Human Body: Health & Disease †Pneumonia Essay

Pneumonia is a beneficial-minded infection or spunk of your lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has deflect reaching you blood. If there is too little oxygen in your blood, your automobile trunk cells cant work properly. Because of this and spreading infection d matchless the consistence pneumonia can cause death.Until 1936, pneumonia was the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Since then, the use of antibiotics brought it under control. In 1997, pneumonia and influenza combined bedded as the sixth leading cause of death. Pneumonia affects your lungs in two ways. lobar pneumonia affects a section (lobe) of a lung. Bronchial pneumonia (or bronchopneumonia) affects patches through by both lungs.Pneumonia is non a single indisposition. It can befuddle over 30 antithetic causes. in that respect atomic number 18 five main causes of pneumonia bacterial, viruses, mycoplasmas, other infectious eldnts, such(prenominal) as fungi inclu ding pneumocystis and various chemicals. Bacterial pneumonia can attack bothone from infants through the very old. Alcoholics, the debilitated, post-operative patients, people with respiratory diseases or viral infections and people who have corrupted immune systems argon at greater run a risk. Pneumonia bacteria ar present in some healthy throats.When body defenses are weakened in some way, by unsoundness, old age, malnutrition, general debility or impaired immunity, the bacterial can multiply and cause heartrending damage. Usu eithery, when a individuals resistance is lowered, bacteria work their way into the lungs and incite the air sacs. The tissue part of a lobe of the lung, an entire lobe, or steady just about of the lungs five lobes becomes completely filled with liquid (this is c onlyed consolidation). The infection quickly spreads through the bloodstream and the body is invaded. The streptococcus pneumonia is the some universal cause of bacterial pneumonia. It is one form of pneumonia for which a vaccinum is available.Symptoms of the onset bacterial pneumonia can vary from gradual to sudden. In the close to grim cases, the patient may experience shaking chills, chattering teeth, severe chest disquiet, and a cough that produces rust-colored or greenish mucus. A mortals temperature may rise as high as cv degrees F. The patient sweats profusely, breathing and pulse rate increase rapidly. Lips and hook beds may have a bluish color due to privation of oxygen in the blood. A patients mental distinguish may be confused or delirious.Viral pneumonia which is half of all pneumonias are believed to be caused by a virus. More and more(prenominal) viruses are being identified as the cause of respiratory infection, and through most attack the upper respiratory tract, some produce pneumonia, especially in children. Most of these pneumonias are not serious and last a inadequate time. Infection with the influenza virus may be severe and now and then fatal. The virus invades the lungs and multiplies, but there are almost no carnal soft touchs of lung tissue becoming filled with fluid. It finds many of its victims among those who have pre-existing nerve or lung disease or are pregnant.The initial symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as influenza symptoms such as fever, a dry out cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within 12 to 36 hours, there is increasing sobbing the cough becomes worse and produces a small amount of mucus. There is a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips. In constitutional cases, the patient has a desperate need for air and extreme breathlessness. Viral pneumonias may be complicated by an invasion of bacteria, with all the typical symptoms of bacterial pneumonia.Mycoplasma pneumonia is caused of somewhat different symptoms and physical signs. Because the course of this illness differ from classical pneumococcal pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia was once believed to be caused by one or more undiscovered viruses and was scrubed primary atypical pneumonia. Identified during military personnel War II, mycoplasmas are the smallest free-living agents of disease in humankind, unclassified as to whether bacterial or viruses, but having characteristic of both. They generally caused a mild and widespread pneumonia. They affected all age groups, ocbastardring mostfrequently in older children and young adults. The death rate is low, plain in untreated cases.The most prominent symptom of mycoplasma pneumonia is a cough that tends to come in violent attacks, but produces only sparse whitish mucus. Chills and fever are early symptoms, and some patients experience nausea or vomiting. Patients may even experience profound weakness which lasts for a long time.Other kinds of pneumonia are pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is caused by an organism believed to be a fungus. PCP is the first sign of illness in many persons with AIDS. PCP can be successfully treated in many cases. It may recur a a couple of(prenominal) months later, but give-and-take can admirer to prevent or tally its recurrence. Other less common pneumonias may be quite serious and are occurring more ofttimes. Various special pneumonias are caused by the divine guidance of food, liquid, gases or dust and by fungi.Foreign bodies or a bronchial obstruction such as a