Introduction
Pneumonia
is an infection of one or both lungs. To know what that means,
you have to know something about lungs and what they do. When
you breathe in, you pull oxygen into your lungs. That oxygen
travels through breathing tubes and eventually gets into your
blood through the alveoli.
Alveoli
are tiny air sacs covered in tiny blood vessels called capillaries.
When oxygen-rich air reaches the alveoli, it can be absorbed
into the blood. Then your red blood cells can carry oxygen
all over your body. The body needs oxygen to keep working
properly and to stay alive.
But if
a person has pneumonia, his or her lungs cannot do this important
job very well. Because this kind of infection creates fluid
that blocks the alveoli. This makes it hard for oxygen to
get deep into the lungs, where it can be passed through to
the blood. The person can still breathe, but it might be hard
to breathe, especially if the pneumonia affects both lungs.
Pneumonia
can happen to people at any age, from tiny babies to really
old people. Getting wet does not cause pneumonia, but an infection
from bacteria or a virus does. A cold or flu that gets worse
can turn into pneumonia. That's because the cold or flu will
irritate the lungs, creating an environment where it's easier
for pneumonia germs to move in and start an infection.
If A Person Have A Pneumonia
With
bacterial pneumonia, a person might feel sick suddenly and
often has a high fever with chills. The viral kind of pneumonia
might happen more slowly and take longer to go away.
Either
way, a person might feel like he or she has the flu with a
headache, fever, muscle aches, and a cough. Pneumonia often
causes chest pain. The kid might be breathing faster than
usual and may cough up gloppy mucus.
Doctor's Diagnosis
To diagnose
pneumonia, a doctor will first ask you questions about how
you are feeling. The doctor will listen to your chest with
a stethoscope.
If there
is fluid in there, he or she might be able to hear bubbling
or crackling sounds called rales..
If your
doctor thinks you could have pneumonia, he or she may order
a chest X-ray. On an X-ray, the doctor might be able to see
signs of the pneumonia infection. Any buildup of fluid or
infection often shows up as a cloudy, patchy white area in
the usual see-through spaces of the lungs.
Treatment
If the
pneumonia is caused by bacteria, antibiotic medicine will
be given. If the doctor thinks you will not be able to keep
the medicine down, or if you are having trouble breathing,
the treatment might be given in the hospital.
Antibiotics
will not work on viruses, so if that is the cause of the pneumonia,
only fever reducers and sometimes cough medicine will be given.
No matter which germ caused the pneumonia, getting rest and
drinking plenty of fluids is always recommended.
Prevention
There
are several ways to keep from getting pneumonia. One is to
get all your shots because one of them can prevent a type
of pneumonia called pneumococcal pneumonia. Getting a flu
shot can also help guard against getting pneumonia. Getting
enough rest is also very important since lack of sleep can
make it hard for your immune system to fight infections.
Wash your
hands, of course. Regularly washing your hands with soap and
water can keep you from getting colds, the flu, and picking
up other nasty germs that can cause pneumonia.
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