About Causes of Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammation of a person's lungs that develops from an infection. These infections are caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses and other means. Pneumonia leads to symptoms such as coughing, fluid in the lungs, and high fevers and can be deadly under the right circumstances. Over 60,000 Americans die each year from pneumonia, making it the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
The germs that are capable of causing pneumonia are normally filtered by the body and unable to make their way into the lungs. However, when a person has a compromised immune system, perhaps from a bout with the flu or a cold, these organisms can invade the lungs and cause the infection. Some strains of organisms can simply overpower even healthy immune systems. One of the ways the body is protected from germs reaching the lungs is through the act of coughing; when people are unable to cough due to being sedated or from other medical conditions they are at high risk of developing pneumonia. When the germs are in the lungs the fight that the body's immune system puts up can cause the lungs to fill with fluid, a classic symptom of pneumonia.
Types
-
Bacteria are responsible for the majority of pneumonia cases among adults. The elderly and those coming off of serious illnesses are most vulnerable to bacterial pneumonia, which normally only affects one lobe of the lungs. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the bacterium that causes most of the pneumonia in the US, but strains such as Legionella pneumophila and Chlamydophila pneumoniae will also bring the condition about. Mycoplasma pneumonia is a very contagious form of the sickness and unlike other types of pneumonia it can cause the malady in younger people, with it being spread in crowded places such as schools.
-
Time Frame
-
Viruses are also a major cause of pneumonia, especially in toddlers and infants. Viral pneumonia is normally not serious, with the patient recovering in a time frame of 1 to 3 weeks. However, once a person has viral pneumonia they are also susceptible to bacterial forms as well. The flu virus, rhinovirus, herpes simplex virus and the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus, otherwise known as SARS, are all able to cause pneumonia. The SARS virus alone was responsible for many deaths in an outbreak in 2002 and 2003, with most people succumbing to pneumonia brought about by the disease.
Geography
-
There are 3 kinds of fungi that live in the soil in the US have the ability to cause pneumonia. While most humans that have any exposure to these organisms don't contract pneumonia some do, usually those with weakened immune systems. These fungi are found in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, Southern California, and in the Southwest desert regions. Fungal pneumonia can have harsh symptoms and linger for months on end.
Effects
-
People who are in a hospital setting and are in serious condition are at a high risk of what is called hospital pneumonia. It occurs when a patient, for example, is on a ventilator and cannot keep germs out of their lungs. It is often fatal in the elderly who already have other illnesses to compound their troubles. Aspiration pneumonia comes about when someone inhales foreign bodies into their lungs, where they wind up infecting the region. Common reasons for this type of pneumonia to happen is vomit entering the lungs in a brain injured individual or someone who has a condition that keeps them from coughing. Alcohol consumption also can lead to aspiration pneumonia, when a person drinks too much, vomits, and then aspirates some of their stomach contents into their own lungs.
-
