Pneumonia is a serious respiratory disease. It can be caused by a virus, bacteria or fungus infection. In this, the air sacs of the lungs get filled with water or pus. This causes difficulty in breathing. In simple language, people call it “water filling in the lungs”. This disease can affect anyone from small children to the elderly. However, children under five years of age and the elderly are considered the most vulnerable in this case.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the year 2019, about 7.4 lakh children under the age of five died worldwide due to pneumonia. During the COVID-19 pandemic also, a large number of patients were affected by “COVID-pneumonia” and many lost their lives. Doctors say that this disease can be fatal if not treated on time.
What is pneumonia?
Let us know what is pneumonia, how does it occur and what is its treatment? According to the Union Health Ministry and the World Health Organization, pneumonia is inflammation and infection in the tissue part of the lungs i.e. small air sacs (alveoli). These sacs play a very important role in the process of breathing. During breathing, there is an exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood. The oxygen obtained from the alveoli reaches the cells of the entire body.
According to experts, when these air sacs are affected by bacteria, virus or fungus infection, they get filled with liquid or pus. Due to this the oxygen level decreases and breathing becomes difficult. This condition later causes severe symptoms of pneumonia.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Symptoms of pneumonia include-
- Difficulty or obstruction in breathing
- Deep or shallow breathing
- Increased heart rate
- High fever, chills and excessive sweating
- Persistent cough and chest pain
- Vomiting or diarrhea in some cases
Experts say that early identification of its symptoms is very important. Pulmonologist Dr. Salil Bendre says, “Not all types of pneumonia are fatal. Still, it is very important to start its treatment at the right time and immediately.” According to the World Health Organization, bacterial and viral pneumonia infections look similar, but their symptoms can also be different. Dr. Bendre says, “White, green or red phlegm, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing are common symptoms of pneumonia patients.”
Bacterial pneumonia
The main cause of bacterial pneumonia is bacteria. Its infection usually spreads through cough and sneeze. Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria is found in about 50 percent of pneumonia cases. According to the World Health Organization, it is the most common cause of severe pneumonia in young children. Apart from this, some other types are also seen, including Haemophilus influenza, Chlamydophila pneumonia and Mycoplasma pneumonia.
Viral pneumonia
Viruses like parainfluenza, influenza virus, corona virus and rhino virus can also spread pneumonia infection. Experts say that since the COVID-19 virus attacks the lungs, many corona infected patients have had pneumonia. Pneumonia infection can also be caused by various types of fungus. According to Dr. Honey Savla of Wockhardt Hospital, “This disease can be serious in young children and the elderly above 65 years of age.” Young children and the elderly have low immunity, so they are at greater risk of pneumonia. According to experts, the rate of hospitalisation due to pneumonia is higher in this age group.
How does pneumonia spread?
According to the World Health Organization, pneumonia infection can spread due to many reasons. The bacteria and viruses that spread the infection are present in the nose and throat of young children. When they reach the lungs, the infection spreads there. They can also spread in the air through small droplets emitted when coughing or sneezing.
Pneumonia can also spread through blood at the time of birth or after birth of a newborn. According to experts, TB (tuberculosis) is a major cause of pneumonia infection in India. Pneumonia can be mild or it can be life-threatening in some patients due to severe infection. Therefore, its timely diagnosis is important.
If children under the age of five have mucus in the chest or are having difficulty breathing, pneumonia can be diagnosed based on their breathing process. After infection with the virus or bacteria responsible for pneumonia, this disease can take from a few days to several weeks to spread throughout the body. If the cause of pneumonia is bacteria, it is treated with antibiotics. Usually pneumonia infection is cured with medicines. But some serious patients need to be hospitalized.
Experts say that patients suffering from pneumonia should take as much rest as possible and maintain water content in the body. Experts say that most of the pneumonia patients are given medicines based on the symptoms and they do not need to be hospitalized. But patients should not take medicines themselves.
5 symptoms of pneumonia in young children
According to the World Health Organization, in the year 2019, 7 lakh 40 thousand children under the age of 5 died due to pneumonia worldwide. Dr. Jesal Seth, Pediatrician at Fortis Hospital, Mumbai, gave information about the five major symptoms of pneumonia in newborns and ways to identify them:
- Fever: Young children get fever due to many reasons. Often when the infection is over, the fever also gets cured. This increases the immunity of children. If the fever is very high, is not getting cured with medicines, or the child is not active, then a doctor should be consulted immediately.
- Deep breathing: The breathing rate of young children changes several times a day. Pneumonia is a lung disease, so if there is an infection, children start breathing fast. Some children also have a whistling sound while breathing.
- Shallow breathing: In pneumonia, the lungs get filled with water, which causes difficulty in breathing. Shallow breathing is not good for young children. If the child becomes very quiet, then a doctor should be consulted immediately.
- Pay attention to stomach movements: Parents should pay attention to the stomach movements of children, so that it can be known whether the child is having any difficulty in breathing or not.
- Cold: Just having a cold does not mean that pneumonia will definitely occur after that. But by paying attention to these five important things, we can recognize the symptoms of pneumonia.
Experts say that pneumonia can be controlled with the help of vaccination. ‘Narayana Health’ hospital has tried to spread awareness about pneumonia through a video on YouTube.
In this, the hospital’s pediatrician Dr. Vijay Sharma says, “A vaccine is available to prevent pneumococcal pneumonia caused by bacteria. A vaccine is also available against flu. And a vaccine is also available to protect small children from ‘Haemophilus influenza’.”
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