Welcome to fall, the season of exacerbation’s from allergies, wildfires and cold and flu.Today we take a look at what an exacerbation is, how to get into a situation for exacerbation and what can cause an exacerbation. Being prepared means the difference between taking control and letting others tell you what is happening.
Fall Wild And Controlled Fires and Exacerbation
It begins with the cooler temperatures and by someone burning leaves that fell from their own yard. Many municipalities have banded this practice but in the country it is done all the time, on their own property. The smoke can billow many miles and disturb your breathing without intention. In more rural areas farmers and municipalities will often have controlled burns. These controlled burns help to rejuvenation of the forest. It can go on for miles with the best of intentions. The result is that your breathing will be impacted. Any amount of smoke in the air will have a negative impact on your breathing and there is little you can do to keep the fumes at by.
Allergy Season
It is allergy season again and in the fall we can get allergies from mold spores. This is caused by dying leaves that have fallen from the tree’s and not been raked up. In the later part of fall it is also ragweed time. Ragweed causes an inflammation of the sinus and can lead to some very tough breathing days.If you suffer from allergies talk to your doctor about what you can take that won’t react with your regular medicines.
Flu And Cold Season and Exacerbation Issues
It cold and flu season and its is hard to go anywhere without running into it. Too early in the season for the flu shot, we are on our own right now. As we spend more time indoors and around more people, we raise our susceptibility to getting this season’s cold and flu. Odors can also trigger our breathing as people wear far too much scented products.
Preparing For The Worst With An Exacerbation
Wearing a mask can protect you but making sure it is the right mask with a proper heppa filter is a must. Preparing for an exacerbation means being suitcase ready and having a fresh list of all medications. I keep this information in my daily journal. Your ‘To Go Bag’ should contain some things that you will need to keep you company during a hospital stay. I make sure I have a charger for my tablet and phone along with a few extra cords and a CSA approved extension cord (Look for standards from your own country) and books, Crossword puzzles and Wordsearch for reading material. You can expect to be in hospital at least 5 days when you go in with an exacerbation, so having something to keep your mind busy will keep you mindful of your needs. Talk to your doctor about always having a prescription on hand.
Changing Canula’s
Remember that when you have a cold or a virus of any kind that your canula’s must be changed on a daily basis. Anything that comes into contact with mucus should stay around for as little time as possible. When changing canula’s, take them out of the package let them sit for about an hour before using. This insures there is not odors to irritate your lungs.
Your oxygen supplier should be supplying you with enough tubing for change it as many times as you are comfortable with, without having to clean them. If you use a BiPap or a CPap, remember to clean it on a daily basis when you have a cold or flu. This will help to curb the virus and help you not to become re-infect.
Ugh, this must be such a tough time of year for you! I agree with you 100% that people wear far too much of whatever scented products they’re using. Unfortunately, manufacturers seem to be adding more and more scent to their laundry products now, and these are even worse than the perfume. We had to leave church one day because neither my husband nor I could breathe, and it was very obviously someone’s laundry detergent.