Lung infections that are easily treated in
the young are a cause for great concern in elderly people such as South
Africa's 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, experts say.
With age, muscle function declines and the nervous system that sends the
impulse to breathe becomes less responsive, meaning that less oxygen
enters the lungs on breathing in, and more carbon dioxide stays behind
on breathing out. It becomes harder to clear mucus that collects in the
lungs, especially when people lie in bed or sit for long periods -- a
high risk factor for lung infections like bronchitis or pneumonia
because of the accumulation of mucus. At the same time, a weakening
immune system means the body is less able to fight infection, according
to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). "When we are young and
fit, we cough up (mucus) vigorously. When we are old, we cough less
easily and if we already have weakened lungs the mucus stays behind and
there is a high risk of congestion," said French pulmonologist Bertrand
Dautzenberg. "This is why old people are prone to respiratory
infections, which are a key cause of death among the elderly." Also, he
said, most people on reaching the age of 90 use about 50 per cent of
their lung capacity, compared to 20 per cent in youth. "If, in
addition, a part of one's lung has previously been damaged by
tuberculosis... one is left with very little spare capacity." According
to Dautzenberg, respiratory infections are often a contributing factor
to death in the elderly. The symptoms can be dire and resemble the
eating disorder anorexia, he said: patients stop eating and become
exhausted over time. If they suffer a shortage of oxygen, this could
affect other organs like the brain or kidneys. In hospital, though
doctors can provide oxygen and physiotherapy to loosen and expel any
mucus.
Legendary playback singer Manna Dey, who mesmerised generations of listeners with his inimitable voice for over five decades with hits like 'ay mere pyara watan', 'laaga chunri me daag' and 'poocho na kaise', died at a hospital here today at the age of 94 after prolonged illness. Dey, who was in and out of Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital in the last five months for respiratory and renal problems, died of cardiac arrest with his daughter Shumita Deb and son-in-law Jnanranjan Deb by his bedside when the end came at 3.50 AM. The condition of Dey, who had made Bangalore his home for the last many years, deteriorated since yesterday afternoon, hospital spokesman Vasuki said. With the demise of Dey, the void has become complete in the famous quartet of singers Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar, who dominated the Hindi music industry from 1950s to 1970s. The mortal remains of Dey, whose unique voice lent a rare dimension to his persona, were cremate...
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