Pneumonia is a severe respiratory disease that affects the lungs. It can affect either one or both lungs, depending on the seriousness of the condition. The lungs are composed of tiny sacs called alveoli. In the case of a healthy person, when we breathe, our lungs are filled with air. On the other hand, when a person has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid. This causes difficulty in breathing as it limits the oxygen supply.

According to research by the world health organization (WHO), pneumonia is one of the leading causes of child mortality worldwide. In 2019 740 180 children under the age of 5 were killed due to pneumonia. This gave a result in 14% of children deaths under the age of five, and 22% of deaths among children aged 1 to 5. People all around the world are affected by this disease. This particular disease has a high mortality, making it one of the most severe problems. We are here to talk about what Pneumonia is, what are its symptoms, its causes, and how it can be cured. This article has mentioned some easy cure steps for minute cases. If you have a severe issue, it is advised to see the doctor and take proper consultation.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection that might affect one or both lungs. It is caused due to several infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. In this disease, the air sacs, or alveoli, of the lungs fill up with fluid or pus. Symptoms of this disease can range from mild to serious and will include a cough with or without mucus, fever, chills, and trouble breathing. The seriousness of your pneumonia depends on the number of symptoms. It also factors in your age, your overall health, and what caused your infection. It is most serious in the case of infants or young children, and people older than age 65. People with health problems or weak immune systems need to take extra care as they might get affected easily.

Treatment for pneumonia may include antibiotics, viral, or fungal medicines. It's going to take several weeks to cure pneumonia. If you are having multiple symptoms, you must see a healthcare provider immediately.

Various places are more prone to cause pneumonia. Here we have listed a few common places due to which pneumonia can occur. Pneumonia can be classified according to how it was acquired as follows.

Aspiration pneumonia - This type of pneumonia is caused by the intake of food, drink, or saliva. It is more likely to occur if you have a swallowing problem. This occurs when food or liquid is breathed into the airways of the lungs. This may also happen if you’re too sedated from the use of medications.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) - This is a type of pneumonia that is acquired in a community setting, which can be outside of a medical building or other healthcare facilities. This is the most common type of pneumonia. It may be caused due to bacteria, bacteria-like orgasms, fungi, or viruses, including COVID-19.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) - This is a type of bacterial pneumonia. It is usually acquired during a hospital stay. It can be more serious than other types. This is because the bacteria involved in this type of pneumonia may be more resistant to antibiotics.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) - This type is caused when people who are using ventilators get pneumonia.

Symptoms

It is very important to understand the symptoms of Pneumonia. If you are unaware of the symptoms, it becomes very difficult to tackle the situation. You need to be aware of your body. If you face any issue, even if it seems to be minor, it is best to take possible action or consult a doctor.

Symptoms of pneumonia may include:

Cough, which may produce mucus
Feeling tired or Fatigue
Headaches
Loss of appetite
Fever, sweating, and shaking chills

Chest pain when you breathe or cough
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Shortness of breath
Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older)

Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems)

Causes

Pneumonia occurs when harmful germs get into your lungs and cause an infection. The immune system in response to these germs inflammations the lung’s air sacs (alveoli) to clear the infection results in. This inflammation eventually causes the air sacs to fill up with pus and liquids. This pus or liquid-filled alveoli cause pneumonia symptoms.

Several types of infectious agents can cause pneumonia. It includes bacteria, viruses, and fungi. There are various types of pneumonia, depending on the cause of infectious agents. The main types of pneumonia are as follows:

Bacterial pneumonia - This type of pneumonia is caused due to the presence of various bacteria. The most common bacterial pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumonia. It usually occurs when the body is already weak. It might be due to any illness, poor nutrition, old age, or weak immunity.
The bacteria enter the body via air and work their way into the lungs. Bacterial pneumonia can affect all age groups. You might be at greater risk if you abuse alcohol, smoke cigarettes, have recently had surgery, have a respiratory disease or viral infection, or have a weak immune system.
Viral pneumonia - This is the type that is caused by various viruses, including the flu (influenza). About one-third of all pneumonia cases are due to viruses. Viral pneumonia makes you prone to bacterial pneumonia as well. Viral infections like flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), common cold, human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) infection, human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, Measles, Chickenpox, adenovirus infection, and coronavirus infection can also cause viral pneumonia.

Mycoplasma pneumonia - This pneumonia type is referred to as atypical pneumonia. It has different symptoms and physical signs. According to the study by NCBI, this disease also might cause neurological, hepatic, and cardiac diseases. It is caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumonia. It generally causes mild, and widespread pneumonia that affects all age groups.

Other types of pneumonia - Other types of pneumonia are less common. It may be caused by other infections including fungi. More about the types of pneumonia can be seen in the study by NCBI.

Diagnosis

For the diagnosis of Pneumonia, the doctor needs to check the medical history. They will ask you about how the problem was initiated, and what are the symptoms you have. The doctors may also ask about any family member having such an issue. These issues can also be genetic.

