It’s one of those things that none of us ever want to be complacent about.
Pneumonia can be fatal, so, it’s paramount we take measures to inform ourselves and our family how to steer clear of it and how to spot it.
Pneumonia causes the tiny air sacs in the lungs to swell and become filled with fluid.
It’s sometimes referred to as Community-acquired pneumonia as it likely gets passed on through our everyday encounters with others – think of work or school.
The main types of pneumonia are bacterial (Streptococcus pneumoniae), viral (influenza Type A and B, or respiratory syncytial virus) and mycoplasma pneumonia.
While the bacterial type is most common in adults, viral pneumonia is most common in children and both tend to come on very quickly.
Kids, the elderly, those who have been heavy smokers, people with asthma, diabetes or cancer – essentially anyone with an already weakened immune system – have a higher risk of developing the infection.
According to the HSE, symptoms of pneumonia include a high temperature, difficulty breathing, chest pain (that will often feel worse when coughing), a general feeling of being unwell, sweating and shivering, vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid heartbeat and loss of appetite.
Those with pneumonia (especially the bacterial kind) will also likely have a cough, producing phlegm that is yellow, green, brown, or it may have some blood in it.
Elderly people may not show these same signs but instead, end up thinking quite slowly or getting confused.
The fact that it puts a strain on lungs, and the same symptoms are shared with other illnesses, it’s easy to see why it can often be confused as a different (or even minor) illness at first – such as a cough or cold.
Symptoms can be very similar to that of bronchitis also, which affects the airways leading to the lungs, rather than the lungs themselves.
If symptoms like those mentioned above persist beyond three to five-days, this might be the right time to consult your doctor. Symptoms of pneumonia last longer than that of other illnesses, so length can be telling.
A doctor’s visit will see a number of little tests, including listening to the chest – the reason being that they will be able to tell if the lungs contain fluid, which is a sign of pneumonia.
If it turns out to be more than just a mild form of pneumonia, there might also be a need for an X-ray which shows certain changes in the lungs. Blood tests can find certain types of pneumonia also.
Mild pneumonia can actually be treated at home with a course of antibiotics, plenty of water and lots of bed rest. But a strong form that has had time to do more damage may cause for a hospital visit.
Further complications arising from pneumonia are going to be seen more so in kids. These can include pleurisy (linings between lungs and ribcage thin which can cause respiratory failure), septicaemia (blood poisoning) or a lung abscess (this is very rare and mostly seen in people with an already pre-existing illness or history of alcoholism) or meningitis.
Antibiotics can be used to treat pneumonia but if you, or your little one, are getting no better within around two days after starting on them, be sure to return to your doctor explaining this.
Antibiotics have no effect on viruses (it could be the viral pneumonia), or it could be that it’s a strain of the infection that is resistant to that particular antibiotic.
So how do we prevent pneumonia? Well much the same way we’d prevent a simple cold or the flu. Be sure to wash little hands regularly, throw away used tissues immediately as germs can survive for several hours, and be sure to use tissues to cover mouths when coughing or sneezing.
It’s generally recommended that higher risk groups should get themselves vaccinated and of course, keeping that immune system strong to begin with will be an immense help. Get in those luscious greens, plenty of veg, legumes and wholegrains – ensuring little ones (and ourselves) consume vitamins, fibre, protein, iron and the entire works!
And seeing as it’s chilly out, let’s keep those little handies warm too!
