Pneumonia

Pneumonia or inflammation of lungs usually starts with contagious disease of upper respiratory tract. It may be a complication after past diseases such as bronchitis, influenza, sore throat, ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection). As a rule, this happens when patient ignores bed regime and has the illness on the move. However, lasting lying may cause the development of congestive pneumonia which appears as a result of lasting bed regime after past fractures, serious operations or heart failure. Besides typical pneumonia, specialists define atypical ones. Their causative agents are viruses or rare microorganisms, for example, clamydia carried by birds.

Agents and ways of transmission
Pneumonia is a multifaced disease. This is not true. In pneumonia symptoms are alike but agents are different. Pneumonia may be caused by microbes (pneumococcus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, Klebsiella), by rods (intestinal bacterium, Proteus, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas Aureginosa, legionella, plague bacillus), and also by viruses (mycoplasma), and fungus (clamydia).

Extremely virulent are cases when occurs simultaneous infection of a human by viruses and bacteria. Frequently this happens on the back of dysimmunity. Often pneumonia may be a cause of allergic reactions in lungs or manifestation of systematic disease.

How infecting occurs?
When a person suffers from chronic bronchitis or he just has ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection) in his upper respiratory tracts, hydropic fluid develops and it flows in lungs in form of mucus. These are ideal conditions for generation of bacteria which do penetrate into pulmonary tissue from the environment via bronchi. However, bacteria may also penetrate via blood and lymph.

Symptoms
Acute sudden onset of the disease, which is connected with hypothermia. Temperature of the body is higher than 38C and is kept for more than three days.
Signs of intoxication: pallescence, greyish tint of skin, apathy, sleeping disorders and eating disorders. Often a patient suffers from shortness of breath, wet cough, and in case of severe pneumonia he has grunting breathing. Children may have posseting and vomit.

Diagnostics
Doctor may detect pneumonia during examination of the patient by lung listening. Additional methods of examination will show changes in the blood analysis and those changes do bear inflammatory character (neutrophilia, blood sedimentation rate increase). Changes in the lungs are clearly visible on the X-Ray image.

Preventive Measures
For fear of getting ill with pneumonia it is necessary to treat cold-related diseases timely, live a healthy lifestyle, fortify yourself against colds and quit smoking. It is important to follow rules of hygiene especially during ARVI.

Treatment
Pneumonia is treated in the hospital or at home under condition of permanent control over patient's state. Frequently, antibiotics and expected treatment (antifebrile, expectorant, antihistaminic) are prescribed. Along with medications, doctors may prescribe respiratory gymnastics, capsicum plaster, mustard plaster, inhalation. You should not stop taking antibiotics even if you feel well. Remember that acute infection may turn into chronic form and bacteria causing pneumonia may get persistence to the medication.

Risk factors

• smoking
• violation of oral hygiene
• frequent contact with birds
• past acute respiratory infection on feet
• lowering of body defenses
• staying for along time in prone position