What is Pneumonia?

Its medical name is pneumonia. It is a disease that occurs when the air sacs in the lungs fill with inflammatory fluid and is often caused by microbial factors. Who Gets Pneumonia? It is primarily seen in preschool children, people with diseases that weaken their immunity, and elderly people over the age of 65.

What are the causes of pneumonia?

Many germs can cause pneumonia. The most common are bacteria and viruses found in the air we breathe. Your body usually prevents these germs from infecting your lungs. But sometimes, even if your health is generally good, these germs can overwhelm your immune system. Pneumonia is classified according to the types of germs that cause it and where the infection was acquired. Community-acquired pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia. It occurs outside of hospitals or other healthcare facilities. It can be caused by: Bacterial pneumonia The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumonia.

This type of pneumonia can occur on its own or after having a cold or flu. It can affect a part of the lung, a condition called lobar pneumonia. Pneumonia due to bacteria-like organisms Mycoplasma pneumoniae can also cause pneumonia. It typically produces milder symptoms than other types of pneumonia. This type of pneumonia, which is typically not severe enough to require bed rest, is called walking pneumonia. Fungal pneumonia This type of pneumonia is most common in people with chronic health problems or weakened immune systems and in people who have inhaled high doses of organisms. The fungi that cause it can be found in soil or bird droppings and vary by geographic region. Pneumonia caused by viruses, including COVID-19 Some viruses that cause colds and flu can cause pneumonia. Viruses are the most common cause of pneumonia in children younger than 5 years old. Viral pneumonia is usually mild. However, in some cases it can become very serious. Coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause pneumonia, which can become serious. What are the symptoms of pneumonia? Cough. Inflammatory (yellow, green, rust colored) expectoration. Stinging pain in the chest and back. High fever of 39°-40°. Chills and shivering. In some types, symptoms such as weakness, joint and muscle pain, dry cough, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, earache, headache may occur. It is recommended that people with these complaints consult a doctor. Pneumonia is a disease that requires attention.

How Contagious is Pneumonia?

If the virus that causes pneumonia is a respiratory virus, it is very contagious. Public transportation and crowded places are more risky in this respect. It is easier to manifest itself when immunity decreases. It can be transmitted by coughing and sneezing, or by touching the surfaces contaminated with the virus and then touching the mouth with the hand. Pneumonia usually occurs when bacteria from the patient's mouth, throat, and digestive tract descend into the lungs. It is very important that the sick person does not approach the elderly, children and babies. 

How to Treat Pneumonia?

In the treatment of pneumonia, action is taken according to the patient's age, diseases, type of causative virus or bacteria, radiology and laboratory data. For many cases, pneumonia can be treated at home. People with severe disease, elderly patients, and patients requiring oxygen or intensive care support must be hospitalized. If treatment is started early, recovery from the disease is much easier, but recovery becomes difficult in cases of severe pneumonia whose diagnosis is delayed. For early diagnosis and treatment, a doctor should be consulted as soon as symptoms are noticed. Although pneumonia is a disease that can be treated at home, the person's condition may change depending on factors such as additional diseases the person has, age, the nature of the virus or bacteria entering the body, and the resistance level of the immune system, and the person may need to be treated in an inpatient setting. One of the aims of the treatment is to provide optimum hospitalization time and not to expose the person to long-term antibiotic use. During the treatment of this disease, the person is given antibiotics or antiviral drugs, fluid supplements, electrolyte support, painkillers and antipyretics as determined by the doctor. However, a person should eat a healthy and balanced diet and not tire himself out. Rest is important. In addition to medical treatments, the pneumonia vaccine, also known as the "Pneumococcal vaccine", is also among the options. The main function of this vaccine is that it is effective against the Streptococcus Pneumoniae bacteria. As mentioned above, this bacterium is the most effective bacterium in the emergence of pneumonia worldwide. It is recommended that the vaccine be administered primarily to risky individuals.  In other words, pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for people who are over 65 years of age, have diseases such as AIDS, have a weak immune system and have had their spleen removed, or have diseases such as heart disease and lung disease.

The vaccine may have various side effects such as short-term high fever, weakness and malaise. However, these side effects disappear in a short time in most cases. In addition, if the person is already suffering from a high-fever disease, the vaccine is not given.