Pneumonia Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs with many symptoms, causes, and treatment. Pneumonia is an infection that triggers inflammation in the air pockets in one or both lungs that makes difficult to breathe. Pneumonia is one of the highest causes of death among children in the world. Pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria or a virus. It is also caused by fungi or irritants that you breathe into your lungs. In general, pneumonia can be characterized by symptoms include a cough, fever, and difficulty breathing.
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Pneumonia Causes
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common bacteria that cause of pneumonia. The location of transmission can also affect the type of germs that cause pneumonia. This disease can also be triggered by viruses and other factors. The following are the pneumonia causes.
- Pneumonia is caused by the virus. Some flu viruses or colds can also cause pneumonia. This pneumonia is most commonly experienced by toddlers.
- Pneumonia is caused by the mushroom. This pneumonia is most often experienced by people who have a decreased immune system or chronic disease.
- Aspiration Pneumonia. This type of pneumonia is triggered because the patient inhale the foreign objects such as food or drink, vomit, or saliva.
People who have a high risk of Pneumonia
Everyone can affect this disease. However, pneumonia has a potential to get worse in some people condition. The following are conditions which have a high risk of pneumonia.
- Baby and children under 2 years old
- Elderly people over 65 years old
- Smoker or abuse alcohol
- People with low immune systems such as those with HIV
- Persons with chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease
- Patients in hospitals especially those using ventilators
- A worker in construction or agriculture
Pneumonia Symptoms
The symptoms of pneumonia are very various based on the severity. The diversity of these symptoms can also be caused by differences in the types of bacteria that trigger the infection, age, and health conditions of people. Here are the common symptoms of pneumonia that usually appear.
- Fever
- Sweating and shivering
- A dry cough or a cough with thick sputum
- Breathless and short breath
- Chest pain when inhaling or coughing
- Nausea or vomit
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
Pneumonia Treatment
The treatments for mild pneumonia are just by consuming antibiotics that prescribed by a doctor, adequate rest, and plenty of drinking water. The patient also does not need to be hospitalized. Pneumonia is not contagious, but people with weak immune systems should stay away until the condition of the patient is fully restored. The following are steps to help to relieve natural symptoms.
- Take analgesics or painkillers. The medicines are paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve and reduce fever.
- Stop smoking. This habit can aggravate pneumonia.
- Avoid consumption of cough medicine. Relieving cough may make the longer duration of infection pneumonia. Cough medicine has also not been proven medically.
If your case of pneumonia is severe, you may need to be hospitalized. Medical treatment from the hospital for severe pneumonia involves receive antibiotics intravenously, receive body fluids through the infusion, and oxygen to help to breathe. Ventilators in the Intensive Care Room (ICU) may also be needed to help the weakening respiratory system.