How to protect the health of patients with respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and tumors?Authoritative experts answer hot questions about epidemic prevention
The weather is cold in winter and facing the risk of epidemics. How can patients with respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and tumors take good health protection? What symptoms should seek medical attention in time? The joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council organized authoritative experts in related fields to answer.
How to protect the health of patients with respiratory diseases?
Xu Kaifeng, deputy director of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory diseases may have aggravated respiratory symptoms once they are infected with the new coronavirus. These people should pay special attention to the following aspects of protection:
One is to get relevant vaccines. In addition to the new coronavirus vaccine, influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine are also very important. The second is to quit smoking as soon as possible. Many patients with respiratory diseases have a history of smoking, and smoking has a great impact on respiratory health. The third is to control respiratory diseases on a daily basis and adhere to regular medication.
In daily life, basic preventive measures should also be adhered to, such as wearing masks, avoiding crowd gathering places, washing hands frequently, and ventilating more.
Patients with respiratory diseases
What symptoms should seek medical attention in time?
Xu Kaifeng reminded that for patients with respiratory diseases, they or their accompanying staff should pay special attention to observing and monitoring these indicators:
One is whether the breathing rate is faster than usual and whether there is difficulty breathing.
The second is whether the blood oxygen saturation has dropped significantly, especially when it drops below 90%, serious lung damage may have occurred, and we must pay great attention to it and seek medical treatment in time.
The third is whether the mental state is very different from usual. If there is abnormal listlessness, it is also an indicator that the disease may aggravate.
Xu Kaifeng suggested that for elderly patients with respiratory diseases, a portable oximeter can be prepared at home to dynamically understand blood oxygen levels. Once the symptoms get worse, seek medical attention in time.
How to protect the health of patients with cardiovascular disease?
Zhang Jian, Chief Physician of the Department of Cardiology, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said that after infection with Omicron, under normal circumstances, the antihypertensive drugs and other therapeutic drugs that have been taken in the past should be taken as usual, and the drugs should not be stopped at will.
According to Zhang Jian, daily antipyretics and cold medicines have not been found to conflict with commonly used cardiovascular disease treatment drugs. If you use some anti-new coronavirus drugs, you must strictly follow the doctor’s advice or follow the instructions to avoid the impact of drug interactions.
Zhang Jian said that if some patients are infected with Omicron, their diet and daily life can be slightly adjusted accordingly. For example, patients with heart failure cannot drink a lot of water every day, so they should drink water in moderation at this time. Although some people have no history of cardiovascular disease, they should also pay attention to rest during the recovery period to avoid diseases such as myocarditis caused by excessive exercise.
Cardiovascular patients
What symptoms should seek medical attention in time?
Zhang Jian reminded that winter is the season with a high incidence of cardiovascular disease, and some infections can easily induce or aggravate cardiovascular disease.
Zhang Jian said that if a patient suffers from frequent angina pectoris, or shortness of breath and palpitation after being infected with Omicron, it is necessary to pay attention to whether the underlying disease tends to aggravate. Once you feel that the original disease is getting worse, you should go to the hospital in time.
How to protect the health of cancer patients?
Wang Yan, Chief Physician of the Oncology Department of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said that if cancer patients are not in the treatment period, the prevention and treatment of Omicron is not much different from that of ordinary people.
If you are in the treatment period, are receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and have some symptoms of respiratory tract infection, you must first identify whether it is caused by the new coronavirus infection. Wang Yan reminded that lung cancer patients are prone to symptoms such as fever and dry cough, and the anti-tumor treatment that some tumor patients are undergoing can also cause reactions such as fatigue, myalgia, and diarrhea, so they should be differentiated.
What symptoms should cancer patients seek medical treatment in time?
Wang Yan said that cancer patients who are not in the treatment period can observe and monitor their symptoms in the same way as ordinary people, and decide whether to seek medical treatment in time.
Wang Yan suggested that if cancer patients in the treatment period are infected with the new coronavirus, they can temporarily stop the anti-tumor radiotherapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy. If it is a mild case of the new crown, it will recover in about 1 to 2 weeks, and it will not affect the anti-tumor treatment too much. If it is a severe case of the new crown, give priority to the treatment of the new crown, and then consider anti-tumor treatment after recovery.