What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an inflammatory lung condition that mainly affects the small air sacs called alveoli. In general, the symptoms include a combination of productive or dry cough , chest pain, fever and breathing difficulty.
The condition is variable in severity. Infection with viruses or bacteria and less frequently with other microorganisms are commonly associated with pneumonia.
It may be difficult to identify the responsible pathogen. Diagnosis is often based on physical symptoms and testing. The diagnosis can be confirmed by chest X-rays, blood tests and sputum culture.
The disease may be classified where it has been acquired, for example, pneumonia acquired by the community or hospital or related to health.
Cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cell sickness, asthma, diabetes , heart failure, a history of smoking , poor custody (e.g. after a cough) and a weak immune system are risk factors for pneumonia.
There are vaccines available to prevent certain types of pneumonia (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae or influenza-related vaccines). Other prevention methods include hand washing and not smoking to prevent infection.
The underlying cause of treatment depends. Antibiotics are thought to treat pneumonia due to bacteria. The patient is usually hospitalized in cases where the pneumonia is severe. If the level of oxygen is low, oxygen therapy may be used.
Symptoms Of Pneumonia
People with infectious pneumonia often have productive cough, fever with chills shaking, shortness of breath, sharp or stably breathable chest pain, and a high inhalation rate. Confusion can be the most visible sign in elderly people.
The typical signs of fever , cough and fast or difficult breathing are symptoms in children under five.
Fever is not particularly specific, because it occurs in many other common diseases and can be missing in those suffering from serious diseases, malnutrition or elderly people.
Furthermore, in children less than 2 months of age, cough is often absent. More severe signs and symptoms may be bleeding, unwillingness to drink, convulsions, ongoing vomiting, temperature extremes or lower consciousness in children.