Pneumonia is a serious infection and inflammation of the lungs. We may have cough, run a fever, and also have a hard time breathing. For most people, pneumonia can be treated at home. It often gets cleared in 2 - 3 weeks. But older adults, babies, and people suffering from other diseases as well can become very ill. They may be needed to go to the hospital. During pneumonia, the air sacs in the lungs fill up with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has a great trouble in reaching the blood. If there is too little oxygen in blood, the body cells can not work properly because of this reason and spreading infection throughout the body pneumonia can cause serious death.
Till 1936, pneumonia was supposed the no.1 cause of death in the U.S. Since then, the use of antibiotics brought it under control. In 2004, pneumonia and influenza combined ranked as the 8th leading cause of death. Every year, more than 60,000 Americans die of pneumonia. A recent, joint UNICEF-WHO report has drawn attention to the threat of pneumonia. Pneumonia kills billions of people, particularly children, ever year. It kills more children than any other disease - more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Pneumonia causes almost 1 in 5 out of the under-five deaths worldwide and the death of more than 2 million children each year. The stated report says that 15 countries account for 3 quarters of childhood pneumonia cases world wide, in India, the number of cases is the highest.
Pneumonia is just a general term that refers to an infection of the lungs, which can be caused by a variety of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
Pneumonia normally starts when we breathe the germs into your lungs. You might be more likely to get the disease after having a cold or the flu. These sicknesses make it hard for your lungs to fight infection, and so it is easier to get pneumonia. Having a long-term, or chronic, disease like asthma, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes also makes you more expected to get pneumonia.
Pneumonia often begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat). As this happens, symptoms of pneumonia begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat.
Symptoms of pneumonia vary, depending on the age of the person and the cause of the pneumonia. Some common symptoms include:
cough
chills
unusually rapid breathing
fever
breathing with grunting sounds
vomiting
abdominal pain
decreased activity
chest pain
loss of appetite (in older children) or poor feeding (in infants)
in extreme cases, bluish or gray color of the lips and fingernails
There are many forms of pneumonia ranging in seriousness from mild to life-threatening.
Pneumonia is not a single disease. It can have over 30 different causes. There are 5 main causes of pneumonia:
1. Bacteria
2. Viruses
3. Mycoplasmas
4. Other infectious agents, such as fungi - including pneumocystis
5. Various chemicals
Bacterial pneumonia can attack anybody from infants through the elderly.Pneumonia bacteria are present in some healthy throats. When body defences are weakened in some way, malnutrition, by illness, old age, general debility or impaired immunity, the bacteria can breed and cause serious damage. Signs and symptoms which are likely to come on suddenly, include shaking chills, a high fever, sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain, and a cough that produces thick, greenish or yellow phlegm.
Half of all pneumonias are believed to be caused by viruses. Increasingly viruses are being identified as the cause of respiratory infection, and although most attack the upper respiratory tract, some produce pneumonia, especially in children. Infection with the influenza virus may be severe and occasionally fatal. It usually starts with a dry cough, fever, headache, muscle pain & fatigue.
Mycoplasma pneumonia was once believed to be caused by one or more undetected viruses and was called “primary atypical pneumonia.”
Identified during Second World War, mycoplasmas are the smallest independent agents of disease in humankind, uncategorized as to whether bacteria or viruses, but having features of both. They mostly cause a mild and widespread pneumonia. They affect all age groups, occurring most frequently in older children and young adults.This type of pneumonia is often called walking pneumonia because the person in this case may not be sick enough to stay in bed or to seek medical care and may never even know that he/she had pneumonia.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is caused by an organism thought to be a fungus. PCP may be the first sign of illness in many persons with AIDS. PCP can be successfully treated in many cases. It may get back a few months later, but treatment can help to prevent or delay its return.
Other less usual pneumonias may be quite a serious and are occurring most often. Varied special pneumonias are caused by the inhalation of food, liquid, gases or dust, and by fungi. Foreign bodies or a bronchial blockage such as a tumor may promote the occurrence of pneumonia.The signs and symptoms of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia include a cough that does not go away and also the fever accompanying the shortness of breath.
Pneumonia can make you feel very sick. But after you take antibiotics, you should start to feel much better.Call the doctor immediately. Even with the many effective antibiotics, early diagnosis and treatment are important.There are things you can do to feel better during the treatment. Also get plenty of rest and sleep, and drink lots of liquids. Do not smoke.Proper rest and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with moderate exercise can help keep your immune system secure and strong .If you have pneumonia, try to stay away from anyone with a compromised immune system. If you are older than 65 or you have a heart or lung problem, you may want to get a pneumonia vaccine. It may not keep you from getting pneumonia.You can also lower your chances of getting pneumonia by staying away from people who have the flu, colds, measles, or chickenpox. You may also get pneumonia after you have one of these illnesses.
