This is the Age Vulnerable to Pneumonia (lung inflammation)

Pneumonia is a disease that is quite common and threatening in Indonesia. Pneumonia can occur if there is an infection in the air sacs in the lungs. Conditions like this cause coughing up phlegm, fever, and difficulty breathing.

In Indonesia, pneumonia does not only occur in adults; children are also susceptible to this lung disease. The main causes of pneumonia are viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Therefore, apart from maintaining health, you must also take good care of the environment.

 

Causes of pneumonia

As explained above, pneumonia can occur due to infections from bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The bacteria that causes pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae.

 

Pneumonia Symptoms

Symptoms that often appear in pneumonia sufferers are similar to flu symptoms, such as coughing and fever. However, the symptoms that appear have a longer duration. If left unchecked, serious symptoms will appear and make the condition worse. The serious symptoms that often arise are:

• Cough with phlegm.

• Pain in the chest when coughing or breathing.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Get tired easily.

• Fever and chills.

• shortness of breath.

In some cases, pneumonia can also happen to a baby who shows symptoms in the form of a high fever, fatigue, coughing, difficulty eating, and shortness of breath.

 

Pneumonia Treatment

Pneumonia can be classified into mild, moderate, and severe. If you are classified as someone who suffers from mild pneumonia, then you can treat pneumonia yourself at home. There is no need to go to the hospital. Just take antibiotics from a doctor and get plenty of rest.

In addition, to prevent symptoms from getting worse, people with mild pneumonia are also advised to take painkillers such as paracetamol, which can relieve fever symptoms. However, if you suffer from asthma, it is not recommended to take this medication.

In addition to taking painkillers, pneumonia sufferers are also not advised to take cough medicine. The reason is because coughing is the body's way of expelling phlegm from the lungs. This phlegm is what makes the chest hurt when breathing.

Don't smoke continuously. If you have been diagnosed with pneumonia, you should immediately stop smoking because it can worsen the condition of your lungs.

Meanwhile, for people with severe pneumonia, the best advice is to be hospitalized. Because home treatment alone is not enough. There are several treatment steps that can only be done in a hospital. Pneumonia sufferers are also advised to be hospitalized if conditions such as the following occur:

• Age over 65 years.

• have poor kidney function.

• low blood pressure.

• very fast breathing.

• Body temperature below normal.

While in the hospital, sufferers who experience severe symptoms will be given treatment in the form of antibiotics, additional oxygen, and physiotherapy by doing breathing exercises.

Pneumonia patients with severe symptoms will usually also receive assistance in the form of a ventilator to help them breathe until they need to be placed in an intensive care room.

 

Pneumonia Complications

This kind of situation is more often found in young children or older people who already have a history of previous illnesses, such as diabetes. If pneumonia sufferers do not receive treatment regularly and well, complications will occur. Complications that occur can include:

• Ribs become inflamed, leading to respiratory failure.

• Pleurisy, which is a condition that occurs when the thin lining between the lungs and ribs becomes inflamed,.

• Blood poisoning occurs.

• Lung abscess, a complication condition that is rarely found because it is relatively rare. If there is, it usually occurs in sufferers who have pre-existing serious illnesses or who have a history of severe alcohol abuse.

 

Pneumonia Prevention

To avoid pneumonia, there are several preventive steps you can take, including;

• Keep yourself and your environment clean. For example, wash your hands diligently or use a hand sanitizer because germs or bacteria can more easily enter dirty hands.

• Stop smoking because cigarettes can damage the lungs. No longer smoking will protect your lungs from respiratory infections.

• Get enough sleep and rest because it will maintain the body's immunity. You should also implement regular exercise and consume healthy food properly.

• Get vaccinated to prevent pneumonia. This vaccine can be given to children under 2 years of age and 2–5 years of age. Toddlers also need to get a flu shot as a preventive measure.

Pneumonia may be a frightening and threatening disease, especially if it occurs in young children. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, everyone must be aware of themselves in order to always maintain their own health and the environment. In this way, serious pneumonia treatment can be avoided.

Consult about the health of Hermina Friends with a specialist doctor at the nearest Hermina Hospital.