Common Winter Illnesses To Watch Out Among Seniors

Out of all of the seasons, winter happens to be a little tough for seniors. It is because, during winters, most families prefer keeping the seniors stuck inside the house to avoid winter illnesses in seniors. Moreover, there is no sunshine for seniors to enjoy. 

The worst part of winter among seniors is that it makes seniors prone to catching winter illnesses such as colds or pneumonia. This is why families are asked to take special care of seniors during winter. 

Let us have an insight into some of the common winter illnesses in seniors in this blog. 

Winter Illnesses Among Seniors

Bronchitis 

As the name indicates, bronchitis is an infection causing inflammation in the bronchi, the large tubes carrying oxygen to the lungs. You can know that seniors have bronchitis when they have continual coughs that may also produce phlegm. 

Some other symptoms of bronchitis among seniors include sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue, and body aches. This infection is quite common among seniors as it is caused by the same viruses that cause colds or flu. 

Fortunately, you can treat this infection among seniors by taking them to the physician and giving them non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. 

Norovirus 

The next common winter illness among seniors includes norovirus. Norovirus also known as winter vomiting bug is a contagious stomach bug. This infection among seniors usually takes place between November to March. 

It is a food-borne illness leading to vomiting and diarrhea among seniors. Some of the symptoms of norovirus among seniors include headache, chills, fatigue, and cramping. 

Pneumonia 

Pneumonia is an infection in the seniors’ lungs. Pneumonia in the elderly is often from viruses or bacteria. Some of the signs of pneumonia among seniors include chest pain, chills, loss of appetite, high fever, and trouble breathing. 

Besides this, pneumonia can also change seniors’ mental state and make them confused. This disease can turn out to be fatal for seniors having weak immune systems. 

Consequently, make sure to take seniors to the medical professional and start their treatment. Check if you can give seniors the available vaccines to treat pneumonia in them. 

Flu 

Another common winter illness is influenza or Flu among seniors. The research reveals that nearly 20% of Americans are prone to flu. Most people confuse flu with cold but its symptoms are worse than that of cold among seniors. 

If seniors report experiencing muscle chills or muscle aches, then it is a clear indicator of flu. You can give antiviral medications to ease the symptoms of flu among seniors. But before you give seniors medications, make sure to report these symptoms to physicians to figure out if those medications will work on seniors or not. 

The best way forward to treat flu among seniors is to give flu shots. These new vaccines prevent seniors from getting sick. 

Cold 

It is not only seniors but everyone else who has also experienced the common cold once in their lifetime. There are nearly 200 viruses that cause colds but the most common one is rhinovirus. 

The symptoms of the common cold among seniors include runny nose, fever, coughing, or sore throat. These symptoms are not severe and get away on their own. The only problem with this is that it spreads easily in winter. 

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) 

RSV is a disease that new babies are prone to but is equally concerning for seniors as well. It is not only babies but seniors are also at high risk of RSV. 

RSV infection makes it difficult for seniors to breathe. Also, its symptoms do not just happen all at once but happen in stages. The best way to deal with this infection is to wash hands frequently and avoid close contact with people.