Tuesday, 17. December 2019

Do you want to come to the Christmas market with us? Part 2

Do you want to come to the Christmas market with us? For most of us, this is a harmless, innocuous question. But for people with chronic respiratory conditions, this question is not always easy to answer. We asked four lung patients this question anyway. Here are their answers.

Elsbeth H., 69 years old, pensioner, stage 3-4 COPD

"Going to Christmas markets is not an issue for me. It has become clear that the air at outdoor markets is not as stuffy as at indoor markets. When I am at an indoor market and the air is too stuffy for me, I just go outside and take a couple of breaths. Of course, I also worry about infection. But I also worry about infection at the doctor’s waiting room and anywhere where a lot of people gather. When I go to Christmas markets, I usually wear a turtleneck jumper that I can pull up over my mouth and nose. I have the feeling this protects me at least a little from viruses and bacteria. When I get overly anxious, it helps me to use a special breathing technique where I focus on my breathing and not on my anxiety. I deliberately breathe in calmly through my nose and out through my mouth. Then I feel better. COPD has affected my quality of life a lot, but I don’t let the disease dominate my life."

Elsbeth’s tips:

If you have a panic attack or shortness of breath, concentrate on breathing calmly and deliberately breathe calmly.
Put a turtleneck jumper or scarf over your mouth and nose as a barrier to germs.
Go to outdoor Christmas markets instead of indoor ones.

Also read:

Note: The statements made in the interview are the individual views of the interviewee. They do not necessarily reflect the PARI view or the general state of science.

An article written by the PARI BLOG editorial team.

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