Pneumonia is an infection disease in the lungs, causing inflammation and fluid build-up and may cause problems with oxygen exchange.
Causes and Symptoms
It can be caused by different germs, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. It affects people of all ages and can cause a mild to severe illness. Generally, your body prevents the germs which cause pneumonia from reaching your lungs. But when the system is weak,
Pneumonia can affect anyone; it is just that some people are at higher risk than others. Pneumonia symptoms include fever, chest pains, wheezing, rapid breathing, cough, chills, loss of appetite and malaise, or a general feeling of weakness or ill health.
Treatment
Treatment for pneumonia depends on the type and severity of the pneumonia. In most bacterial cases, pneumonia can be successfully treated with antibiotics. However, if pneumonia is not treated, it can make a person fall very sick and in severe cases lead to tissues in the body (especially in your heart and brain) not receiving the oxygen they need.
The antibiotic of choice is amoxicillin dispersable tablets. Hospitalization is recommended only for severe cases of pneumonia.
Pneumonia Facts
- Complications of pneumonia include sepsis, pleural effusion, and empyema.
- Pneumonia can be fatal in up to 30% of severe cases that are managed in the intensive-care setting.
- A chest X-ray is typically done to diagnose pneumonia.
- Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are the most common viral causes of pneumonia.
- The most common bacterial type that causes pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae.
