A disease is not only an unpleasant phenomenon in all respects, but it is also often dangerous for human life. Pathology of the respiratory tract is no exception. What is pneumonia and how dangerous is this disease?

What is pneumonia and why is it dangerous

By pneumonia is meant an acute infectious disease of the respiratory tract, which simultaneously affects the lungs. Pathogens can be various types of viruses or bacteria.

Pneumonia is an acute process, in other words, the disease has a beginning and an end. Doctors are sure that every person at least once suffers pneumonia. However, most cases are characterized by a complete recovery of the patient.
By the way, doctors give a definite answer to the question: is pneumonia contagious or not. It is quite possible to become infected with this pathology from the carrier of infections, especially if the human body is weakened by various diseases. Also at risk are patients who, in the recent past, underwent surgery of varying complexity and focus.

Causes and mechanism of the development of the disease

Pneumonia occurs as a result of the life of various organisms that live in the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat. Once in the respiratory tract, viruses and germs provoke pneumonia. Reduced immunity promotes the spread of pathogenic bacteria in the tissues of organs, as a result of which the disease begins to proceed more severely. Most often, pneumococci and Klebsiella are considered pathogens.It is these microorganisms that affect the tissues of the respiratory system and provoke the inflammatory process.

Among the additional causes of pneumonia are:

  • viral colds;
  • pathology of internal organs;
  • long smoking;
  • the use of general anesthesia during surgery;
  • artificial lung ventilation;
  • the systematic use of alcohol over the years;
  • the presence of tumors in the body.

The causative agents of pneumonia enter the respiratory system with lymph flow or through the bronchi. The absence of a protective barrier in the alveoli contributes to the development of inflammation, which affects almost all parts of the lungs. The result is the formation of exudate, which impedes vascular gas exchange. The next stage is the onset of respiratory oxygen deficiency.

The following stages of pneumonia are distinguished:

  1. Tide (12 hours - 3 days) - there is a rapid filling of the lungs and alveoli with exudate.
  2. Red hepatitis (1 - 3 day) - the lung tissue is densified and in its structure more and more resembles the liver. In the alveolar exudate, erythrocytes prevail, the quantitative indicators of which significantly exceed the norm.
  3. Gray hepatitis - (2-6 days) - there is a breakdown of red blood cells and the entry of leukocytes into the alveolar region.
  4. Resolution is the process of structural restoration of cell tissue.

Routes of infection and risk group

The main risk group for pneumonia is people:

  • younger or advanced age;
  • abusers of alcohol or tobacco products;
  • immobilized, continuously lying in bed;
  • immunocompromised;
  • with the presence of pathologies of the internal organs;
  • being in conditions of constant hypothermia, as well as in a state of continuous stress or psychological overstrain.

Types and classification of the disease

Modern medicine classifies pneumonia in several ways:

1. Conditions of occurrence:

  • community-acquired;
  • nosocomial.

2. Type of pathogens:

  • bacterial;
  • viral;
  • mycoplasmal;
  • fungal;
  • mixed.

3. The mechanism of development:

  • primary (independent pathology);
  • secondary (complication of concomitant diseases);
  • post-traumatic;
  • postoperative.

4. The extent of organ damage:

  • unilateral (the right or left lung is affected);
  • bilateral (both lungs are affected);
  • lobar, segmental (characterized by the defeat of a certain part of the organ).

5. Features of the course:

  • spicy;
  • chronic

Symptoms of pneumonia

The most common causes of pneumonia are hypothermia, a complication after acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.

This process is accompanied by the following symptoms of pneumonia in adults:

  • sudden manifestation of hyperemia of the body;
  • intoxication, headaches, weakness;
  • dry cough, over time, turning into wet with the presence of detachable sputum;
  • pain in the chest area;
  • dyspnea.

Symptoms of pneumonia in children are differentiated taking into account the age of the small patient and the degree of spread of inflammation.

In babies up to 1 year of life, the following signs of pneumonia can be noted:

  • lack of appetite, lethargy, irritability, drowsiness;
  • hyperthermia;
  • causeless crying;
  • rapid breathing;
  • blue nasolabial triangle, considered the first symptom indicating respiratory failure.

In older children, the same symptoms are observed as in adults.

Diagnostic measures

The patient is advised to consult a specialist with suspected pneumonia in cases where elevated body temperature continues to hold for more than a week or one of the listed symptoms of pneumonia is observed. Even if the suspicion of the patient does not materialize, it is best to find out the absence of pneumonia in time than to skip the beginning of this process.

To confirm or exclude the diagnosis of pneumonia, a specialist prescribes an x-ray and clinical blood tests. In some cases, sputum may be sent for research and biochemical tests may be prescribed. In especially complex and advanced cases, lung CTG and bronchoscopy are recommended.

Treatment of pneumonia

The treatment of pneumonia is always accompanied by the use of antibiotics. The latter are prescribed depending on the type of pathology. In tandem with antibiotics, the patient is recommended medications that thin the sputum and help strengthen the immune system and bronchi.
Often, treatment occurs in a hospital setting. The patient is assigned to maintain calm and indispensable bed rest. The course of treatment is 10-14 days. In the absence of effectiveness of therapy, other groups of medicines are prescribed to the patient.

To treat pneumonia in children should certainly be in a hospital setting. Depending on the age and severity of the pathology, small patients are prescribed antibiotics. Often, the latter are introduced into the body through an injection. The process of treating pneumonia in children takes 2-4 weeks, but in especially severe cases it may take longer. At the end of treatment, the patient is prescribed rehabilitation procedures.

Tip. Often, the manifestations of pneumonia disappear within a month after the start of treatment. If positive dynamics do not occur after 2 weeks, pneumonia is called not resolved. If after a month the picture of the disease does not change, you should visit a pulmonologist to exclude additional pulmonary diseases that accompany pneumonia.

Disease prevention

There are two ways of preventive measures - specific and non-specific. Specific prevention involves the use of means of preventing the disease. This also includes vaccination against pneumonia and influenza, because the latter are often exacerbated by pneumonia.

Nonspecific prevention includes general strengthening measures aimed at improving the functionality of the immune system:

  1. Healthy lifestyle. The abuse of alcohol, tobacco products and other bad habits gradually undermine the body's defenses, weakening it. As a result, a person becomes vulnerable to all kinds of bacteria.
  2. Timely treatment of chronic diseases. The latter are considered one of the underlying causes of weak immunity. Chronic diseases must certainly be stopped, and if they do not respond to complete therapy, you should regularly visit a specialist to maintain remission.
  3. Personal hygiene. Some bacteria are transmitted through touch. For this reason, you need to wash your hands regularly, especially after visiting crowded places.
  4. Practice breastfeeding. The latter has much more advantages over artificial feeding, since infants are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, and this disease can cause serious consequences, often even the most deplorable. The immune system of newborn babies is still quite immature and can not always withstand such a strong infection on its own. Mother's breast milk allows a woman to share her immunity with her baby.
  5. Compliance with the principles of proper nutrition. The human body, small and large, must be saturated with a sufficient amount of nutrients and energy. (minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins). Low-fat meat, vegetables, fruits should be included in the diet, excluding preservatives, dyes, etc. from the menu.

 

Diseases of the respiratory system complicate the course of a person’s usual life, creating a threat to his health. At the first symptoms of pneumonia, patients, large and small, should immediately visit a doctor. Timely therapy will help to quickly eliminate signs of pneumonia and prevent the development of various complications.

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