Pneumonia is the infection of the lungs which affects the tiny sacs called alveoli that are responsible for passing oxygen into the blood. These alveoli are located near the bronchi, and they facilitate the breathing process. The disease is one of the leading causes of death in developing countries apart from being the sixth most common disease that causes death in the United States. Anyone who has been exposed to the germ that causes pneumonia is likely to develop the disease but the people with weakened immune systems are highly susceptible to it. These may include people suffering from diseases such as AIDS, the flu, cancer as well as chronic conditions like diabetes, sickle cell disease, heart conditions, kidney diseases, asthma and many other conditions. Also, the elderly who are recuperating from surgery are vulnerable to pneumonia.
There are many different microscopic organisms responsible for the cause of pneumonia ranging from bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. In adults, the disease is mostly caused by a variety of bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and Legionella. Young children on the other hand are more likely to develop pneumonia caused by a number of viruses such as the parainfluenza and influenza viruses; respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus. The older children are more likely to develop pneumonia from Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
One can develop the disease when they inhale these organisms or when the organisms enter the lungs via the blood system and result in the symptoms of the disease which are caused by the immune system producing too many antibodies to fight the organisms thus damaging the lung tissue.
The damage of the tissues causes the blood vessels in the lungs to leak fluids into the alveoli reducing their ability to provide oxygen to the blood. The most common symptoms of pneumonia include: shortness of breath, chest pain when breathing, coughing, shallow and rapid breathing and fevers accompanied with chills. The coughs emit sputum which may be streaked with pus or blood and in severe cases the patient may have blue or dark lips and nail bed due to lack of oxygen.
Diagnosis involves the doctor delving into the patient’s medical past to check for underlying causes of the disease. There are various laboratory tests which are carried out to determine the specific organism causing the pneumonia and this helps to prescribe more effective drugs. Some of these tests include chest x-rays, sputum samples, blood cultures and blood counts.
There are many ways of treating pneumonia but the most common is administration of antibiotics which can be done intravenously. There is also the use of oxygen therapy and intravenous fluids besides oral antibiotics. Patients who are susceptible to the disease are advised to take the flu vaccine and any other relevant vaccine that is prescribed by the doctor.
Patients suffering from the disease are advised to take plenty of warm fluids and also get as much bed rest as possible. They are also supposed to stay in rooms with humid temperature. Smokers are advised to quit so as to reduce their susceptibility to the disease.
