Pneumonia is a respiratory lung infection that causes inflammation in one or both lungs.
The air sacs in your lungs are called alveoli, which can then fill with fluid or pus, causing flu-like symptoms that last for weeks and often do not provide anti-cold and anti-ointment medications. ۔
Pneumonia comes in many forms and is mainly caused by bacteria or viruses, which are contagious, and are usually caused by fungi or parasites.
The type of germ determines who gets pneumonia, how serious the disease can be, and how pneumonia is treated.
“It’s a difficult disease to diagnose,” says Derry, a pulmonologist and medical director of the lung transplant program at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “There is a big difference in age, as well as a person’s immune system; and, of course, the symptoms themselves,” which is often like a cold or flu.
One of the first things a doctor will do is use a stethoscope to crack the lungs or hear bubbles. “Shortness of breath is a sign of severe inflammation,” said Michelle Barron, MD, an associate professor of infectious disease distribution at the University of Colorado at Denver. A chest x-ray can help determine the extent of the infection, while a blood test and analysis of the patient’s saliva can indicate what is
Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, there are more than 30 different causes of pneumonia, including bacteria, viruses, airborne infections and cookies. (1) When these germs enter the lungs, they overwhelm the immune system and can attack nearby lung tissues, which are highly sensitive. Once an infection occurs, the air sacs in the lungs become swollen, causing coughing, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing.
When both lungs become infected, the condition can be called “double pneumonia.” (2)
Talk to your doctor if you have flu-like symptoms. And if you have trouble breathing right away. Just go to the emergency room. Pneumonia can be severe if left untreated.
People with severe pneumonia experience gastric symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as high fever. Sweating, rapid heartbeat, and a blue color for the lips and nails are also symptoms of severe pneumonia.
Pneumonia shares many symptoms with the common cold and influenza, or flu, as well as acute bronchitis, which is an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes (which carries air to your lungs). But there are key differences that are important for the diagnosis and treatment of each. The main differences are whether you can prevent and treat the disease, and how serious the consequences can be, said M. Aaron M. Milston, assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. According to.
With the common cold, there is no vaccine to prevent it, but it is usually not serious and the symptoms are mild. On the other hand, flu and pneumonia can have serious consequences and more serious symptoms. Both are associated with higher hospital admissions and deaths than the common cold.
Pneumonia in Children
Symptoms of pneumonia can appear differently in children and are more difficult to recognize than in adults. Symptoms vary with age, and children may not have a persistent cough or high fever – but headaches, sore throats, fatigue, and loss of appetite may indicate that they have suffered more from a severe cold and They need medical help.
Children are at higher risk of contracting the disease because their immune systems are not fully developed. Pneumonia can develop very rapidly in children, especially infants and people with basic medical conditions, according to a study published in Pediatric Respiratory Studies in July 2017. (3)
Causes and Risk Factors of Pneumonia
How do you get pneumonia? The majority of the germs that cause infection are spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
The Mayo Clinic notes that young children and people over the age of 65 are the most affected by pneumonia. (4)
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), you have a higher risk of pneumonia if you have the following conditions. (5)
Asthma
Inban condition
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Weakened immune system due to human immune virus (HIV) or cancer
Smokers have a higher risk of developing pneumonia regardless of age, and men and African Americans are more at risk.
People who are often in close contact with others, such as college students and military personnel, are at higher risk for the disease.