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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