The pneumonia you need to know
Pneumonia is a lung infectious disease that eats a lot of casualties. Here is a fact about pneumonia that you need to see.
Pneumonia is one of the infectious diseases that attack pulmonary organs and the number of occurrences is quite a lot in Indonesia. It is worth noting that many people have already swallowed their lives, there are some facts about pneumonia that you need to know.
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both of the pulmonary organs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. This infection causes inflammation in the lung airbags, called alveoli.
The alveoli are filled with the production of liquids or pus, causing the sufferer to breathe difficultly. Pneumonia is very prone to occur in some groups with a weakened immune system, so it is easily infected.
Infectious pneumonia or not?
Bacteria, viruses, or fungi causing pneumonia is very easy to spread from one person to another.
Pneumonia caused by viruses and bacteria can be transmitted through inhalation air, i.e. through sneezing or coughing. Also, you can get infected just by touching the surface or objects contaminated by bacteria or viruses causing pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the transmission of fungal pneumonia is usually caused by exposure to the infected environment (e.g. a room full of mushrooms), and its nature does not spread from person to person.
Fungal infections of the lungs generally attack patients who have decreased the immune system, such as people with HIV or those who are getting immunosuppressive therapy.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Symptoms of pneumonia vary, from mild to life-threatening. Symptoms include:
- Cough with phlegm
- Sweating or chills fever
- Shortness of breath that occurs during normal activity or even at rest
- More severe chest pain when breathing or coughing
- Prolonged fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Great head Pain
Also, other symptoms vary, according to age and general health. E.g:
- Children under 5 years old may breathe fast.
- Infants may not have specific symptoms, but sometimes infants will experience vomiting lack of energy, and difficulty drinking or eating.
- Older people may have lighter symptoms. They can also show confusion (disorientation) or lower body temperature than normal.
How to treat pneumonia
Treatment in patients will depend on the type of pneumonia, severity, and other general health conditions.
Medical therapy
The doctor will prescribe medication which type of cure will be adjusted to the specific cause of pneumonia. Some types of medicine include:
- Oral antibiotics can treat most cases of bacterial pneumonia. Consumption of the drug until depleted regularly to prevent recurrent infection or antibiotic resistance cases.
- In some cases, the doctor may prescribe an anti-virus medication. However, most cases of pneumonia due to viruses can heal themselves with self-care at home.
- For fungus-induced pneumonia, the doctor will prescribe antifungal medication to be consumed for a few weeks to remove its infection.
Home Care
Doctors can also recommend medications that are sold freely to relieve symptoms that arise, such as fever or pain, as needed. The medicines in question may include aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and others.
Also, the Doctor recommends cough-relief drugs so that patients can rest. You need to know, cough in its nature helps to remove fluid from the lungs, so it shouldn't eliminate it.
Another thing that can be done for recovery and preventing relapse is to take enough rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Hospitalization
If symptoms are severe or are accompanied by other health problems, patients may need to be hospitalized. Later, the doctor and the nurse team will control the heart rate, temperature, and breathing.
Hospital treatments may include:
- Intravenous antibiotics, which are injected into the vein.
- Respiratory therapy, which involves administering specific medications directly to the lungs or teaching the patient to perform respiratory exercises to maximize the oxygenation of the body.
- Oxygen therapy to maintain oxygen levels in the bloodstream (received through nasal and oral masks, face masks, or ventilators – depending on severity).
Risk factors for pneumonia
Anyone can be exposed to pneumonia. However, certain groups are known to be more vulnerable, namely:
- Newborns up to age 2 years.
- Elderly aged 65 years and above.
- People with immune systems are weak due to illness or the use of medications, such as steroids or certain cancer medications.
- People with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis (cystic fibrosis), diabetes, or heart failure.
- Hospitalized patients, especially if they are using a ventilator.
- Stroke sufferers, have problems swallowing, or have a condition that causes immobility.
- Smokers, use certain types of medicines or drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
- People who are exposed to irritant materials such as air pollution, smoke, or certain chemicals.
Causes of the greatest single death in children
Based on a report from the World Health Agency (WHO), pneumonia is the cause of the largest single death in children around the world.
Even according to an analysis by Johns Hopkins University and the Save the Children organization, pneumonia is predicted to threaten 10.8 million toddlers lives in the year 2030.
Each year, pneumonia kills approximately 1.4 million children under the age of 5 years. It represents 18 percent of the number of deaths of children under five years worldwide.
After knowing the facts about the above pneumonia, it is hoped that you can be more alert. Although it can be fatal, healthy and clean life habits can prevent lung infection.