Bacterial Pneumonia - Symptoms, Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment

What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia causes the air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus. This causes symptoms like cough, chest pain, and breathing difficulty. The people at risk for acquiring pneumonia are young children, old adults, and those with some medical conditions affecting the immune system. They also have an increased risk of having complications due to pneumonia. It causes mild to severe problems in all age groups. It can cause death due to illness in young children.

What Are the Causes Of Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is caused due to infectious pathogens, like bacteria and viruses. These pathogens spread through cough and sneezing or contamination of the surfaces due to people's touch.

A person acquires pneumonia pathogens by breathing the pathogens into air sacs or alveoli of the lungs. The immune system increases the white blood cells to fight against the infection and triggers lung inflammation. The alveoli fill up with fluid and pus. This causes pneumonia.

What Are the Symptoms Of Bacterial Pneumonia?

The first symptom of pneumonia is a cold or flu-like symptom. Common symptoms of pneumonia include the following:

• Cough with green, yellow, or blood-containing phlegm.

• Rapid breathing.

• Shortness of breath.

• Chest pain on deep breathing.

• Increased heart rate.

• Fever, sweating, and chills.

• Fatigue.

• Confusion.

• Loss of appetite.

• Nausea and vomiting.

What Are the Types Of Pneumonia?

Pneumonia differs according to its cause. The different types and the reasons are as follows.

• Bacterial Pneumonia: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is the organism responsible for bacterial pneumonia.

• Viral Pneumonia: Viral pneumonia occurs due to influenza types A and B.

• Fungal Pneumonia: Fungal pneumonia is caused by the Coccidioides fungus.

• Aspiration Pneumonia: It occurs due to inhalation of food and liquids or aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs.

• Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: It is seen in people getting hospital treatment for conditions requiring respirator or breathing support.

• Walking Pneumonia: Walking pneumonia is mild pneumonia with cold-like symptoms. The condition is called walking pneumonia because this type does not necessitate bed rest, and daily activities can be continued.

While patients should rest and speed up their recovery, adequate rest reduces the risk of the spread of pneumonia pathogens to others. Walking pneumonia symptoms get better within three to five days. Over-the-counter medications can help ease symptoms.

What Are the Risk Factors For Pneumonia?

The following are the risk factors for acquiring pneumonia:

• Children below five years of age or above 65 years of age.

• Recent cold or influenza infection.

• Cystic fibrosis.

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

• Asthma.

• Kidneys, heart, or liver disorders.

• The weak immune system due to diabetes, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and malnutrition.

• Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, exposure to chemicals or pollutants, and recent hospitalization.

What Are the Complications of Pneumonia?

The complications are commonly seen in young children, older adults, and people with underlying chronic conditions. Pneumonia can cause the following complications.

• Empyema is an infection of the space surrounding the lungs and chest cavity.

• Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium which is the area surrounding the heart.

• Endobronchial obstruction is the blockage of the airway which passes air into the lungs.

• Atelectasis is the complete or partial collapse of a lung or some area in the lung.

• A lung abscess includes the collection of pus in the lung tissue.

• Pleurisy is the inflammation of the membranes between the lungs and ribcage, causing respiratory failure.

• Septicemia is an infection in the blood originating from some other area of the body.

• Sepsis is a life-threatening immune reaction to septicemia, leading to organ failure and death.

How to Prevent Pneumonia?

Along with vaccines, the following precautions can help prevent pneumonia:

• Proper hand washing.

• Covering the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing.

• Avoid smoking.

• A balanced, nutritious diet.

• Regular exercise.

• There are two vaccines to prevent pneumococcal disease. The vaccines protect against many pneumococcal infections. They do not completely eliminate the risk of pneumonia; however, they significantly reduce the risk of pneumonia.

  • Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine: The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is a type of pneumococcal vaccine also called Prevnar or PCV13. This is recommended for children under 2 years of age, PCV13 is part of children's routine immunizations.

  • Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is also a type of pneumococcal vaccine called Pneumovax or PPSV23. This vaccine is recommended for people between 2 to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions, diabetes, chronic heart, lung, or kidney disease, a history of surgical removal of the spleen, and cigarette smoking.

How to Diagnose Pneumonia?

To diagnose pneumonia, a person's symptoms and medical history are considered. a physical examination is carried out. The physical exam involves chest auscultation through a stethoscope and blood oxygen level measurements with the help of a pulse oximeter.

Following auscultation results may help in diagnosing pneumonia,

• Coarse breathing

• Wheezing

• Crackling

• Decreased breath sounds

Additional tests like the following can be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

• Chest X-rays confirm a pneumonia diagnosis and detect areas of the lungs that are affected.

• A chest computed tomography scan can provide detailed images of the lungs.

• Increased white blood cell count determines the severity of the infection and the cause.

• An arterial blood gas test provides an accurate value of the body’s oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

• Blood cultures detect microorganisms from the lungs and the bloodstream.

• Sputum analysis tests the sputum and detects the pathogens responsible for pneumonia.

• Bronchoscopy is a procedure involving the passage of a bronchoscope into the lungs under anesthesia. The bronchoscope is a thin and flexible tube with attached light and camera attached, which helps the examination of the infected parts of the lungs.

What Is The Treatment For Pneumonia?

Treatment for pneumonia generally depends on the type and severity of the symptoms of pneumonia.

• Bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics.

• Viral pneumonia is treated with the help of antiviral medications to cure influenza.

• Fungal pneumonia is treated with antifungal medications.

• OTC (over the counter) medications help with the following symptoms:

  • Cough.

  • Fever.

  • Pain.

• Rest and plenty of fluids are required. Hydration thins out thick phlegm and mucus.

• Hospitalization is needed for severe symptoms, a weak immune system, or secondary serious illness. Hospital treatment includes intravenous antibiotics and fluids, along with a supplemental oxygen supply.

• Children's immune systems protect them from developing pneumonia. Children generally suffer from viral pneumonia. Symptoms in children may include:

• Difficulty breathing.

• They do not eat well.

• Cough.

• Fever.

• Irritability.

• Dehydration.

• Babies have pain in the chest or stomach and vomit after coughing.

• Treatment involves the consumption of plenty of fluids and rest. A doctor suggests some OTC medications to help cure symptoms like abdominal issues or cough. However, these medicines will not treat pneumonia. Adults should avoid smoking around children if the child has pneumonia.

Conclusion:

Pneumonia is an infection that also develops after inhalation of contaminated food, water, or saliva into the lungs. This lung condition is common in young children, older adults, and people with preexisting medical conditions with weak immune systems. This increases the risk of serious complications of pneumonia. Receiving a pneumococcal vaccine may help prevent serious complications. Additional treatments can be recommended depending on the pneumonia type, symptoms, and general health.