Pneumonia

Pneumonia is infection of one or both the lungs caused by bacteria, virus or fungus. When the person is infected with the microorganisms, lung tissues are filled with pus and other fluids. This conditions results in improper functioning of the lungs. Oxygen in the lung's air sac finds trouble in reaching to the bloodstream. This affects the breathing process and leads to chest or abdominal pain. Person with pneumonia often complains about cough, fever and vomiting. Pneumonia is broadly classified into two types, typical and atypical pneumonia. Typical pneumonia is primarily caused by range of bacteria, most commonly by streptococcus pneumoniae. Atypical pneumonia is caused by microorganisms that include bacteria, viruses and fungi. Pneumonia is a serious illness as it directly affects the exchange mechanism of carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Symptoms of Pnuemonia
Symptoms of pneumonia vary from person to person. Some people may have all the symptoms while others may show two to three symptoms. Symptoms of pneumonia are also associated with other illnesses like common cold, flu and influenza. People with common cold are likely to have pneumonia. High fever, shivering and prolong cough are treated as the primary symptoms of pneumonia. Some people may also experience a severe chest pain during breathing or coughing. Pneumonic person accompanied with asthma may experience problem in breathing. Other common symptoms of pneumonia are:

* Fever, chills and cough.
* Unusually rapid breathing.
* Loss of appetite.
* Exhaustion.
* Vomiting and chest or abdominal pain.

Riskfactore of Pnuemonia
Inhaling microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi is the foremost cause of pneumonia. More commonly, the infections is transmitted from an infected person to healthy individual through sneezing and coughing. Sometimes during sleep, secretions from the nose, throat or mouth can be aspirated into the lungs that results in pneumonia. People with weak immune system are likely to get infections than a normal person. Inhaling toxic materials or chemicals can prove to be fatal for lungs causing pneumonia. People at higher risk of developing pneumonia are

* Alcoholics, drug users.
* During epilepsy, seizures.
* Associated heart disease, stroke.
* Patients with swallowing problems, stiff lungs.

Treatment of Pnuemonia
If the person is found to have a bacterial pneumonia, he would be treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics is found to be most effective drugs for treating bacterial pneumonia. Doctors may also recommend you anti-fever medicines to make you feel better. Besides this, following measures can help reducing the complications

* Stay hydrated by taking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.
* Use cough suppressant as coughing helps clearing the infection out of the lungs.
* Avoid smoking as it reduces the ability to fight infection and slow down the healing process.
* If the pneumonia is very severe, hospitalization is recommended

Prevantion of Pnuemonia
Pneumonia can be prevented in various ways. Vaccination for pneumonia is available but experts believe that the vaccine may not provide protection to everybody. Some of the important preventive measures for pneumonia are

* Exercise regularly, maintain balanced diet.
* Take a good amount of sleep on a daily basis.
* Avoid contact with people who carry respiratory tract infections.
* Wash hands before taking food.
* Deep-breathing exercises helps in preventing pneumonia.
* Eat anti-oxidants rich foods (dark colored vegetables and fruits).

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