Acute pneumonia is a common disease and has the leading risk of death among all acute diseases. So, what is acute pneumonia? What are the symptoms, causes and treatments?
What is acute pneumonia?
Acute pneumonia is a respiratory infection caused by viruses, bacteria (pneumococcus, haemophilus influenzae, staphylococcus, atypical bacteria ) or parasites that attack the respiratory system, specifically the alveoli. lung.
So is acute pneumonia dangerous? Acute pneumonia starts and changes very quickly (acute) and can cause dangerous complications such as lung abscess, effusion or pleural effusion; severe respiratory failure; pericarditis if not treated promptly.
Signs and symptoms of acute pneumonia
Pneumonia is the 4th leading cause of death among the 10 diseases with the highest risk of death (according to WHO – 2012). Among them, patients over 65 years old account for 90%. Besides, the disease is also dangerous because the symptoms in the early stages are often easily confused with the common cold but will change quickly within just a few days and can lead to many serious complications.
Symptoms of acute pneumonia are often related to the respiratory tract. They may include:
- Cough initially dry, then cough with phlegm, color of phlegm from yellow to green, even coughing up blood
- Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
- Chest pain when coughing
In addition, symptoms unrelated to the respiratory system may also appear such as:
- High fever 39 – 40 degrees Celsius
- Fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain
- Sweating, chills
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting, diarrhea
- Confusion or cognitive changes in people over 65 years old
- Children may have seizures
- Hypothermia in people over 65 years old and people with weak immune systems.
If you come here, you are still wondering whether acute pneumonia is dangerous and what symptoms it can cause? The answer is that in severe cases, the patient may have severe difficulty breathing, high fever for many days accompanied by tremors, chest pain, coughing up blood, cyanosis due to lack of oxygen and need timely emergency treatment.
So is acute pneumonia dangerous for children? According to pediatric experts, infants and young children with this disease often have fever or hypothermia, cough, refuse to feed/feed, vomit, cry, have rapid breathing, difficulty breathing and fatigue.
What is the cause of acute pneumonia?
What is the cause of acute pneumonia? Some causes of acute pneumonia include:
- Acute viral pneumonia : Common viruses that cause acute pneumonia include influenza virus (influenza A and B strains, often attacking adults), syncytial virus causing respiratory disease (mainly in infants and children). small), new coronavirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, herpes simplex, measles virus…
- Acute pneumococcal pneumonia : The culprit is Streptococcus pneumoniae . This cause is common in the elderly, people with weak immune systems, and chronic diseases.
- Bacterial pneumonia : Besides pneumococcus, some other types of bacteria can also cause pneumonia such as: Haemophilus influenzae bacteria , Legionella spp. (including L.neumophila and L. micdadei), mixed anaerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria …
- Other causes: fungus , parasites or Mycoplasma infection.
Many people often wonder, in addition to the above causes, what are the factors that increase the risk of acute pneumonia? Basically, acute pneumonia is a disease that anyone can get. However, the following people are at high risk of getting the disease:
- Elderly people, children and people with weakened immune systems such as people with HIV, cancer patients…
- People live and work regularly in heavily polluted environments.
- People who have the habit of smoking.
- History of respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- History of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cirrhosis…
Diagnosis and treatment
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor.
What medical techniques help diagnose acute pneumonia?
How is acute pneumonia diagnosed? Acute pneumonia is easily confused with the common cold. First, the doctor will diagnose acute pneumonia based on the symptoms the patient is experiencing such as: cough, fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing… Then, they will ask about your medical history, medications you are taking, if any, living habits (smoking, working in a dusty, polluted environment, etc.)
The doctor also listens to the lungs to see if there are crackles in the lungs suggesting acute pneumonia and to make a preliminary assessment of the severity of the pneumonia.
In addition, for a more accurate diagnosis, your doctor will ask you to perform a few necessary tests as follows:
- Blood test: evaluate infection and find associated diseases (if any). In some cases of severe, long-term illness that does not respond to antibiotic treatment, the doctor may order a blood culture to look for bacteria causing pneumonia in the patient’s blood.
- Chest X-rays help doctors diagnose pneumonia and determine the extent and location of infection.
- Sputum culture and antibiogram: often used to distinguish pneumonia caused by tuberculosis bacteria.
- Straight chest CT scan.
- Measuring C-reactive protein levels: evaluate the body’s inflammatory status.
Treatment methods for acute pneumonia
How to treat acute pneumonia will depend on the symptoms and cause of the disease. However, the overall goal is still to cure the infection and prevent complications.
Typically, doctors will prescribe antibiotics for acute bacterial pneumonia, antivirals if the cause is viral, or antifungal drugs in cases where the disease is caused by fungi.
Symptom relievers include cough medicine, fever reducers when fever is above 38 degrees Celsius, and pain relievers.
Patients can be treated at home or hospitalized. However, when the disease becomes severe or there are signs of complications, hospitalization and treatment are required.
Patients should follow the treatment regimen given by their doctor. Absolutely do not stop taking medication without your doctor’s consent because it can cause drug resistance, reduce treatment effectiveness, and increase the risk of complications. Besides, get plenty of rest and eat well to regain your health soon.
Prevent
What measures help prevent acute pneumonia? You can prevent acute pneumonia with the following measures:
- Keep your body warm, avoid catching a cold and do not come close to people who have the flu, especially children, the elderly, and people with weak resistance.
- Clean your teeth and throat with physiological saline.
- Regularly clean your house and maintain fresh air.
- Stay away from places with polluted air, cigarette smoke or toxic substances that can irritate the lungs.
- Wear a mask when going out or working in a dusty environment and wash your hands regularly with soap.
- Influenza vaccination: especially target groups such as young children, the elderly, people with chronic respiratory diseases: COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis…
- Maintain a healthy, balanced diet full of nutrients.
- Exercise regularly.
