| Pneumonia is a common but potentially deadly | | | | lung and the chest wall.) A doctor may hear |
| inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an | | | | 'crackles' in the chest when listening with a |
| infection. When the air sacs in the lungs become | | | | stethoscope. |
| infected, pus and other liquid fill them, making it | | | | When a person encounters the symptoms of |
| difficult to breathe and difficult for oxygen to | | | | pneumonia – cough, shortness of breath, |
| reach your blood. Pneumonia can affect a single | | | | chest pain that fluctuates with breathing, fever |
| section of your lungs, in which case it’s called | | | | accompanied with chills and sweats or aggravation |
| lobar pneumonia, or it can affect patches | | | | of a flu or cold – he or she should consult a |
| throughout both lungs, in which case it’s called | | | | doctor right away because this condition may |
| multifocal pneumonia. If both lungs are infected, | | | | become lethal in some cases if left untreated. |
| it’s known as multibar pneumonia. | | | | If bacteria cause the pneumonia it can usually be |
| There are about 30 different causes of | | | | easily treated with antibiotics. Viruses do not |
| pneumonia. However, they all fall into one of | | | | respond to antibiotics, but if your pneumonia is |
| these categories: | | | | caused by a virus antibiotics may be used to help |
| • Infective pneumonia: Inflammation and | | | | prevent any secondary infections. |
| infection of the lungs and bronchial tubes that | | | | Doctors treat pneumonia based on the type of |
| occurs when a bacteria (bacterial pneumonia) or | | | | pneumonia a person has as well as other individual |
| virus (viral pneumonia) gets into the lungs and | | | | factors, such as age and overall health. Bacterial |
| starts to reproduce. | | | | pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics. Fungal |
| • Aspiration pneumonia: An inflammation | | | | pneumonia is treated with antifungal agents. Viral |
| of the lungs and bronchial tubes caused by inhaling | | | | pneumonia may be treated with antiviral |
| vomit, mucous, or other bodily fluids. Aspiration | | | | medications but is more often treated simply with |
| pneumonia can also be caused by inhaling certain | | | | recommendations of rest and plenty of fluids. In |
| chemicals. | | | | addition, for all types of pneumonia, doctors often |
| Typical symptoms are cough, fever, sweats, | | | | suggest taking over-the-counter medications to |
| shivers, being off food, and feeling generally | | | | reduce fever and pain. |
| unwell. Headaches, and aches and pains are | | | | If the pneumonia is severe, or the person |
| common. You usually make more sputum which | | | | affected is either very old or frail they may need |
| may become yellow/green, and is sometimes | | | | to be treated in hospital where antibiotics and |
| bloodstained. | | | | extra fluids and can be given straight into the vein |
| You may become breathless, breathe fast, and | | | | (intravenously). If breathing is difficult, extra |
| develop a 'tight chest'. A sharp pain in the side of | | | | oxygen can be given through a facemask. About |
| the chest may develop if the infection involves | | | | one in every six people with pneumonia are ill |
| the pleura. (This is the membrane between the | | | | enough to need this kind of specialised care. |