Pneumonia

Pneumonia occurs due to numerous reasons, and it’s a dangerous condition that leads to severe complications. It also might be life-threatening if not managed.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection that leads to inflammation in the air sacs in one or both of the lungs, and that causes them to be filled with fluids or pus. Pneumonia occurs as a result of a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection.

Pneumonia can occur at any age, but it’s more common in children with two years or younger and adults with 65 years or older.

Types of pneumonia

• Community-acquired pneumonia: it’s the type that affects the patient outside of healthcare facilities due to specific bacteria, viruses, or fungus, and in rare cases, some protozoa.
• Hospital-acquired pneumonia: pneumonia could happen when the patient stays in the hospital to be treated for another condition. This type is more dangerous because it mostly occurs due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It also occurs more in patients who use ventilators.
• Health care-associated pneumonia: it occurs when the patient stays in a healthcare facility like outpatient clinics or lives in a healthcare facility for a long time, such as nursing homes. In most cases, the reason is antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well.
• Aspiration pneumonia: it occurs when something enters the trachea to the lungs and hasn’t been extracted quickly, such as food, drinks, etc.

Causes and risk factors leading to pneumonia

Pneumonia results from several bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The risk factors include the following:

• The patient has other conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, a heart disease, and conditions that cause swallowing difficulty, such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and stroke.
• Staying in the hospital for a long time.
• Smoking.
• Pregnancy.
• Weakened immune system, like having AIDS or HIV, taking immunosuppressants in case of an organ transplant, and chemotherapy.

Symptoms of pneumonia

Pneumonia symptoms differ depending on the cause, age, and the patient’s condition in general. They also can be mild or severe, and most often, mild symptoms are similar to the symptoms of the cold or flu, but they last longer.

Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia

• High fever (40.5 C˚ or 105 F).
• Cough with green, yellow, or bloody sputum.
• Rapid breaths.
• Shortness of breath.
• Rapid heartrate.
• Sweating or chills.
• Chest pain, especially when taking a deep breath or coughing.
• Fatigue and exhaustion.
• Loss of appetite.
• Bluish skin, lips, and nails.
• Confusion and altered mental state.

Symptoms of viral pneumonia

The patient might have the same symptoms as the bacterial infection, or they might additionally have:

• Dry cough.
• Extreme fatigue.
• Headaches.
• Muscle pain.

Symptoms of pneumonia in children

• Cough.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Fever and chills.
• Fussiness.
• Loss of appetite.
• Vomiting.

Complications of pneumonia

• Bacteremia.
• Pleural effusion (fluid accumulation in the tissue layers between the lung and the chest cavity).
• Difficulty breathing.
• Lung abscesses (bags that contain pus).

Diagnosis of pneumonia

• Blood tests.
• Sputum test.
• Imaging tests.
• Pulse oximetry.
• Pleural fluid culture.

Treatment of pneumonia

The treatments depend on the cause, and they include:

• Specific medications.
• Cough medications.
• Management of other symptoms.
• Some patients might need oxygen and IV fluids.

Prevention of pneumonia

• Vaccines.
• Practice good hygiene.
• Avoid smoking.
• Avoid contacting sick people.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle.