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Pneumonia Explained: What You Need to Know

Overview Of Pneumonia

  1. What Is Pneumonia?
    1.1 How It Attacks Your Lungs?
  2. Types Of Pneumonia
  3. Who Has Higher Risk?
  4. Common Symptoms Of Pneumonia
    4.1 Mild vs Severe Pneumonia Symptoms
    4.2 Symptoms In Children And Older Adults
    4.3 When To Seek Medical Help
  5. Tests Used To Confirm Pneumonia
  6. Pneumonia Treatment And Prevention
    6.1 Treatment
    6.2 Prevention

Pneumonia Are The Main Cause Of Medically Certified Deaths In Malaysia

Pneumonia has emerged as Malaysia’s leading cause of death, claiming 18,181 lives in 2023 and accounting for 15.2 percent of all medically certified deaths. Women have been especially impacted, with 7,815 deaths—making it their top cause of death. Older adults, especially those aged 60 and above, are the most vulnerable with nearly one in five deaths due to pneumonia.

Thus, this serious lung infection requires your attention and understanding.

What Is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation in the air sacs of one or both lungs. Unlike a cold or respiratory infection, pneumonia needs special attention because it can lead to severe complications.

The severity of pneumonia symptoms ranges from mild to life-threatening. Several groups face elevated risks, especially when you have vulnerable individuals like infants, children under 2 years old, and adults over 60. These age groups’ immune systems often struggle to combat the infection effectively.

The Illustration Shows The Condition Of Pneumonia. Image Credited by: SSB Healthcare

How It Attacks Your Lungs?

Your body usually filters out germs from the air during normal breathing. Sometimes bacteria, viruses, or fungi bypass these defenses and reach your lungs. Your immune system fights back against these invaders.

This immune response leads to inflammation in your air sacs (alveoli). The inflammation causes your air sacs to fill with fluid or pus. You’ll notice classic pneumonia symptoms – breathing becomes difficult, you develop a cough, and your chest hurts.

The inflammation disrupts your lungs’ normal function. Healthy lungs add oxygen to blood and remove carbon dioxide. Pneumonia interferes with this gas exchange. Severe cases can lead to respiratory failure if your lungs can’t get enough oxygen into your blood.

Pneumonia might affect one lung (unilateral) or both lungs (bilateral or double pneumonia). The amount of lung involvement determines how severe your symptoms become and how long recovery takes.

Types Of Pneumonia

Pneumonia can be classified in several ways based on where it was acquired, what caused it, and how it developed.

 

Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

This is the most common type, occurring outside of healthcare facilities. It can be caused by various organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The spread of these organisms can be further contaging in communal settings where tissues come into contact frequently.

 

Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP)

You can get this type during a hospital stay. It’s often more serious because the bacteria causing it may be resistant to antibiotics. The presence of invasive devices may increase the risk as they serve as conduits for pathogens into lung tissues. In Bagan Specialist Centre, we will allocate negative-pressurized isolation ward for patients who has pneumonia in preventing the spread of airborne infectious diseases.

Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP)

This bacterial infection affects people in long-term care facilities or those receiving care in outpatient clinics, such as kidney dialysis centers. Contamination of medical equipment by fluids such as saliva or sputum can lead to infection.

 

Aspiration Pneumonia

This occurs when you inhale food, drink, vomit, or saliva into your lungs. It’s more likely to happen if you have a disturbed gag reflex or swallowing problems, as it allows foreign bodies to infiltrate lung tissue more easily.

 

Who Has Higher Risk?

Anyone can get pneumonia, but some groups face much higher risks. Age plays a crucial role. The most vulnerable people are:

  • Adults age 60 and older: The risk grows as you age. 80-year-olds face higher risk than 60-year-olds
  • Children younger than 5: Kids under 5 face the greatest risk
  • Infants and premature babies: Their developing immune systems make them vulnerable

Several health conditions raise your pneumonia risk:

  • Chronic lung diseases (asthma, COPD, emphysema, cystic fibrosis)
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic kidney or liver disease
  • Weakened immune system from conditions like HIV/AIDS or cancer treatments

Your lifestyle choices matter too:

  • Smoking cigarettes or vaping
  • Drinking too much alcohol
  • Being around sick people

Your environment plays a role. The risk increases if you spend lots of time in crowded places like nursing homes, schools, or hospitals. Healthcare-acquired pneumonia often proves more dangerous than community-acquired pneumonia because it usually involves antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

These risk factors help you understand your vulnerability and take steps to protect yourself against this serious lung infection.

