Besides what the hospital prescribe him? I know his meds are important but sometimes in the mean time it would be nice to give him things such as DIY oils or something soothing to him. I have an 83 year old dad that is in and out of the hospital and sometimes being in the hospital every couple months is tiring. He has slight dementia but otherwise capable of doing things himself without any problems. I get tired of the hospital at times and we only have 1 available where I live so they know him quite well.
Many will disagree with the morphine part but if it is suggested at least try it. Yes it is adictive but when given for this purpose which is comfort care the patient will appreciate the effect. make sure the air in the living area is humidified in winter and de-humidified in summer.
With the necessity for frequent hospital stays your dad would be appropriate for hospice care which would lessen the burden on both of you. Why not talk to them and see what services they have to offer and if you feel it would be helpful have them some in. I know the idea of hospice is frightening for many people but they will come and assess your dad and after that you and Dad decide if you want them to sign him up. if you have them for a few weeks and don't feel they are helpful it is easy enough to discharge dad, there is no penalty to discharge and readmitting at a later time. terrygma's suggestions about natural remedies may certainly help some people and I am not against anything that is not actually harmful or interferes with essential prescribed medications. just remember no one can MAKE you do anything so explore all possibilities but keep d's r and pharmacist in the loop.
If your father does have to go out in cold weather, bundle up with a nice warm scarf around his neck that he can pull up while in transit from house to car to building. He may have to lower it though if he has difficulty breathing.
If he smokes, definitely encourage him to quit.
Avoid foods with inflammatory agents, especially sugary foods. I’ve experimented with this aspect myself and confirmed that higher sugar foods make it more difficult to breathe, and I don’t even have COPD.
Anti-inflammatory foods such as red fruits and vegetables help decrease inflammation. I eat them for "summer ankles" as well as nasal inflammation if the chocolates demand that I give them equal attention when eating otherwise healthy foods.
Spirometers help strengthen breathing functions. If your father wasn’t given one at one of his hospital stays, you might be able to get one from a DME store. Or ask for one the next time he goes to the hospital.
We bought a HEPA air filter; I use it when I clean as dust always manages to escape and float around. A humidifier in winter helps as well; dry air makes it more difficult to breathe.
Good point about the humidity from showers. Tub bathing might be easier in terms of minimizing humidity.
If your father does any gardening, or works with chemical solvents such as those in VOC paints, avoid those as much as possible. Same with smoking.
Check with your father’s pulmonologist. Ours suggested pulmonary therapy through the affiliated hospital. It also includes improvement of core functioning, but focuses primarily on PT for respiratory issues.
As to oils, the only one I use is eucalyptus oil. I don't recall having read anything in my herbal magazines about other oils, but it's possible I don't remember. But do research quercetin: livestrong/article/19332-benefits-quercetin/ is one source. I wouldn't even consider buying tablets as the ingredient is readily available in foods. I now use only red onions, switched from lettuce to red Romaine and red leaf lettuce. It's easy to add this ingredient into a diet.
Good luck!
Sometimes embracing the help devices can bring takes quite awhile.
Hang in there - maybe your father will come around and accept his oxygen!
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