World Pneumonia Day 2022
World pneumonia day is observed on 12 November every year to spread knowledge about infectious diseases and to fight against the disease. Pneumonia is the world's biggest infectious disease that affects both the children and adults and plays a major role in the mortality rate compared with other diseases. It is usually caused due to the lack of oxygen levels in the lungs. Let’s learn about the importance of oxygen and lung health. In this world pneumonia day one has to prioritize the preventive measures for pneumonia which has become a dreadful infectious disease.
Overview Of Pneumonia
Pneumonia is the infectious disease which inflames both the lungs and the air sacs. During pneumonia, the air sacs are filled with purulent material like fluid or pus causing continuous coughing, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing. It almost affects all the age groups including children, young age, adults and older age groups who have diabetes, heart problems and patients with weakened immune systems.
Common Symptoms Of Pneumonia
The signs and symptoms of pneumonia range from mild to severe depending upon the infection and they will last for a longer period of time. The common symptoms of pneumonia are:
- Chest pain while breathing and persistent coughing.
- Cough which produces phlegm
- Fever and chills
- Lowering of body temperature
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
Types Of Pneumonia
On this World Pneumonia Day 2022, let's keep reading about different types of pneumonia and the various organisms which are responsible for causing this disease. Pneumonia is caused by lung infection and the predominant causative agents of this disease are viruses and bacteria. Infection caused by these agents spreads into the lungs resulting in persistent cough and severe breathing difficulties. The various types of pneumonia includes,
1. Community acquired pneumonia: Among various types of pneumonia this is the most common type and it is caused by various viruses including covid-19 virus, bacteria and fungi. Pneumonia is caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and streptococcus pneumoniae and causes cold or flu followed by severe lung infection.
2. Hospital acquired pneumonia: As the name suggests, this type of pneumonia is acquired from the hospital or other illness and this type of pneumonia is a serious condition because these bacteria are already resistant to antibiotics. Patients under ventilator support are at high risk of developing this type of pneumonia.
3. Aspiration pneumonia: This type of pneumonia occurs in the individuals who inhale food, drink and saliva into the lungs which disturbs the normal mechanisms of gag reflex and causes swallowing problems, breathing difficulties, chest pain while breathing and coughing.
Complications Of Pneumonia
1. Bacteria in bloodstream: Bacteria enter into the bloodstream that spread to different vital organs and cause infection and in progressive stages it can cause organ failure.
2. Difficulty in breathing: The individuals who have severe pneumonia and the underlying lung diseases have breathing difficulties in spite of excessive oxygen supply. Those types of patients should be immediately hospitalized and use breathing machines like ventilators to heal lungs gradually.
3. Accumulation of fluid around the lungs: Pneumonia causes accumulation of fluids in between the layers of the lungs that line the lungs and the chest cavity. If fluid accumulation becomes severe it should be treated by draining through the chest tube or removed by a surgical procedure.
4. Lung abscess: As a result of an infection in the lungs, an abscess occurs due to pus formation in the lung cavity. Which is then treated with antibiotics and the pus is drained with a long needle or tube.
5 Best Tips For Preventing Pneumonia
1. Get vaccinated
2. Ensure children in getting vaccinated
3. Practice good hygiene
4. Avoid smoke and using tobacco
5. Maintaining the better immune system
“To Be Safe Get Vaccinated Soon”
Conclusion
On world pneumonia day, it's important to realize how pneumonia affects the major population and their livelihood and everyone should be vaccinated as soon as possible to decrease the spread of this dreadful infectious disease as they affect all the age groups from children to older individuals. There are two types of pneumonia vaccines available in India which includes Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines which can reduce the spread of infection to different people and reduce the mortality rate.
"Vaccines Are Tugboat Of Preventive Health”