A physical test is performed, where the doctor listens to your lungs using a stethoscope. According to the report of that test, you will get the diagnosis. If it is normal you do not have to worry about it. Although there are chances of some illnesses, there are different types of tests that are performed.

Here we have mentioned a few tests that might be taken to understand your health situation.

Chest X-ray - The chest X-ray helps the doctor look for signs of inflammation in your chest. If there is a presence of inflammation, the X-ray will also inform the doctor about its location and extent.
CT scan - CT scan provides a clearer and more detailed picture of your lungs.
Fluid sample - A fluid sample is taken using a needle placed between your ribs. This test can help identify the cause of infection.
Blood culture - This test uses a blood sample to confirm an infection. Culturing can also help identify what may be causing your condition.
Sputum culture - For the sputum culture, a sample of mucus is collected after you’ve coughed deeply. Then it is sent to a lab to be analyzed to identify the cause of infection.

Pulse oximetry - The pulse oximetry test is used to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood. A sensor is placed on one of your fingers. This sensor indicates if the lungs are giving enough oxygen through your bloodstream.
Bronchoscopy - A bronchoscopy helps the doctor look into the airways in your lungs. It does this using a camera on the end of a flexible tube that’s gently guided down the throat into the lungs. The doctor needs to take this test if your initial symptoms are severe.

Treatment

Here we will discuss a few home remedies you can do to help you ease the symptoms. Naturally, when pneumonia starts to spread, the most common symptom is frequent coughing. Also, you might suffer from fever. A few tips on home remedies are:

It is important to gargle with hot salt water. It helps you remove all the coughs, and will help you soothe your condition. Try gargling twice every day.
For the cough, it is important to completely avoid any cold food products. It will only worsen your condition. Try drinking peppermint tea. It soothes you not only in the throat, but gives warmth to the inner body and helps you recover fast.
Ginger is also very good for the cough. You can drink hot ginger tea to soothe the cough.
For curing fever try using cold compresses. It might initially feel uncomfortable, but it will eventually soothe your body and provide the coolness you need.
A cup of turmeric tea can help you with chest pain. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that makes it a magic food product.

Take as much rest as you can.
Drink warm bowls of soups every day. It will help you feel better.
Along with all the home remedies, it is important to continue the prescribed medicines.
And at last, it is important to know that no matter how much you are going through you need to motivate yourself and believe you will get better with time.

Prevention

We all know prevention is better than cure, and it surely is. We should always aim at following this. It is best to carry a healthy lifestyle and stay fit rather than curing diseases one after the other. A healthy lifestyle can be followed by inculcating good habits. Good health habits can help you recover faster and will prevent you from various diseases. Some of the important habits include:

1. Regularly washing your hands

You might have noticed that the doctors have a habit of washing their hands every time they touch any equipment or anyone else. This practice is what keeps the doctors and other medical staff away from all the infectious germs. You must regularly wash your hands before every meal, or after coming from outside. You might have no idea what kind of germs you are bringing in. It is specifically advised to wash your hands after coming from a hospital or visiting an unhealthy relative.

2. Following a healthy and balanced diet

To keep away from diseases, it is very important to improve your immune system. It is your immune system that fights back the unwanted germs. If your immune system is strong you might not even notice any health deterioration. And to maintain a healthy immune system, you must follow a balanced diet. A balanced diet consists of all kinds of nutrients and minerals required by the body.

3. Getting adequate rest

Some people tend to take this very lightly. Putting up with little sleep might feel adventurous, but it is more dangerous. It makes your body weak and prone to diseases. It is very important to take uninterrupted sleep of 7 to 8 hrs.

4. Regularly exercising

Every day we need to exercise, to keep our bodies fit and active. If we do not exercise, then we are making our bodies weak and stiff. We can also learn more about the importance of physical activities in the research by WHO.

5. Completely avoiding smoking or drinking alcohol

Many people are addicted to either smoking or drinking alcohol. It is important to understand how harmful it is. It is very important to immediately quit this habit, especially if you're suffering from any health issues.

6. Get vaccinated

Along with all the precautions you take, it is also important to be vaccinated. No matter how precautious you are, there still are chances of carelessness at some point. It is always best to take a vaccination. You need to be vaccinated against pneumonia and covid. It is one of the most important precautions.

If you properly follow these few habits regularly, it will help you prevent bacteria, viruses, and other causes of respiratory illnesses.

Summary

In this article, we learned everything about Pneumonia. We started with what Pneumonia is. Pneumonia is a lung infection that might affect one or both lungs. It is caused due to several infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. In this disease, the air sacs, or alveoli, of the lungs fill up with fluid or pus. The symptoms of pneumonia include cough, which may produce mucus, Feeling tired or fatigued, Headache, Loss of appetite, Fever, sweating and shaking chills, Chest pain when you breathe or cough, Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, and shortness of breath.

The cause of Pneumonia could be due to a bacterial infection, fungal or viral infection. The viral infection also includes the Covid Pneumonia. Further, we understood the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia. This disease can become life-threatening. It is best if we consider taking precautions and lead a healthy life.

Everything About Pneumonia