Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the lung.[1] Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolar inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid. (The alveoli are microscopic air-filled sacs in the lungs responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere.) Pneumonia can result from a variety of causes, including infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, and chemical or physical injury to the lungs.
Causes of pneumonia:
Bacteria, Viruses, and Other Causes of Pneumonia
The most common cause of pneumonia is the gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called S. pneumoniae or the pneumococcus ).
Staphylococcus (S.) aureus , the other major gram-positive bacterium responsible for pneumonia, accounts for about 2% of community acquired pneumonias . It is associated with viral influenza, and can develop about five days after the onset of flu symptoms.
Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms are similar to those of bacterial pneumonia; the most common being headache, fever, chills, muscle aches, loss of appetite and a productive cough. Breathing may be difficult or painful. Upon physical examination, crackles may be heard when the patient’s chest is examined with a stethoscope.
Medical tests for viral pneumonia may include chest x-ray or CAT scan, arterial blood gases to check oxygen level, pleural fluid culture can be used to identify the pathogen if there is fluid in the space surrounding the lungs.
You may become breathless, breathe fast, and develop a ‘tight chest’. A sharp pain in the side of the chest may develop if the infection involves the pleura. (This is the membrane between the lung and the chest wall.) A doctor may hear ‘crackles’ in the chest when listening with a stethoscope.
When a person encounters the symptoms of pneumonia – cough, shortness of breath, chest pain that fluctuates with breathing, fever accompanied with chills and sweats or aggravation of a flu or cold – he or she should consult a doctor right away because this condition may become lethal in some cases if left untreated.
How is it treated?
If bacteria cause the pneumonia it can usually be easily treated with antibiotics. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, but if your pneumonia is caused by a virus antibiotics may be used to help prevent any secondary infections.
The second is to get vaccinated. There are no vaccines for most types of pneumonia, but the two most common types (influenza virus and pneumococcus) can be prevented with vaccines. Yearly influenza vaccination is being promoted for universal use in Canada. Some provinces provide an influenza vaccine free of charge. A new pneumococcal vaccine developed for children to protect against disease caused by streptococcus pneumoniae is now recommended as part of the primary series of immunizations for infants.
The different kinds of pneumonia require different types of treatment. Antibiotic medications will work on most kinds of bacterial and mycoplasma pneumonia, yet prove ineffective against viral strains. Doctors often take chest X-rays to examine the extent and severity of the pneumonia’s damage to the lungs.
Most pneumonia patients are treated at home following an initial doctor’s consultation. Proper bed rest, a healthy diet, and staying hydrated are all important factors in resisting symptoms and the underlying inflammation. Hospitalization may become necessary in extreme cases of impaired breathing or immune system depression.
