Pneumonia: symptoms, causes, to treatment

Definition

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infectious disease that attacks the lungs, causing the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) to become inflamed and swell. This health condition is often referred to as wet lung, because the lungs can be filled with water or mucus.

Pneumonia is often equated with bronchitis. In fact, in contrast to pneumonia, bronchitis is an infection that attacks the respiratory tract or bronchi.

Although different, bronchitis can progress to pneumonia. This condition can occur when people with bronchitis do not try to cure the disease properly.

This pneumonia condition can be experienced by anyone. However, if it affects children, pneumonia can be very dangerous. Not only that, pneumonia can also cause death. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that pneumonia is the cause of 16% of under-five deaths in the world in 2015.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia itself, reported by CNN, pneumonia in children causes 2-3 toddlers to die every hour. This condition can attack one lung, or pneumonia in two lungs at once.

How common is this condition?

People of all ages can get this disease. Smokers, the elderly, and those with chronic lung disease are most at risk of developing pneumonia. People with weakened immune systems due to chemotherapy are particularly at risk of developing pneumonia.

People with certain diseases, such as stage 4 breast cancer are at risk of developing pneumonia.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of pneumonia?

The signs and symptoms of pneumonia vary from mild to severe, depending on factors, such as the type of pneumonia, age, and overall health condition.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, common symptoms that appear if you are exposed to pneumonia include:

• Continuous coughing, accompanied by phlegm
• Fever
• Sweating
• Shivering
• It's hard to breathe
• Chest pain
• Decreased appetite
• Heartbeat feels fast

Meanwhile, symptoms that are quite rare but can still appear such as:

• Headache
• Limp and tired
• Nausea and vomiting
• Joint and muscle pain
• Cough accompanied by blood

Some of these symptoms are common and often occur in people with pneumonia and will last about 24-48 hours. However, this also depends on the conditions of each individual.

Even pneumonia in children can cause different symptoms. The following are the symptoms that will appear when pneumonia in children occurs:

• Children under 5 years of age, may experience rapid and irregular breathing.
• The baby will show symptoms of vomiting, weakness, lack of energy, and difficulty eating and drinking.

Cause

What are the causes of pneumonia?

In fact, pneumonia is an infectious disease that can be caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses. So, pneumonia is very easily transmitted through the air. Usually, the transmission occurs when someone with this condition sneezes or coughs.

Viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia can easily pass through the nose or mouth when sneezing and then infect other bodies. The reason is, bacteria and viruses can be removed easily when someone is breathing.

Risk factors

What factors can increase my risk of developing this condition?

If you have certain risk factors, you are more likely to get pneumonia. Factors that put you at a higher risk of developing pneumonia include:

• Infants aged 0-2 years
• Seniors who are over 65 years of age
• Have a previous history of stroke
• Tend to have a weak immune system, due to disease or the use of certain drugs such as steroids.
• Have a smoking habit. smoking can cause mucus and fluid buildup in the lungs, resulting in pneumonia.
• Have a history of certain chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure, cystic fibrosis, HIV and AIDS.
• Currently undergoing cancer treatment. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy can lower the body's immunity, so that the bacteria or viruses that cause pneumonia can enter.
• Currently being treated in hospital. If you are hospitalized - even if you are not being treated for a lung infection - then you are at high risk for developing pneumonia. The reason is, viruses and bacteria of this disease are quite commonly found in the hospital area.

Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How do doctors diagnose this disease?

In addition to seeing the symptoms that appear, this condition of pneumonia can be known if you do some special health checks, such as:

• Chest X-ray. Using X-rays, the doctor can see the part of the lungs affected by pneumonia.
• Blood test. blood tests are performed to determine the type of virus or bacteria that causes pneumonia.
• Sputum test. If it is true that you have pneumonia, the virus or bacteria that causes this health problem will be seen in the phlegm.
• Check blood oxygen levels. This is done to find out how much oxygen is in your blood. The reason is, this disease can cause oxygen to not enter the bloodstream.

If you show some severe symptoms, the doctor will usually ask you to do further health checks, such as:

• CT scan. If the lung infection that you suffer from does not go away, the doctor will ask you to do a ct scan so you can see the condition of your lungs at that time.
• Lung fluid culture. This examination requires the doctor to take fluid in the lungs and then examine the womb. This examination helps the doctor to determine the type of infection that has occurred.

What are the pneumonia drugs that are often used?

Pneumonia is a disease caused by infection, so the treatment is aimed at stopping the infection and preventing it from coming in the future.

Treatment to treat pneumonia will be adjusted according to the type, severity of the lung infection that occurs, the patient's age, and the patient's overall condition. This treatment can also be done at home or in the hospital.

