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What Happens When the Body is Exposed to Pneumonia

According to experts from lung care and critical care at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, United States, pneumonia caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, is an infection in the pulmonary gas exchange unit (alveoli). This condition is also referred to as inflammation of the lungs filled with fluid or pus.

Pneumonia is also known as wet lung. Infection that triggers inflation in the air bags can occur in one or both lungs. As a result, a collection of small air pockets at the end of the respiratory tract in the lungs will swell and be filled with fluid.

This disease must be taken seriously. Because, according to UNICEF data (2015), there are at least 5.9 million children under the age of five who died in 2015. Of these, around 15 percent or 920,136 children die from pneumonia. In other words, more than 2,500 toddlers per day are infected with pneumonia.

Then, what is the impact of pneumonia or what happens to the body when someone has pneumonia?




Read Also : Pneumonia : Symptoms and Treatments

Impact on the body

The symptoms and effects of pneumonia vary greatly. This is influenced by the severity. Not only that, the diversity of symptoms and effects of pneumonia is also influenced by the type of bacteria that triggers infection, age, and the health condition of the sufferer. Even so, there are at least some common symptoms that usually appear in people with pneumonia, such as:

  • Fever.
  • Dry cough or thick cough with phlegm yellow or green.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Sweating and shivering.
  • Breath is short and breathless.
  • Pain in the chest when breathing or coughing.

In addition, there are symptoms or effects of pneumonia which are quite rare, but can still appear, for example:

  • Headache
  • Nervous and tired
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Cough accompanied by blood
  • Nervous and tired
  • Cough accompanied by blood.

Some of the symptoms above can occur in people who have pneumonia and will last around 24–48 hours. However, this also depends on the condition of each individual.

What happens to children

This lung disease can also cause different symptoms and effects on children. The impact of pneumonia on children under the age of five can make him experience rapid and irregular breathlessness. Whereas in infants, they may experience vomiting, weakness, no energy, and difficulty eating and drinking.

In addition, the following symptoms can occur when pneumonia attacks the Little One:

  • Cough.
  • Wheezing or breathing sounds
  • Nasal congestion.
  • The chest feels painful
  • Shivering.
  • Appetite decreases.
  • Hard to rest.
  • Pale and lethargic.
  • The abdomen hurts.
  • In severe cases, the color of the lips and fingernails can turn bluish or gray.

What pneumonia drugs are often used?

Pneumonia is a disease caused by infection, so the treatment is aimed at stopping the infection and preventing it from coming later. Treatment given will be adjusted to the type, severity of lung infection that occurs, the age of the patient, as well as the overall condition of the patient. The various treatment options for pneumonia are:

1. Antibiotics

Antibiotics will be given to people who have bacterial pneumonia. Usually, your medical team will first check what type of bacteria causes infection in the lung organs, then it will be adjusted to the type of antibiotic that will be given. When giving antibiotics cannot overcome the symptoms of an infection that is experienced, it is possible that the bacteria have been immune to the drug, so the doctor will replace it with a new type of drug.

2. Antiviral drug

This drug is used for patients who have an infection due to a virus. Viruses cannot be resisted with antibiotics, so if there are patients who have lung infections after the flu, they should be given antiviral drugs, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (relenza).

3. Cough medicine

This drug is used to relieve cough symptoms which are usually experienced when lung infection attacks. Usually it will be given to make you more comfortable and so that you don't feel pain due to continuous coughing.

4. Painkillers

If you experience joint or muscle pain, headaches, or fever, your doctor will give painkillers to relieve your symptoms, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Do I need to be hospitalized? If the symptoms of the infection you are experiencing are mild and not too severe, then you will only be given the medicines mentioned earlier. You will be hospitalized because of the wet lungs you have if:

  • More than 65 years old
  • Having impaired kidney function
  • Has a blood pressure of less than 90/60 mm Hg. In addition, diastolic pressure is less than 90 mmHg or has a systolic blood pressure of less than 60 mmHg.
  • Breathing feels fast, breathing 30 times or more in one minute
  • Body temperature below normal
  • Heart rate is below 50 or above 100

If this happens to you, you should immediately go to the ED to get first aid. While pneumonia in children must be treated intensively in the hospital if:

  • Less than 2 years
  • Experience lethargy or decreased consciousness
  • Breathless
  • Dehydrated
  • Having low oxygen levels in the blood





References

References

1. World Health Organization. (2017). Pneumonia.

2. Cdc.gov. (2017). Pneumococcal Disease | Symptoms and Complications | CDC.


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Is a health and wellness enthusiast. In him free time, she loves to travel and taste different types of teas.

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