Common Symptoms Of Pneumonia

Early detection of pneumonia symptoms can substantially impact your treatment outcome. Pneumonia signs vary in severity and patients sometimes confuse them with other respiratory conditions.

Mild vs severe pneumonia symptoms

Pneumonia symptoms range from subtle to life-threatening. Milder cases might show:

  • A persistent cough (with or without mucus)
  • Low-grade fever
  • Tiredness or fatigue
  • Mild shortness of breath, especially during activity

Symptoms become more intense as pneumonia progresses. Severe cases typically show:

  • High fever up to 40°C
  • Greenish, yellow, or bloody mucus while coughing
  • Rapid breathing and heartbeat
  • Sharp or stabbing chest pain during deep breathing or coughing
  • Extreme fatigue and weakness
  • Bluish lips and fingernails (cyanosis) from lack of oxygen

Your symptoms depend on the type of pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia hits suddenly with severe symptoms. Viral pneumonia develops gradually over days and starts with headache, muscle pain, and a dry cough that worsens.

Symptoms in children and older adults

Babies and young children display different pneumonia symptoms than adults. They might show:

  • Rapid or noisy breathing with possible grunting sounds
  • Decreased wet diapers
  • Pale skin and limpness
  • More fussiness or crying
  • Problems with feeding
  • Vomiting

Adults over 60 often have subtle symptoms that people easily miss. Seniors might experience:

  • Confusion or altered mental state
  • Lower than normal body temperature
  • Decreased appetite
  • Existing health conditions getting worse
  • Sudden changes in daily activities
  • Unexplained falls or unsteadiness

These unusual symptoms can delay diagnosis in older adults. Regular check-ups become vital for high-risk patients.

When to seek medical help

Not every cough needs medical attention, but pneumonia can turn serious quickly. Consult doctor if you notice:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Chest pain during deep breathing or coughing
  • Persistent fever of 38.9°C or higher
  • Coughing up colored mucus – yellow, green, or blood-tinged
  • Symptoms that keep getting worse
  • Extreme fatigue that rest doesn’t help

Get emergency care right away if you see:

  • Severe breathing difficulties or gasping for air
  • Bluish discoloration of lips, skin, or nails
  • New confusion or disorientation
  • A child who seems limp and won’t wake up

People in high-risk groups should not wait to see their healthcare provider if symptoms concern them. Quick diagnosis and treatment improve outcomes, especially for young children and adults over 60.

Pneumonia symptoms often look like other respiratory conditions. A proper medical evaluation helps ensure accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment because untreated pneumonia can cause serious complications.

I Have These Symptoms

Tests Used To Confirm Pneumonia

Doctor uses several medical approaches to diagnose pneumonia accurately and determine its severity. The diagnosis process starts with basic examinations and moves to advanced tests when needed.

  • Physical Exams
  • Chest X-rays
  • Blood Test
  • Pulse Oximetry
  • CT Scan (For severe cases)

Pneumonia Treatment And Prevention

Treatment:

How pneumonia is treated really depends on what’s causing it—whether it’s bacteria, a virus, or a fungus—and how sick someone is. Sometimes, doctors can’t pinpoint the exact cause, so they focus on easing symptoms and keeping the illness from getting worse while the body fights it off.

Some treatments may include:

  • Medications like antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals
  • Oxygen Therapy
  • Draining Fluid Around the Lungs
  • Rest

Prevention:

Pneumonia can cause serious health complications even with proper treatment. Learning about these risks and knowing how to prevent them is a vital part of your recovery.

  • Get Pneumococcal and Flu vaccines
  • Practice Hand Hygiene
  • Don’t Smoke / Quit Smoking
  • Keep Immune System Strong
  • Avoid Close Contact With Infectious Disease
  • Wear Mask When You Are In A Healthcare Premises
  • Rest Well, Healthy Diet
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