tumor may leaven the occurrence of pneumonia, although they are not causes of pneumonia. Rickettsia (also considered an organism somewhere between viruses and bacteria) caused granitelike Mountain spotted fever, Q fever, typhus and psittacosis, diseases that may have mild or severe effects on the lungs. Tuberculosis pneumonia is a very serious lung infection and extremely dangerous unless treated early.Treating pneumonia if you develop pneumonia, your chances of a tight retrieval are greatest under certain conditions if youre young, if your pneumonia is caught early, if your defenses against disease are workin g well, if the infection hasnt spread, and if youre not throe from other illnesses. In the young and healthy, early treatment with antibiotics can cur bacterial pneumonia, speed recovery from mycoplasma pneumonia, and a certain percentage of rickettsia cases. There is not yet a general treatment for viral pneumonia, although antiviral drug drugs are used for certain kinds.Most people can be treated at home. The drugs used to struggle pneumonia are determined by the germ causing the pneumonia and the judgment of the ready. After a patients temperature returns to normal, medication must becontinued according to the quickens instructions, otherwise the pneumonia may recur. Relapses can be far more serious than the first attack. Besides antibiotics, patients are given supportive treatment such as proper diet and oxygen to increase oxygen in the blood when needed. In some patients, medication to ease chest pain and to provide relief from violent cough may be necessary.The prompt yo ung person may lead a normal intent within a week of recovery from pneumonia. For the middle-aged, however, weeks may elapse forward they regain their accustomed strength, vigor, and feeling of well-being. A person recovering from mycoplasma pneumonia may be weak for an extended period of time. In general, a person should not be discouraged from returning to work or carrying out usual activities but must be warned to expect some difficulties. nice rest is important to maintain progress toward a full recovery and to avoid relapse. Remember, dont rush recoveryPreventing pneumonia is possible, because pneumonia is a common complication of influenza (flu), getting a flu shot every fall is good pneumonia prevention. Vaccine is also available to help fight pneumococcal pneumonia, one type of bacterial pneumonia. Your doctor can help you decide if you, or a member of your family, needs the vaccinum against pneumococcal pneumonia. It is ordinarily given only to people at high risk of g etting this disease and its life-threatening complications. The greatest risk of pneumococcal pneumonia is usually among people who have chronic illnesses such as lung disease, heart disease, kidney disorders, reaping hook cell anemia, or diabetes.Are recovering from severe illness, are in nursing homes or other chronic care facilities, and are age 65 or older. If you are at risk, ask your doctor for the vaccine. The vaccine is generally given only once. Ask your doctor about any revaccination recommendations. The vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women or children under age two. Since pneumonia often follows ordinary respiratory infections, the most important preventive measure is to be alert to any symptoms of respiratory trouble that linger on more than a few days. Good health habits, proper diet and hygiene, rest, fixedness exercise, etc., increase resistance to all respiratory illnesses. They also help support fast recovery when illness does occur.In my conclusion, if you think you have symptoms of pneumonia, call your doctor immediately. Even with the many effective antibiotics, early diagnosis and treatment are important. Follow your doctors advice. In serious cases, your doctor may advise a hospital stay. Or recovery at home may be possible. Continue to take the medicine your doctor prescribes until told you may stop. This will help prevent recurrence of pneumonia and relapse. Dont wait, get treatment earlySupport organizations to get help isAmerican Lung Association contact number 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) to speak with a lung professional or email address infolung.org The American Lung Association provides programs of education, community service, and advocacy. close to of the topics available include asthma, tobacco control, emphysema, infectious disease, asbestos, carbon monoxide, radon, and ozone.Centers for Disease go steady and Prevention (CDC) contact number 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) email address cdcinfocdc.gov or web a ddress www.cdc.gov. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an agency of the U.S. Department of health and Human Services. The CDC works with state and local health officials and the public to win better health for all people. The CDC creates the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health by promoting health, preventing disease, injury and disability, and being prepared for new health threats. whole caboodle CitedWeb MD Better Information. Better Health. Pneumonia. 6 March 2013. Web. 5 June 2014.whitethorno Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Mayo Clinic Staff. Pneumonia. 21 May 2013. Web. 5 June 2014.Healthline Networks. Health Reference Library. Pneumonia written by BreeNormandin. 7 revered 2012. Web. 5 June 2014