To treat pneumonia effectively, the first thing you need to recognize is the cause of pneumonia. Once the cause is discovered, the disease will soon be eliminated!
Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that inflames the air sacs, which can sometimes be filled with fluid or pus. The cause of pneumonia is often caused by different organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or inhalation of foreign objects.
Pneumonia affects millions of people each year, especially children under 5 years old and adults over 65 years old. Symptoms of mild to severe pneumonia often include cough, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing.
Below are 5 causes of pneumonia you need to pay attention to for timely treatment.
1. Bacteria
Common causes of pneumonia are often caused by bacteria. Bacterial pneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia and usually affects only one area in the lungs. Sometimes this condition occurs after you have had some other type of infection that weakens your immune system, such as a cold or flu, or it can occur on its own without a previous infection.
Typical bacteria
Some common types of bacteria that can cause pneumonia include:
• Streptococcus pneumoniae : This is the most common type of bacteria that causes community-acquired pneumonia.
• Haemophilus influenzae : These bacteria often cause pneumonia in older adults and people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis : This is a common cause of pneumonia in developing countries.
• Anaerobes : These bacteria are associated with pneumonia by inhaling contents from the pharynx or stomach into the larynx and lower respiratory tract such as food, drinks, saliva, etc.
• Gram-negative bacilli : This group of bacteria is the second most common type associated with pneumonia severe enough to require hospital treatment. This condition is common in people with chronic illnesses such as COPD, diabetes, alcohol use disorder, or compromised immune systems. Gram-negative bacilli may include Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Serratia and Proteus.
Atypical bacteria
Atypical bacterial pneumonia often has milder symptoms than typical pneumonia, and some patients may not even realize they have pneumonia.
• Mycoplasma pneumoniae : This bacteria tends to affect people under 40 years of age and responds to antibiotics. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is very contagious, so living or working in crowded places such as dormitories, schools, or prisons increases your risk of getting this type of pneumonia.
• Chlamydia pneumoniae : This bacteria usually causes infections with mild symptoms and mainly affects adults 65 to 79 years old.
• Legionella pneumophila : This bacteria causes Legionnaire’s disease, which is a severe form of pneumonia.
Bacterial pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics. You should avoid buying medicine on your own and see a doctor for effective treatment to avoid drug resistance.
2. Cause of viral pneumonia
Viruses are the most common cause of pneumonia in children under 5 years old. Despite the high risk of developing the disease, viral pneumonia is usually not as serious as bacterial pneumonia.
Most people with viral pneumonia recover within 1 to 3 weeks without treatment; in some cases, the illness can become severe and require hospitalization.
Some viruses that can cause pneumonia include:
• Influenza virus: Influenza A, B and avian influenza viruses can cause pneumonia, especially in adults.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): Respiratory syncytial virus infection is a common cause of viral pneumonia in children under 1 year of age. This is a virus that can cause illness at any age, seriously affecting adults over 65 years old and people with compromised immune systems.
• Human parainfluenza virus: This virus causes respiratory infections, including pneumonia, in all ages, especially in young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.
• Adenovirus: This virus can cause colds, sore throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
• Rhinovirus: This is the virus that causes the common cold, which can lead to pneumonia.
• Human metapneumovirus (HMPV): This is a respiratory virus that can cause pneumonia, especially in young children and older adults.
• Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): This is a virus that attacks the respiratory tract and can cause pneumonia, which can be especially dangerous.
3. Cause of pneumonia: Fungi
Fungi are also one of the common causes of pneumonia. Fungal pneumonia occurs when spores enter the lungs and multiply on their own. This condition is quite rare and usually occurs in people with compromised immune systems or chronic health problems. However, fungal pneumonia can also occur in healthy adults.
Factors that increase the risk of fungal pneumonia include:
- Genetic genes
- Long-term corticosteroid treatment
- Infection after spleen removal
- Immunosuppression for organ transplantation
- Acute leukemia or lymphoma
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- Congenital immunodeficiency syndrome
- Stem cell transplantation from bone marrow or peripheral blood cells
4. Comorbidities
The cause of pneumonia is often related to accompanying health problems including:
• Hospital treatment: When the immune system is weakened, the risk of pneumonia is higher if you are hospitalized. This risk is even higher if you are on a ventilator.
• Have a chronic illness: If you have COPD, asthma, heart disease, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, celiac disease or sickle cell disease, your risk of developing pneumonia is higher.
• Immune system suppression: If you have HIV or AIDS, have had an organ or bone marrow transplant, are taking chemotherapy or long-term steroids, or have an autoimmune disorder, you are at increased risk of developing pneumonia. .
• Difficulty swallowing: If you have difficulty swallowing due to a medical condition such as Parkinson’s or stroke, you are susceptible to aspiration pneumonia.
• Cognitive impairment: Neurological conditions with symptoms such as generalized convulsions, coma… can contribute to aspiration pneumonia.
5. Lifestyle
The cause of pneumonia is often due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, including:
• Smoking: If you smoke, your risk of pneumonia is higher because smoking negatively affects the immune system, making it easier for harmful microorganisms to enter the body.
• Excessive use of drugs or alcohol: These are factors that both weaken the immune system and harm the patient’s mind and body.
• Malnutrition: Undernutrition contributes to an increased risk of more serious pneumonia, especially in young children and the elderly. Estimates show that malnutrition is the cause of death in 45% of children under 5 years of age worldwide.
• Poor oral health: Poor oral hygiene can contribute to pneumonia, especially if you have dentures.
• Living environment: When living in an environment with a lot of toxic air and dust pollution, these toxins will easily penetrate into the lungs and cause disease.
You need to determine the cause of pneumonia to treat and prevent the disease. At the same time, you should combine a healthy lifestyle, a reasonable diet and you can consider getting vaccinated to prevent lung diseases.
You can completely prevent pneumonia when you know how to prevent the causes of pneumonia. This is a disease that can cause many life-threatening complications, so please detect it early for timely treatment!
