September 2005
Age Healthier
Breathe Easier
Information for Older Adults and Their Families
COPD is the 4th
leading cause
of death in the
United States.
In 2000, COPD
led to 726,000
hospital stays
and 1.5 million
emergency room
visits.'
More than two
million people
age 65 years
and older have
asthma. In
2001, more than
860,000 older
adults had an
asthma episode
or attack.2
Did you know that envi-
ronmental hazards can
make it harder to breathe
if one suffers from
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD) or asthma? The
following are useful solutions to
control environmental factors that
can worsen these conditions. As
people age, they are more likely
to develop breathing problems
caused by lung diseases. By
knowing what can cause or set
off an asthma attack, or other
breathing problems, you may be
able to protect yourself and your
loved ones.
What in the Environment Can
Make it Harder to Breathe?
Breathing problems can occur if
you smoke or are around tobacco
smoke. Other environmental
hazards can also make it hard
to breathe, such as breathing
dust and fumes at work or in the
home, and breathing outdoor air
pollutants.
The principal types of outdoor air
pollution that can worsen breath-
ing problems include:
• Particle pollution: Particle
pollution comes from car and
truck exhaust, emissions from
factories, power plants, and
construction site dust.
• Ozone: Ozone is a gas cre-
ated when pollutants emitted
by cars, power and chemical
plants, and other sources, react
chemically with sunlight.
Breathing problems can also be
caused by indoor air pollution:
• Smoke from tobacco and
wood-burning stoves
• Fumes created when coal, oil,
kerosene, or gas are burned
• Fumes from household clean-
ing products and products
used to kill bugs or rodents,
and other products that make
odors (paints, wax, hobby
products and cosmetics, fra-
grances, and gasoline fumes)
• Dust mites (tiny bugs)
and cockroaches
• Pet dander (skin flakes, saliva
and urine from animals that
can cause an allergic reaction
such as sneezing or wheezing)
• Mold and dust
What are the Main Types
of Lung Diseases?
COPD may be caused by chronic
bronchitis or emphysema. A
person's lungs with COPD cannot
take in or force out enough air.
People with COPD get short of
breath, tire easily, cough a lot and
feel tight in the chest. Their lungs
also produce too much mucus.
As COPD becomes more serious,
people may be unable to walk
up steps or do daily tasks such
as fixing meals. COPD gets worse
over time and cannot be cured.
About 119,000 people die of
this disease each year. Many die
at a younger age than the aver-
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How Can You Protect
Yourself and Your Loved
Ones?
If you have symptoms of lung disease, see a doctor
right away. Symptoms include coughing up lots of
mucus; feeling short of breath; and having a pain in
your chest.
You and your health care provider can work out a
plan for taking care of your symptoms with medi-
cine. Your health care provider may also advise you
about what to do. In addition, you can take steps
to avoid being exposed to things that can cause or
worsen lung problems.
• Avoid tobacco smoke and smoke from
wood-burning stoves
• Clean your house to get rid of mold,
dust mites, and cockroaches
• Keep pets out of places where you sleep
• Check your furnace, heating units, and stove
every year for gas leaks and be sure they
are free of mold
• Clean humidifier and air conditioner filter
to be sure they are free of mold
• Fix water leaks right away to keep mold
from growing and cockroaches away
• Open a window or door when using strong
cleaning products, paint, or bug spray so the
fumes will not build up indoors
• Check the Air Quality Index by visiting
www.epa.gov/airnow and follow the advice
about staying indoors. Some newspaper, televi-
sion, and radio weather reports also carry the
Air Quality Index.
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age American. Each year, our nation
spends about $32 million to care for
people with COPD.
Asthma makes it hard for people to
breathe at certain times. The differ-
ence between asthma and COPD is
that asthma can usually be treated.
During an asthma attack, a person
may cough very hard and struggle
to get air. Medicine in a spray bottle
called an inhaler can open up the
lungs.
What Is EPA's Aging Initiative?
To help older adults enjoy a longer
and healthier life, the EPA developed
the Aging Initiative. To learn more
about the Aging Initiative and envi-
ronmental factors that can affect your
health, visit www.epa.gov/aging. You
can download a poster with informa-
tion about COPD and asthma called
"Age Healthier, Breathe Easier."
A
IGING
Initiative
End Notes
1. National Institute on Heart,
Lung and Blood, NIH,
U.S. DHHS, Mortality and
Morbidity Chartbook 2002 on
Cardiovascular, Lung and Blood
Diseases.
2. National Center for Health
Statistics, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, U.S.
DHHS, Summary Health Statistics
for U.S. Adults, National Health
Interview Survey, 2001.
Publication Number
EPA-100-F-05-017
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