Pneumonia – causes, symptoms & therapy

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue. The term includes both inflammation inside the alveoli – the so-called alveoli – and inflammation of the connective tissue between the alveoli and vessels, which is also known as the interstitium. Accordingly, a distinction is made between alveolar and interstitial pneumonia depending on the type of infected tissue.

In the case of alveolar pneumonia, depending on the extent of the infection, there is still a distinction between bronchopneumonia, in the course of which the infection starts in the bronchi and attacks the lungs, and lobar pneumonia, in which an entire lobe of the lung is affected by the infection.

causes

The causes of pneumonia include, in addition to infection by pathogens such as bacteria , viruses , fungi , worms and protozoa, toxic gases or immunological reactions. When it comes to infection, a distinction is often made between community-acquired and nosocomial-acquired pneumonia, also based on the location of the infection. While hospital-acquired pneumonia stems from being in a medical facility, community-acquired pneumonia stems from everyday life.Depending on the location of the infection, different groups of pathogens can also be considered for pneumonia: while pneumococci, mycoplasma or influenza viruses are the most common pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia, E. coli and other Enterobacter types, fungi also occur here as pathogens.

In addition to the pathogens, a number of risk factors also play a role in the development of pneumonia, such as old age, being bedridden, smoking or inhaling foreign bodies (common in dementia patients who have forgotten how to swallow). Existing diseases of the respiratory system, as well as allergies , heart failure and a weakened immune system can also promote infection of the lung tissue in the sense of pneumonia.

symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of typical pneumonia:

• Cough

• phlegm (phlegm)

• Fever

• chills

• shortness of breath

• chest pain

Typical symptoms of atypical pneumonia:

• dry cough

• exhaustion

• body aches

The symptoms of pneumonia can be divided into those of typical and those of atypical pneumonia. While typical pneumonia, triggered by bacteria, manifests itself in cough, purulent sputum, fever, chills, shortness of breath, chest pain and increased heart rate , atypical pneumonia is more likely to manifest itself in a dry cough, slight shortness of breath and general fatigue, as well as aching limbs and low Fever and is therefore easily mistaken for a flu-like infection .

The course of the disease is mainly influenced by previous illnesses and general condition. If the pneumonia is due to a bacterial infection, if it affects a healthy person in a non-clinical environment, the prognosis is very good, mortality rates are extremely low and treatment can usually be carried out on an outpatient basis.

What makes pneumonia so dangerous is its interaction with existing diseases, weaknesses in the immune system and general condition. Pneumonia is extremely dangerous, especially for old, bedridden patients and requires thorough treatment as quickly as possible.

Diagnose

The context of the infection and the general condition of the patient are also relevant for the type of pneumonia diagnosis. Since this disease is particularly dangerous for patients who are already ill in clinical settings and one cannot generally assume a primary infection by bacteria here, the main focus during diagnosis is on identifying the pathogen in order to take specific measures, such as treatment with antivirals , to initiate

Accordingly, in the case of an infection acquired on an outpatient basis, it is usually sufficient to listen to the lungs, determine the general condition, the signs of inflammation in the blood and take an X-ray for diagnosis. In the case of nosocomial-acquired pneumonia or signs of secondary pneumonia, the pathogen must also be determined, which is usually done by detecting the pathogen in the blood.

treatment and therapy

If the disease pneumonia is acquired on an outpatient basis, the main concern is to determine whether pneumonia is present and to treat it. Once the causative agent of pneumonia has been found, therapy can be started by fighting the causative agent with specific drugs.In the case of primary pneumonia, antibiotics are primarily used for this purpose, while secondary pneumonia requires special preparations tailored to the respective pathogen.

In addition, in this context, it is recommended to use antipyretic drugs and home remedies for fever (such as calf wraps) in the event of a severe fever. Targeted breathing exercises help the patient to no longer suffer from the consequences of pneumonia.

prevention

In order to prevent pneumonia, it is recommended not to smoke, the annual flu vaccination and, for members of risk groups, additional vaccinations against other groups of pathogens. In addition, the inhalation of dust, for example in the trade, should be avoided.