HealthTales.com

stories of sickness and recovery
Index of Diseases and Conditions: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung, usually caused by an infection. Three common causes are bacteria, viruses and fungi. You can also get pneumonia by accidentally inhaling a liquid or chemical. People most at risk are older than 65 or younger than 2 years of age, or already have health problems.

If you have pneumonia, you may have difficulty breathing and have a cough and a fever. A physical exam and history can help determine if you have pneumonia. Chest x-rays and blood tests can help determine what is wrong. Treatment depends on what made you sick. If bacteria are the cause, antibiotics should help. Viral pneumonia may get better with rest and drinking liquids.

Preventing pneumonia is always better than treating it. The best preventive measures include washing your hands frequently, not smoking, and wearing a mask when cleaning dusty or moldy areas. There is a vaccine for pneumococcal pneumonia, a bacterial infection which accounts for up to a quarter of all pneumonias.

Pneumonia on Wikipedia

'''Pneumonia''' (the ancient Greek language word for lungs) is defined as an inflamation, usually caused by infection, involving the alveoli of the lungs. It occurs in patients of all age groups, but young children and the elderly, as well as immunocompromised and immune deficiency patients, are especially at risk. Causal therapy is with antibiotics.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms may include: * Common ** Cough with greenish or yellow mucus ** Fever with shaking chills (rigors) ** Sharp or stabbing chest pain, worsened by deep breaths or coughs ** Rapid, shallow breathing (painful quick breathing) ** Shortness of breath ** Fever of 39.5°C (103°F) and higher ** Painful cough * Rarer ** Bloody mucus ** Headache, including migraine headache ** Excessive diaphoresis and clammy skin ** Anorexia ** Excessive fatigue ** Cyanosis Pneumonia can progress to sepsis ("blood poisoning") and acute respiratory distress syndrome if untreated. These are the main causes of death in patients with untreated pneumonia.

Diagnosis

For the diagnosis of pneumonia, an infiltrate on an X-ray of the chest is the gold standard (test). Supportive diagnostic tests are microbiological culture of sputum and/or blood culture. Blood tests are generally performed when a pneumonia is suspected: a full blood count often shows neutrophilia (except in some immunocompromised and all neutropenia patients). Renal function may have deteriorated if there is sepsis. Electrolytes can show hyponatremia (low sodium levels); this is often due to secretion antidiuretic hormone by pulmonary tissue; it is thought to be more frequent in tuberculosis and legionaires' disease. Is possible to perform serology assays for atypical pathogens (Mycoplasma, Legionella and Chlamydia). In nosocomial ...   [ Read More ]


External Resources

Utter Music: Whiskeytown - Review of "Pneumonia."

Tributes - Review of tributes to the author and his influence. Published in the winter of 1899 after The White Man's Burden was published and while he was near death with pneumonia.

Mountain Oaks - Anti-viral and anti-bacterial herb used for treatment of hepatitis-C, HIV, chronic-fatigue, and pneumonia.

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Genome Project - The smallest self replicating cells known today. Includes project history, downloadable tables with all the results of the sequencing project, gene charts, and graphical representations .

Lost Highway - Singer/songwriter label. Artists include Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, Whiskeytown's Pneumonia, William Topley, Kim Richey, Robert Earl Keen, Willie Nelson, and Down From The Mountain. Tour dates, message boards, links, audio clips, and online store.

ViroPharma Incorporated - Develops proprietary antiviral pharmaceuticals for treatment of viral diseases including summer flu, common cold, Influenza, Hepatitis C and viral Pneumonia. (Nasdaq: VPHM).

1997 USPHS/IDSA Guidelines - US Public Health Service and Infectious Disease Society of America document outlining prevention of opportunistic infections in persons with HIV. PDF file includes pneumonia, tuberculosis, herpes, hepatitis and others.

CDC Division of Parasitic Diseases - Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia - Includes factsheets on the organism and the disease it causes, news releases, and reports.

You Can Prevent PCP in Children - A Guide for Care Givers of Children with HIV Infection - Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP) is the most common opportunistic infection among children with HIV infection. This guide explains the causes and treatment of PCP in children, and how early diagnosis of HIV infection in pregnant women and children can prevent PCP.

HIV/AIDS Brochures at the CDC - CDC-Opportunistic Infection Series, covering Cryptosporidiosis, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Toxoplasmosis, Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP), and opportunistic infections from handling pets or other animals.



Share your story:

Your name

Your location

Your story