What is pneumonia?
What causes pneumonia?
What happens to your body when you get pneumonia?
Who gets pneumonia and how common is it?
What are the common symptoms of pneumonia?
What should I do if I’m suffering from symptoms of pneumonia?
What happens if pneumonia is not treated?
What are the treatment options for pneumonia?
Is pneumonia preventable?
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lung tissue that usually occurs as a result of an infection. If a person has pneumonia, the infection causes the airways in their lungs to become inflamed and fill with fluid, making it difficult to breathe.
What causes pneumonia?
Pneumonia is caused by different micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that are too small to see. Infection usually occurs when these micro-organisms are breathed in. Most pneumonia cases are caused by bacteria, with the commonest cause of pneumonia being the bacterium known as Streptococcus pneumoniae.
What happens to your body when you get pneumonia?
Micro-organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, can get past the body’s defences to end up in the alveoli (air sacs in the lungs responsible for the absorption of oxygen). The presence of foreign organisms in the alveoli causes the body’s immune system to respond, and they are attacked by white blood cells. The increasing number of micro-organisms, white blood cells and immune protein cause the alveoli to become inflamed and fill with fluid, making it difficult to breathe – a common characteristic of pneumonia.
Who gets pneumonia and how common is it?
Anyone can develop pneumonia, even healthy people. However it is more common and can be more serious in babies and very young children, older adults and those with long term health conditions, especially if the illness interferes with the body’s normal defences against infection.
What are the common symptoms of pneumonia?
Symptoms may differ according to age. However the most common symptoms include a cough, which is dry at first but becomes sticky with phlegm that is often greenish yellow or brown coloured. Additional symptoms include fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, shivering, vomiting and fatigue. Loss of appetite and feeling confused is also common particularly in older people.
What should I do if I’m suffering from symptoms of pneumonia?
If you suspect that you have pneumonia, go to see your GP. He will examine you and recommend the appropriate course of treatment, or refer you to a hospital depending on the degree of your illness.
What happens if pneumonia is not treated?
Most people who have mild pneumonia get better over time, but pneumonia can be serious and even fatal. This is why it is crucial to see a doctor when symptoms of pneumonia are present.
What are the treatment options for pneumonia?
GPs may treat patients with community-acquired pneumonia according to the British Thoracic Society guidelines for either infants or adults. Most patients will probably be treated at home with antibiotics. If they are very ill, they may be referred to hospital and treated with intravenous antibiotics and oxygen.
Is pneumonia preventable?
As pneumonia is a common complication of flu, people who are at increased risk of flu should have the flu vaccine every year. Children, as part of the national vaccination programme, and adults over 65 years of age, are entitled to receive a pneumococcal vaccination.