Pneumonia is a respiratory infection in the lower part of the lung that causes inflammation in one or both lungs, and this infection is often caused by bacteria or viruses, but some are caused by fungi.
What Is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that may be caused by bacteria, a virus, or fungi. The infection causes inflammation of the air sacs in the lungs (the alveoli), which then fill with fluid or pus, obstructing the oxygen we breathe from reaching the bloodstream.
The inflammation also causes flu-like symptoms that can last for weeks or cause a rapid deterioration in breathing leading to hospitalization.
Many factors affect how serious a case of pneumonia is, such as the type of germ causing the lung infection, the person's age, and their general health, so pneumonia can be a mild illness or it can be something more serious.
Pneumonia can also be life-threatening, especially in infants, young children, and people over 65 years of age, so it is important to see the doctor immediately.
Note: Pneumonia does not respond to over-the-counter cold and sinus medications available without a prescription.
Causes of Pneumonia
Pneumonia results from an infection affecting the lung. Most infections are caused by bacteria or viruses; for example:
- The cause behind pneumonia may be bouts of cold or flu, allowing germs to reach the lungs.
- In severe cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), breathing difficulties can develop into pneumonia.
- Bacterial pneumonia may be caused by pneumococcal bacteria, called Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is one of the most serious and potentially life-threatening types of pneumonia.
- Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis are other types of bacteria that cause pneumonia.
- Mycoplasma infection, a type of bacteria. It usually causes milder pneumonia, but recovery can take longer.
- Fungi can also cause pneumonia, especially in people with weak immunity, such as those infected with HIV or people being treated for cancer.
Risk Factors
Some people are more susceptible to pneumonia than others, such as:
- Infants and young children under two years old.
- People over 65.
- People who have medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, or chronic diseases affecting the lungs, heart, kidneys, or liver.
- People who suffer from weak immunity or those who take immunosuppressant medications.
- Smokers
- People who suffer from feeding problems, such as those with intellectual disabilities who are at risk of food or fluid refluxing into the airway.
- People being treated in the hospital, especially if they are receiving assistance with breathing.
Symptoms of Pneumonia
The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:
- Cough: it can be dry or it may produce thick mucus (the cough can continue for several weeks after pneumonia is successfully treated).
- Bloody cough.
- Chest pain that worsens with breathing or coughing.
- Fever: a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or higher. You may notice the opposite — that is, a drop in body temperature in the elderly.
- Sweating and shivering.
- Rapid breathing (especially in young children).
- Shortness of breath (children may nod their heads while breathing).
- Feeling generally tired and unwell.
- Loss of appetite.
- Headache.
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Bluish discoloration around the mouth, due to lack of oxygen in the more serious cases.
Treatment of Pneumonia
The goals of treatment are to treat the infection and prevent complications as follows:
- If the pneumonia is caused by bacteria, you will be given an antibiotic, and it is important in this case to take the medication to the end, because although you feel better within two days, if you stop the treatment, the infection may return again and the chances of germs resisting the treatment in the future increase.
- If you have viral pneumonia, all that is required may be managing the symptoms and rest, and the doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication for treatment.
- If the pneumonia is so severe that you are receiving treatment in the hospital, you may be given fluids, medications, and antibiotics by injection, in addition to oxygen therapy and possibly other breathing treatments.
Managing Symptoms
Most patients can manage their symptoms such as fever and cough at home by following these steps:
- Control the fever using aspirin or anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or naproxen, or acetaminophen and paracetamol.
- Drink plenty of fluids to help the phlegm secretions come out.
- If the cough is preventing you from getting the rest you need, ask your doctor about the steps you can take to get rest.
- Drink warm beverages, use steam baths, and use a humidifier to help open the airway and ease breathing.
- Stay away from smoke. This includes smoking, secondhand smoke, and wood smoke.
- Get as much rest as possible, and it is important not to do any strenuous daily activities until complete recovery.
Recovery from Pneumonia
Recovery from pneumonia may take some time, and some people may feel better and can return to their normal life routine within a week.
For other people, it may take a month or more, and the feeling of fatigue continues for most people for about a month.
So adequate rest is important to maintain progress toward full recovery and avoid relapse.
If you have taken antibiotics, your doctor will want to make sure that the X-ray of your chest is normal again after completing the treatment entirely.
Complications
Even with treatment, some people with pneumonia, especially those at high risk, may experience complications, including:
- Bacteremia: the spread of bacteria from the lungs to the bloodstream, and from there to other organs, which may cause the possibility of organ failure.
- Shortness of breath: if the pneumonia is severe, or if you suffer from a serious chronic lung disease, there may be problems breathing in a sufficient amount of oxygen and therefore extreme difficulty in breathing.
- Pleurisy: pneumonia can cause fluid to collect in the space between the layers of tissue that separate the lungs and the chest cavity (the pleura). If the infection spreads into the fluid, you may need to have it drained.
- Lung abscess: an abscess can occur if pus forms in one of the cavities of the lung, and the abscess is usually treated using antibiotics, and sometimes surgical intervention or drainage using a long needle or a long tube is necessary.
Prevention of Pneumonia
To help prevent pneumonia you should:
- Get vaccinations: Vaccinations are available to prevent some types of pneumonia and influenza, and consult your doctor about how to obtain these doses and find out their schedules.
- Doctors recommend vaccination against pneumonia in children between 2 and 5 years old who are particularly susceptible to pneumococcal disease.
- Doctors also recommend giving the influenza vaccine to children older than 6 months.
- Hygiene: To protect yourself from respiratory infections that often lead to pneumonia, wash your hands regularly or use a hand sanitizer containing alcohol.
- Stop smoking. Smoking destroys the lungs' natural defenses against respiratory infection.
- Strengthen immunity: Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and follow a healthy diet.
When a case is diagnosed with pneumonia, the doctor will work on developing a treatment plan depending on the type of pneumonia you have, how advanced the disease is, the patient's age, and whether you suffer from other health conditions. So follow the doctor's instructions carefully