Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection of one or both sides of the lungs that causes the air sacs, or alveoli, of the lungs to fill up with fluid or pus. Symptoms can be mild or severe and may include a cough with phlegm (a slimy substance), fever, chills, and trouble breathing. Many factors affect how serious pneumonia is, such as the type of germ causing the lung infection, your age, and your overall health. Pneumonia tends to be more serious for children under the age of five, adults over the age of 65, people with certain conditions such as heart failure, diabetes, or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or people who have weak immune systems due to HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy (a treatment for cancer), or organ or blood and marrow stem cell transplant procedures.
To diagnose pneumonia, your doctor will review your medical history, perform a physical exam, and order diagnostic tests. This information can help your doctor determine what type of pneumonia you have. If your doctor suspects you got your infection while in a hospital, you may be diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia. If you have been on a ventilator to help you breathe, you may have ventilator-associated pneumonia. The most common form of pneumonia is community-acquired pneumonia, which is when you get an infection outside of a hospital.
Treatment depends on whether bacteria, viruses, or fungi are causing your pneumonia. If bacteria are causing your pneumonia, you usually are treated at home with oral antibiotics. Most people respond quickly to treatment. If your symptoms worsen you should see a doctor right away. If you have severe symptoms or underlying health problems, you may need to be treated in a hospital. It may take several weeks to recover from pneumonia.
Many factors such as age, smoking, and other medical conditions can increase your chances of getting pneumonia and having more severe pneumonia.
Risk Factors
Age
Pneumonia can affect people of all ages. However, two age groups are at greater risk of developing pneumonia and having more severe pneumonia:
- Infants who are two years old or younger because their immune systems are still developing during the first few years of life.
- People who are 65 years old or older because their immune systems begin to change as a normal part of aging.
Environment
Your risk for pneumonia may increase if you have been exposed to certain chemicals, pollutants, or toxic fumes.
Lifestyle habits
Smoking cigarettes, excessive use of alcohol, or being undernourished also increases your risk for pneumonia.
Other medical conditions
Other conditions and factors also increase your risk for pneumonia. Your risk also goes up if you:
- Have trouble coughing because of a stroke or other condition, or have problems swallowing.
- Can’t move around much or are .
- Recently had a cold or the flu.
- Have a lung disease or other serious disease including cystic fibrosis, asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchiectasis, diabetes, heart failure, or sickle cell disease.
- Are in a hospital intensive-care unit, especially if you using a ventilator to help you breathe.
- Have a weak or suppressed immune system due to HIV/AIDS, organ transplant or blood and marrow stem cell transplant, chemotherapy (a treatment for cancer), or long-term steroid use.
Source:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/pneumonia
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