World Pneumonia Day (12 November) – On this day, the whole world stands for one another and dictates the action to fight against pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a lung infection, can cause coughing, hacking, or wheezing. It is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both of the lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluids, causing cough with phlegm, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing as it is difficult for oxygen to reach the bloodstream. When both the lungs are infected, we call it double pneumonia. This is highly dangerous and needs immediate action and hospitalization.
A variety of organisms – be it a bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia. Bacteria are the most shared cause of pneumonia in adults - and the culprit among this is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Viruses, like influenza - flu virus and rhinovirus, can also lead to pneumonia. The other viruses that also include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is a common cause of pneumonia in babies and children.
When the symptom is mild, it is termed as walking pneumonia and when it becomes more aggressive, they may need to go for hospitalization. Bacterial pneumonia is the most common form of the illness and also the most serious type.
You might get confused by thinking that it is a cloud or the flu, to understand the difference? Your other symptoms can give you some clues.
Common Pneumonia Symptoms on adults
Pneumonia is a prevent and heal kind of disease. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on what’s causing the illness and how healthy you are in general. They can include:
* High fever, up to 105 F
* Coughing up greenish, yellow, or bloody mucus
* Chills that make you shake
* Feeling like you can’t breathe, mainly when you move around a lot
* Feeling very tired
* Loss of appetite
* Feel a stabbing chest pain – this may be felt more while you cough or take a deep breath
* Sweating a lot
* Fast breathing and heartbeat
* Lips and fingernails turning blue
* Confusion (in older people)
Pneumonia Symptoms in Children
When kids have pneumonia, their symptoms might be quite harder to spot, They may have:
* Rapid breathing
* Trouble breathing
* Fever
* Cough
* Wheezing
* Skin, lips, or fingertips that look blue
*Fussiness or trouble feeding might be a symptom in babies
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Just to know the impact of low focus on Pneumonia –
Pneumonia is one of the biggest infectious killers of adults and children. Almost 1.6 million children die due to this disease each year. 2.5 million, including 672,000 children passed away due to Pneumonia in 2019 world over. COVID-19 might add 1.9 million to the death toll this year. 35% of newborn sepsis are from pneumonia. This could increase 'all-cause' deaths by 75% more by pneumonia. This infection causes the burden of death.
Many countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America are struggling with heavy burdens of child pneumonia deaths and need effective strategies to fight against this deadly disease.
"Double-duty" can be done by investments in infection prevention, improved diagnosis and treatment thereby lives can be saved beyond. The Huge effort from the government and others should make sure of the control of this disease and the contribution to reducing all-cause respiratory infections among both children and adults in the long term.
5 ways to help prevent yourself or someone from getting pneumonia:
* Get vaccinated as soon as possible.
* Make sure children your children’s or children’s you know get vaccinated.
* Practice a good hygiene routine.
* Do not smoke.
* Keep your immune system strong and tough.
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