Pneumonia

{"title":"Pneumonia","url":"https:\/\/go.openathens.net\/redirector\/shalina.com?url=https:\/\/ebscosafe.smartimagebase.com\/view-item?ItemID=75721","id":"ANH12084","category":null,"therapy_area":["Pulmonology"," Infectious Disease & Vaccines"," Immunology Allergy & Inflammation"," Emergency Medicine"],"keywords":null,"description":"Pneumonia is an infection that causes swelling, irritation, and a collection of mucus in your lungs. You have two lungs, one on each side of your chest. Each lung has separate sections called lobes. Normally, as you breathe, air moves freely through your trachea or windpipe, then through large tubes called bronchii through smaller tubes called bronchioles, and finally into tiny sacs called alveoli. Your airways and alveoli are flexible and springy. When you breathe in, each air sac inflates like a small balloon, and when you breathe out, the sacs deflate. Small blood vessels, called capillaries, surround your alveoli. Oxygen from the air you breathe passes into your capillaries. Then carbon dioxide from your body passes out of your capillaries into your alveoli so that your lungs can get rid of it when you breathe out. If you have pneumonia, your airways or lungs have an infection caused by germs, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Your airways catch most germs in the mucus that lines your trachea, bronchii bronchioles. Hair-like cilia lining the tubes constantly push the mucus and germs out of your airways where you may expel them by coughing. Sometimes germs make it past your mucus and silly and enter your alveoli Normally, cells of your immune system attack these germs, which keep them from making you sick. However, if your immune system is weakened due to age, illness, or fatigue, pneumonia-causing germs can overwhelm your immune cells and begin to multiply. Your bronchioles and alveoli become swollen and irritated as your immune system attacks the multiplying germs. As a result, your alveoli fill with fluid, making it difficult for your body to get the oxygen it needs. If you have lobar pneumonia, one lobe of your lungs is affected. If you have bronchopneumonia, many areas of both lungs are affected. Pneumonia may cause the following symptoms. Difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing, fever and chills, confusion, headache, muscle pain, and fatigue. Pneumonia can lead to serious complications. Respiratory failure occurs when your breathing becomes so difficult that you need a machine called a ventilator to help you breathe. Sepsis occurs when the bacteria causing your pneumonia move into your bloodstream where they may travel to infect other organs. In some cases of pneumonia, a large collection of fluid and pus called an abscess may form inside one of your lungs. Possible treatments for pneumonia include antibiotics if the cause is a bacteria or a parasite, anti-viral drugs if the cause is a flu virus, anti-fungal medication if the cause is a fungus, rest and drinking plenty of fluids, and over-the-counter or OTC remedies to manage your fever, aches, and pains. If you have severe pneumonia, you may be admitted to the hospital and given intravenous antibiotics and oxygen. If you have questions about pneumonia or any treatments you have been prescribed, talk to your doctor."}