Pneumonia is the inflammatory disease of the structural unit of lung called alveoli – the microscopic air sacs. Every year about 7% of the world population is victimized by pneumonia and about 1% of the victims end up dying. Previously pneumonia was considered as the captain of mans death, but with the advent of drug and vaccines its killing spree is under-control.

The main causes of pneumonia are bacteria and viruses, certain other microbes, certain drugs and autoimmunicity too cause pneumonia. It is mainly targeted to the geriatric and pediatric groups, nevertheless the chronically ill patients succumb to death because of pneumonia.

Though, pneumonia is a respiratory disorder, its symptoms are wide spread in other system too. The most common symptom is the cough, it is productive and occasionally blood stains are also seen in the sputum. Other symptoms include: High fever accompanied by shaking chills, shortness of breath after mild exercise or during sleep, stabbing pain during deep respiration, frequent headache, nausea, abrupt mood swings, low blood pressure with high heart rate, vomiting, muscular aches, fatigue and joint pains. The most striking and prominent symptom is the blue-tinged skin!

The preventive measures include the vaccination and environmental measures. There isn’t a specific vaccination. But the vaccines affective in shielding against pneumonia are: Influenza vaccines, pertussis, varicella and measeles. The environmental measure would be smoking cessation and air pollution control. The management of pneumonia is by the simple antibiotics, rest and analgesics.

Take Care!!

.....SIRI