Preventive health care knowledge about respiratory diseases

There is no unique secret recipe for the prevention of respiratory diseases. The most effective and cost-effective logic lies in two points - one is to reduce the contact between harmful pathogens, irritants and the respiratory tract as much as possible, and the other is to strengthen the defensive barrier of the respiratory tract itself. All the remaining techniques are centered around these two points. Don’t believe in those gimmicks on the Internet that say “one trick will cure the cold” and “never catch a cold”.

Last week, I met an old lady at a community free clinic. She came over with a bagful of isatis root and lung-moistening tea and asked why she still couldn’t escape bronchitis despite drinking it for three months every autumn and winter. In fact, it's not that these things are useless, it's that she has misplaced the focus of prevention. She drinks health tea every day and doesn't even wear a wind-blocking scarf when going out. The dry and cold wind in the northern winter pours directly into her throat, causing small wounds on the mucosa first, and the virus will naturally get there.

When it comes to reducing contact, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is definitely wearing a mask. This matter is indeed quite controversial now. There is a group of people who believe that there is no need to wear it every day except when going to the hospital or in closed subway stations and shopping malls. Wearing it for a long time will make the respiratory tract "squeamish"” ； The other group uses N95 throughout the spring and autumn flu season, and indeed rarely catches a cold. I don’t think you have to take sides. If you have a bedridden elderly person or a child in kindergarten at home, and your own immune system is weak, it’s okay to wear them more often. ； If you are in good physical condition and rarely catch a cold throughout the year, wearing a surgical mask is enough for ordinary occasions, and you will not be so stuffy that you will get acne on your face and be out of breath. By the way, don’t buy those Internet celebrity masks with cartoon patterns printed on them. Last week, a college student came to the clinic and said that three people in his dormitory had caught a cold even though he was wearing a mask. When I asked him, I found out that his mask was just a decorative cloth, without even a melt-blown cloth filter layer, so wearing it was like wearing it in vain.

Many people ask what they can eat to replenish the respiratory tract. In fact, there is really no need to buy those "moistening and nourishing the lungs" health products that cost hundreds of dollars. Don’t underestimate the thin layer of mucous membrane on the surface of the respiratory tract. It is our own first firewall. Eat more carrots and pumpkins rich in vitamin A, and ensure a daily intake of high-quality protein such as eggs and milk. This will keep the mucous membrane moist, which is more effective than any health care product. Oh, by the way, there is another little detail that is easily overlooked: it is not nonsense to drink more water. If you feel that your throat is so dry that it hurts, it means that the mucous membrane is dehydrated and damaged. At this time, there is no way to stop the virus from entering. Keeping a cup on hand to sip it is much more useful than waiting for a big cup when you are thirsty.

Speaking of which, there is another point that everyone debates a lot: Should we deliberately "freeze" to train our cold tolerance? Some friends around me insist on washing their faces with cold water in winter, saying that they have rarely caught a cold in so many years. Some colleagues in the otolaryngology department have repeatedly emphasized that for people with allergic rhinitis and airway hyperresponsiveness, the stimulation of cold water can easily induce airway spasm, which is just looking for trouble. This really depends on the person. If you feel warm all over and your nose is fresh after washing your face with cold water, you can definitely persist. ； If you sneeze more than a dozen times after washing and can't recover for a long time, don't just follow the trend. Wear a gauze scarf to block the wind when you go out, which is better than anything else. I suffered from allergic rhinitis before the season changed. I used to rely on steroid sprays to deal with it. Later, I heard from my colleagues that I use 0.9% isotonic saline solution at about 37 degrees Celsius to wash my nose every day. I persisted for half a year. Now, except for days when catkins are flying, I basically don’t get stuffy or runny nose.

Humidifiers are also very controversial. Some people say that using a humidifier can cause pneumonia due to mold inhalation. Some people say that humidifiers are indispensable during dry seasons. In fact, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has long given a standard answer. When the indoor humidity is maintained at 40%-60%, the condition of the respiratory mucosa is the best. As long as you change purified water every day, use citric acid to remove scale once a week, and do not add any essential oils or perfumes to it, there will be no mold problems at all. Families in the north who turn on heating in winter can really prepare one. At least they will not be so dry in the morning that they can't speak.

There are also different opinions as to whether to vaccinate or not. Some people say that the influenza virus mutates every year, and fighting is in vain. Clinical data shows that even if the matching strains are biased, the probability of developing severe illness and pneumonia after infection among people who have received the influenza vaccine can be reduced by more than 60%. My suggestion is that the elderly, children, and people with low immunity should take an injection around October every year. Of course, young people with good health can choose not to take the injection. It all depends on their own needs. There is no need to convince each other.

In fact, to put it bluntly, respiratory prevention is really not that mysterious. You don’t need to buy a bunch of protective equipment to make yourself anxious. The one that suits you is the best. If you really have a cough that lasts for more than a week and a fever that exceeds 38.5 degrees and cannot go away, don't insist on taking cold medicine. Go to the hospital in time to take a X-ray to see if it may cause pneumonia.