With the outbreak of infectious respiratory diseases worldwide, there has been much talk about pneumonia. However, despite its prevalence, pneumonia is not always well understood. Below are five things that you need to know about pneumonia.
If you're looking for ways to treat Pneumonia, you can read our other article here!
1. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung.
Due to inflammation of the air sac in the lungs, the air sacs may be filled with fluid or pus, causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. Pneumonia is a serious medical condition & potentially a life-threatening illness [1].
2. It is unclear which viruses cause pneumonia.
Viruses, bacteria, and fungi can all cause pneumonia. Despite newly available techniques for diagnosis, for the majority of cases, the organisms that cause pneumonia still remain uncertain [2]. In studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as much as 62% of patients with pneumonia, the specific pathogen remains unknown [3]. Due to changing interaction with the microbial world, new pneumonia risks are constantly developing as well.
3. Children under 5 years of age & senior citizens have a higher risk of getting pneumonia and dying from it
Both of these groups have weak immune systems, thus they are less able to fend off infections. This is especially so for people with underlying medical conditions, as the infection can end up complicating a pre-existing heart, kidney, or liver condition [4].
4. Even with full recovery, pneumonia still can have longer-term consequences.
For children who have recovered from pneumonia, there is an increased risk of impaired lung function in adulthood, as pneumonia will adversely affect the critical development of the lung during that period [5]. For adults who have survived pneumonia, they may have worse exercise ability, cardiovascular disease and even cognitive decline [6].
5. Getting vaccinated helps to prevent pneumonia
Pneumococcal vaccines are available and it is able to prevent some types of pneumonia, especially for children, elderly (above 65 years old) and adults with medical problems such as HIV, diabetes and cancer, because they are at an increased risk for pneumococcal diseases [7].
With pneumococcal disease being one of the leading causes of death in the world, getting vaccinated will help to prevent and protect themselves from serious health conditions.