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Pneumonia, whether it is bacterial, viral or fungal, typical or atypical, can be acute but sometimes asymptomatic. Whatever the cause, pneumonia is a serious respiratory disease in children and adults, and it can have serious complications. Is pneumonia contagious? How is his treatment going?

Pneumoniais an inflammation of the lung parenchyma, i.e. alveoli or stromal (interstitial) tissue, characterized by the formation of an inflammatory exudate in them.

Therefore, the consequences of pneumonia include

  • reducing their airiness
  • breathing faster
  • less or more breathlessness

These symptoms do not change, regardless of the type of pneumonia. Butthe symptoms of pneumoniamay not be so clear, because they depend on the factor that caused the disease and the general condition of the body. Very often pneumonia is bacterial, but it can also be caused by viruses. Aspirationpneumoniais also quite common. It occurs in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease and occurs when food enters the lungs.

Pneumonia is especially dangerous in a child. During a pandemic, we can also often come across the term covid pneumonia, associated with coronavirus infection.

Pneumonia: types

Pneumonia - classification according to the causative agent of the disease

  • viralpneumoniais found in around 5-20 percent. cases
  • bacterialpneumoniaaccounts for approx. 70 percent cases of illness
  • atypicalpneumoniac
  • fungalpneumonia
  • allergicpneumonia
  • chemical zpneumonia- aspirationpneumonia(Mendelson's syndrome)

There are alsoidiopathic (idiopathic) pneumonia- is a disease of the alveoli, the essence of which is their inflammation and then fibrosis. As a consequence, breathing becomes more and more difficult. As the name suggests, the causes of the disease are unknown.

Pneumonia - classification by state locationinflammation in the lungs

  • bronchopneumoniapneumonia , otherwise lobularpneumonia , lobularpneumonia , is multifocal the inflammatory process that occurs as a result of the penetration of microorganisms from the side of the bronchi through the walls damaged by inflammation; the disease usually begins with bronchitis
  • lobarpneumonia(lobar pneumonia called croupus) is usually caused by a bacterium called streptococcus pneumonia. The inflammatory process covers one lobe of the lung at the same time, as well as the pleura covering a given lobe
  • segmentalpneumonia- inflammation affects specific segments of the lungs

Pneumonia - classification by place of onset

  • pneumonianosocomial - a hospital may become infected with "hospital" bacteria that are resistant to most commonly used antibiotics, which forces the use of stronger antibiotics
  • pneumoniacommunity-acquired pneumonia - the cause of community-acquired pneumonia can be e.g. microorganisms or allergens

Typical and atypical pneumonia

AtypicalPneumoniacharacterized by:

  • hidden, slow start
  • normal or moderately elevated body temperature
  • rarely shiver
  • slight abnormalities in the physical examination of the chest with significant changes in the x-ray examination of the lungs
  • no therapeutic effect after routinely used antibiotic therapy

Typicalpneumonia :

  • acute beginning
  • fever
  • chills
  • sputum is profuse, purulent

The patient usually responds to treatment.

Common symptoms of pneumonia

The classic symptom of pneumonia is a breathless cough, chest pain and wheezing. At the onset of the disease, the symptoms may resemble the flu:

  • chills
  • fever
  • general breakdown and malaise

A doctor auscultating a patient can usually hear the characteristic murmurs and murmurs in the lungs.

Bacterialpneumoniacan be a disease on its own or a complication of upper respiratory tract infections or infectious diseases.

So if your cough does not go away after a cold or an infectious disease, on the contrary - it becomes choking and painful - you need to consult your doctor.

In some casespneumoniamay go unnoticed for a long time,give much less characteristic symptoms, sometimes there is also asymptomatic pneumonia. There may not be only a fever or a cough then. The doctor cannot hear the changes in the lungs, even when examining us with a stethoscope.

Then the only visible sign of pneumonia may be:

  • body weakness
  • sleepiness, getting tired easily with little effort
  • feeling unwell
  • wet sweats
  • shortness of breath

Pneumonia - causes

Causes of pneumonia:

  • viruses - mostly influenza or parainfluenza viruses
  • bacteria - the most common bacteria that cause the disease are diphtheria ( Streptococcus pneumoniae ),Haemophilus influenzaeand staphylococcus aureus ( Staphylococcus aureus )
  • atypical pneumonia is the result of unusual microorganisms acting on the body:Mycoplasma pneumoniae ,Legionella pneumophilaandChlamydia pneumoniae
  • fungi - candidiasis pneumonia is most often caused by Pneumocystis
  • allergic pneumonia is caused by inhaling a variety of environmental antigens
  • chemical pneumonia is the result of chemicals getting into the fine bronchi and alveoli

Factors predisposing to the development of pneumonia:

  • airway obstruction
  • cough reflex disorder
  • dysfunction of the mucociliary system
  • food content aspiration
  • respiratory allergy
  • immunodeficiency
  • congenital defects of the respiratory system and / or circulation
  • prematurity
  • eating disorder
  • chronic diseases
  • exposure to tobacco smoke
  • contact with sick peers

Pneumonia - diagnosis

If pneumonia is suspected:

  • Chest X-ray
  • blood tests (blood count, acute phase indicators - CRP, ESR, PCT)
  • microbiological tests - culture of the material from the respiratory tract, culture of the fluid from the pleural cavity

Pneumonia - treatment

Typicalpneumonialasts 7-10 days, but bacterial infections can last up to 14-21 days.

Pneumonia treatment can be divided into causal and symptomatic.

If the cause of the pneumonia is bacteria, the patient is given antibiotics. Symptomatic treatment is supportive care and may include

  • antipyretic drugs
  • antitussive drugs - in the first phasedry, exhausting cough drugs are used to suppress the cough reflex. In the second phase of cough, when it becomes wet and productive, drugs are used to thin the mucus and facilitate its removal
  • oxygen therapy
  • proper irrigation

In case of pneumonia, the patient is recommended to rest and give vitamins.

However, you cannot stay in bed all the time, as it worsens the already impaired ventilation and weakens the heart.

If you don't have a fever, you may even go for a short walk to improve lung ventilation.

Pneumonia - complications

  • lung abscess - pus in the lung parenchyma is most often a complication of pneumonia, which was caused by staphylococcal or anaerobic bacteria. The characteristic symptoms of this disease are cough, yellow - green sputum, sometimes with an admixture of blood, high fever and chills, eardrum on percussion examination, bronchial murmur
  • exudative pleurisy - symptoms appear suddenly. At first, there is a sharp, stabbing pain in the chest that is localized in a specific part of the chest. A characteristic feature of the disease is that the pain increases at the top of the inhale (preventing proper, deep and free breathing), as well as with any tremors in the chest area, e.g. when coughing, sneezing, jumping, twisting or bending. However, it disappears when the breath is held, and also when the patient assumes a position lying on the sick side. It most often arises as a complication of bacterial pneumonia, less often viral pneumonia
  • chlamydial pneumonia is a complication of atypical pneumonia
About the authorMonika Majewska A journalist specializing in he alth issues, especially in the areas of medicine, he alth protection and he althy eating. Author of news, guides, interviews with experts and reports. Participant of the largest Polish National Medical Conference "Polish woman in Europe", organized by the "Journalists for He alth" Association, as well as specialist workshops and seminars for journalists organized by the Association.

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Respiratory system