Health&Wellness Magazine July 2014 | Page 10

10 & July 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net | associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.” Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is progressive. It takes a toll both physically and psychologically. In addition, asthma may complicate the problem and result in an inevitable decline in health status and difficult to control. The aim of asthma control is to prevent symptoms Signs and symptoms may include from occurring; failure to do this may stress and anxiety, depression and result in significant disability. low mood, fear of dying/breathless/ Asthma and chronic obstructive exacerbation, and numerous lifestyle pulmonary disease are the most challenges. There are also physiologicommon chronic respiratory condical signs and symptoms of chronic tions. The term chronic lung disease lung disease; common symptoms also includes other diseases, such as include cough and production of pulmonary fibrosis (scarring), and sputum. Dyspnea (breathlessness) is closely linked with dyspnea. This can be chronic and disabling and may result in patients living in an it can worsen considerably during ‘emotional straightjacket’ (Dudley et exacerbations of the al, 1980), which may disease. Brownrigg then predispose to or (2007) reported on his compound existing personal experience anxiety and depresof living with chronic sion. Impaired physical A sense of obstructive pulmonary and social dimensions disease. He described apprehension of daily living often how dyspnea resulted in result in a sedentary and fear may considerable modificalifestyle with progreslead to feelings tions in his lifestyle, sive dyspnea and such as limiting things of helplessness fatigue for the patient. he really enjoyed like that can result in This in turn may well socializing, walks in the lead to social isolation park, climbing stairs and panic. and an inability to parhills or even inclines, ticipate in many activiparticipating in family ties of quality living. outings and enjoying holidays with Some caregivers may experience friends and family. psychological concerns because of When a patient develops chronic the difficulties experienced by the lung disease, it changes one’s life. patient. Most notable is stress in This type of lung pathology has an relation to feeling restricted, anxious underlying chronic nature, in other and feeling helpless when the patient words, disease that cannot be cured experiences symptoms, especially and which tends to worsen over time. breathlessness. Booth et al (2003) McCormick (2009) discusses the encourage close medical management value of palliative care in the treatalong with family and social networks ment of this condition. He notes that that have been shown to have a posi‘‘palliative care is an approach that ti