Generally, this infectious condition can be cured only by taking medication and the symptoms will disappear in a short time. After treatment is given, the body will usually recover in just a few weeks.

The various treatment options for pneumonia are:

Antibiotics

Antibiotic drugs will be given to people who have bacterial pneumonia. Usually, the medical team will first check what type of bacteria is causing the infection in the lung organs, then it will be adjusted according to the type of antibiotic that will be given.

When giving antibiotics cannot overcome the symptoms of an infection you are experiencing, it could be that the bacteria have become resistant to the drug, so the doctor will replace it with a new type of drug.

Antiviral drugs

This drug is used for patients who have a viral infection. Antibiotics cannot fight viruses, so if a patient develops a lung infection after the flu they should be given antiviral drugs, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (relenza).

Cough medicine

This medicine is used to relieve cough symptoms that are usually experienced when a lung infection attacks. Usually it will be given to make you more comfortable and so that you don't feel pain from a persistent cough.

Painkillers

If you experience joint or muscle pain, headaches, or fever, your doctor will give you painkillers to relieve your symptoms, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

If the symptoms of the infection you are experiencing are mild and not too severe, you will only be given the drugs that have been mentioned previously. You will be hospitalized for pneumonia if:

• Are over 65 years of age
• Having impaired kidney function
• Have a blood pressure less than 90/60 mm Hg. In addition, having a diastolic pressure of less than 90 mmHg or having a systolic blood pressure of less than 60 mmHg.
• Breathing feels fast, breathe 30 times or more a minute
• Body temperature is below normal
• Heart rate below 50 or above 100

If this happens to you, you should immediately go to the emergency room for first aid. While pneumonia in children must be treated intensively in the hospital if:

• Less than 2 years
• Experiencing lethargy or decreased consciousness
• Difficulty breathing
• Experiencing dehydration
• Has low oxygen levels in the blood

Complications

What are the complications that can arise due to pneumonia?

If the infection is not treated properly, this condition can lead to complications or other health problems. The complications that will arise due to pneumonia are:

• Bacteremia. This occurs when bacteria that cause infection enter the blood causing a drop in blood pressure, inflammation in the blood, and in some cases even resulting in organ failure.
• Injury to the lung organs. The resulting infection makes the lungs suffer more and more injuries.
• Pleural effusion. If the infection is not treated properly, fluid will collect in the lining of the lungs and make it more difficult for the patient to breathe.
• Infection in one part of the heart. Bacteria can also infect the heart even though it was in the lung organs. This condition is known as endocarditis. The spread of infection to the heart must be treated immediately, because otherwise the patient will be at risk of developing heart failure.

Home remedies

What home and lifestyle remedies can I take when I have pneumonia?

Home care must also be considered to prevent the infection from coming back to attack the lungs. Here are tips if you are recovering from a lung infection at home:

• Enough rest. Do not return to normal activities first if the symptoms of your infection have not fully resolved, especially if your body temperature is still high. Even though you feel better already, it's best not to get too tired and push yourself. This can weaken your immune system and the infection can return at a later date.
• Drink enough water. Keeping your body well hydrated can help reduce the amount of mucus or phlegm in your lungs.
• Take the drug as directed. We recommend that you take the drug according to the recommendations given. If you are asked to take antibiotics, finish the drug. The reason is, if not spent, the bacteria that cause infection can be resistant to the drugs you take.

Prevention

How to prevent pneumonia?

In many cases, these infections are preventable. Some prevention of pneumonia that can be done is by giving vaccines and avoiding various risk factors for this disease.

• Vaccinations. Vaccines are considered a pretty potent way to prevent this lung infection from occurring. usually, there are vaccines that are specifically for pneumonia and there are vaccines against the flu - because infections often occur after the flu. To find out which one is right for you, you should consult this with your doctor.
• Make sure that children also get vaccines. Pneumonia in children can also be prevented by means of vaccines. Usually the vaccines given to children under 2 years of age with children 2-5 years of age are different. Pneumonia in children is quite dangerous, that's why you should immediately give the vaccine to your little one and discuss this with your pediatrician.
• Applying a clean lifestyle. Pneumonia is an infectious disease. To reduce risks, you must maintain personal, family and environmental hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and clean running water so that bacteria and viruses do not stick to the surface of the skin.
• Stay away from cigarettes. This habit will only make your respiratory tract infected, including the lung organs.
• Doing a healthy lifestyle. This aims to maintain your overall health. In addition, by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly, you will have a strong immune system and be able to ward off various foreign substances from entering the body.

If you have any questions, please consult with your doctor to find the best solution for you.