing the growth of cells. Such effects cause sustained low-grade inflammation of the lungs, and this augments the susceptibility of pneumonia among older adults. Yanagi et al., (2017) further connect the cellular senescence to the pathogenesis of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Like Dyer (2012), Yanagi et al. (2017) recognize that aging destroys tissues associated with the proper functioning of the lung due to persistent senescent cell accumulation. It explains the reason as to why the elderly get age-related respiratory diseases such as the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia.

Negin, Abimbola, and Marais (2015) identified tuberculosis as a common respiratory disease causing many deaths among the elderly. Similar to Dyer (2012) and Yanagi, et al. (2017), Negin, et al. (2015) stated that age is one of the factors that make older adults vulnerable to developing respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis. However, the researchers took a different perspective of exploring the case of tuberculosis among the old people in African countries. They found out that tuberculosis is a common respiratory disease for those beyond the age of 50 years, precisely 65 years and above. In fact, the burden of the tuberculosis disease is increasing among the older population in Africa and East Asia.

Prevention and Management

The prevention of respiratory diseases in older adults should be targeted at the cause. A condition such as the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer profoundly affects those who smoke or who have a history of smoking. Therefore, stopping smoking for this elderly population is important. According to the MedlinePlus (2018), preventing respiratory diseases in older adults should be based on changing their lifestyles. It is essential to stop smoking for those who smoke as smoking is harmful to the lung and also causes accelerated lung aging. Physical exercises should part of the older adult as it improves ling functioning especially if the individual has a sedentary way of life. Aging of lungs and respiratory diseases among older adults will also be prevented by the elderly moving around to avoid the collection of mucus in the lung which risks the development of lung infections.

In their study, Yamaya, Ohrui, Kubo, Ebihara, Arai, and Sasaki (2002) investigated the prevention of respiratory infections in the elderly. They reviewed the inefficiency of the current treatment methods and recommending effective approaches to prevention. The researchers argued that the ineffectiveness of current antimicrobials used in treating respiratory diseases call for the initiative to start preventing the illness among the elderly. They noted that the elderly have a likeliness of not coughing the microorganisms from the trachea because of an ineffective coughing reflex that causes pneumonia. Yamaya et al. (2002) stated that the prevention of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia in older adults should focus on approaches that improve the functioning of the cough reflex. The older adult should be administered with the capsaicin substance to enhance the coughing reflex that promotes the release of material P. Negin, et al., (2015) supports the views of Yamaya, et al. (2002) by arguing that prevention of respiratory diseases in older adults is the ultimate way of minimizing their mortality rate due to tuberculosis. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to present an active case finding and prevention interventions will improve the effects of respiratory diseases in older adults, their families, and societies.

Respiratory diseases in older adults such as cancer can only be managed after the patient is treated. According to VanderWalde, Pal, and Reckamp (2011), the age of older adults limit them from getting treated using some of the treatments due to their decreased functional reserve and can predispose them to poor outcome. Maintenance of those with lung cancer requires providing chemotherapy which is useful when combined with the appropriate prevention as well as supportive care. Older adults with lung cancer need to be selected carefully to ensure they can tolerate the chemotherapy regimens and complete the treatment.

For older adults with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, assessing the functional balance impairment is essential. Impaired functional balance is a sign of early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in older adults (Jacome, Cruz, Gabriel, Figueiredo, & Marques, 2014). By realizing this functional impairment early, it is easy for the medical profession to administer treatment that reduces the disability and preventing further development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the older adult.

Gaps in Literature

The research from previous authors presents gaps in knowledge, literature, and research. The review of the literature shows that no study was quantitative. The qualitative inquiries on the subject were only based on an analysis of literature. It shows that there might be limits of generalizing the results from past literature when individual qualitative and quantitative studies are undertaken on the current subject. Even though Dyer (2012) based the findings of the research on a review of past literature, the study did not have a clear research question and a research methodology. It means that many of the findings were generalized to the older population based on the reviews of other researchers. The author also used old research papers to base the results, and this could affect the validity of the conclusions made in this study. Therefore, further research, qualitative or quantitative is necessary for confirming the findings of Dyer (2012).

Yanagi et al., (2017) also assumed the research question and the research design that was employed in the research. Even though a review of past literature was used to obtain the findings of the study, it is evident that the results were not the original findings of the researchers. Therefore, quantitative and qualitative approaches to research are necessary to be undertaken to confirm and expound on the findings of Yanagi et al., (2017). Negin et al. (2015) also reviewed past research in presenting the findings on age-related tuberculosis among the older adults. However, the results were explicitly focused on African, and East Asia countries and they cannot be generalized to older adults in other nations all over the world. The researchers were general in recommending future research on age-related tuberculosis for older adults to establish effective methods of diagnosis and treatment. However, they failed to acknowledge that the society fails to declare that tuberculosis can be an age-related respiratory disease in old people. Most of it is associated with HIV/AIDS and lifestyle problems. Therefore, it becomes difficult to prevent age-related tuberculosis among the elderly. Most of the studies on the prevention of respiratory diseases in older adults also based their findings on past literature. Only one study used quantitative research methodology to establish how to prevent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It shows that there is the need for further original studies on the topic of investigation that informs the reader of actual quantitative or qualitative results from the targeted subjects in that research. Research is also necessary to examine strategies that can be used in preventing lung cancer in older adults as VanderWalde, et al. (2011) states that it can only be managed for older adults.

Summary and Conclusion

Physical changes of aging in older adults occur in all body parts including the lungs. The aging of the lungs explains many of the age-related respiratory diseases in the elderly. The research paper aimed to explore respiratory infections in older adults with a focus on the physical changes in aging of lungs and its impact on lung diseases in this population as well as method...