‘There is a pneumonia outbreak here in the Philippines,” the post cautioned. The warning was posted in the social media by a person whose two friends reportedly died of it. Two others were confined in the hospital as both also suffered from the lung infection.
The emergency room of a well-known hospital and others are full because so many people are confined due to pneumonia.
“Is this true?” the person who shared the post asked.
“There is no reported outbreak,” the Department of Health reacted to the Netizen’s inquiry. “It is flu season and we urge everybody to take extra care not to get infected.”
In the Philippines, the rainy season comes in December and January, and flu—the most common form of illness, happens during this time.
“As of December 2018, the number of [flu] cases are less than last year, but potential complications such as pneumonia can be prevented by proper hygiene,” the health department pointed out.
“The Philippines is one of the 15 countries that together account for 75 percent of childhood pneumonia cases worldwide,” the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reports. “In children under five years, pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality.”
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs (doctors call these “alveoli”). “The lung is a large organ, and it’s a vital organ,” explains Dr. Gerard Criner, chairman and professor of thoracic medicine and surgery at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. “If it gets infected and it comprises the primary function to support ventilation, that’s a big contributor to morbidity and mortality.”
Pneumonia happens when the air sacs are filled with fluid or pus (purulent material) so much so that a person will have a hard time breathing in enough oxygen to reach the bloodstream.
“Pneumonia tends to be more serious for children under the age of five, adults over the age of 65, people with certain conditions such as heart failure, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or people who have weak immune systems due to HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy [a treatment for cancer], or organ or blood and marrow stem cell transplant procedures,” the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says.
Lifestyle habits, like smoking cigarettes and drinking too much alcohol, can also raise a person’s chances of getting pneumonia. “Smoking damages your body’s natural defenses against the bacteria and viruses that cause pneumonia,” the Mayo Clinic says.
A variety of organisms—bacteria and viruses primarily and less commonly by fungi and parasites—can cause pneumonia.
The bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b and respiratory syncytial virus are the most common causes of pneumonia in healthy people, according to the United Nations health agency. Pneumocystis jiroveci, one of the most common causes of pneumonia in immunocompromised infant, is responsible for one-quarter of all pneumonia deaths in HIV-infected infants.
“[Pneumonia] is a tough disease to diagnose,” says Dr. Marie Budev, a pulmonologist and the medical director of the lung-transplant program at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “Age makes a big difference, as well as a person’s immune system…and, of course, the symptoms themselves.”
“The signs and symptoms of pneumonia may vary from mild to severe, depending on factors such as the type of germ causing the infection, and your age and overall health,” the Mayo Clinic says. “Mild signs and symptoms often are similar to those of a cold or flu, but they last longer.”
The Mayo Clinic says the signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include: chest pain when you breathe or cough; confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older); cough, which may produce phlegm; fatigue; fever, sweating and shaking chills; lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems); nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; and shortness of breath.
“Newborns and infants may not show any sign of the infection,” the Mayo Clinic informs. “Or they may vomit, have a fever and cough, appear restless or tired and without energy, or have difficulty breathing and eating.”
Pneumonia is classified according to the types of germs that cause it and where you got the infection. Some people get “ventilator-associated pneumonia” if they got the infection while on a ventilator, which is a machine at a hospital that helps you breathe, WebMd.com states.
Now, if you got your pneumonia while you are confined in a hospital, it’s called “hospital-acquired pneumonia.” Most people, however, get “community-acquired pneumonia,” which means you get an infection outside of a hospital.
Treatment depends on whether bacteria, viruses or fungi are causing the pneumonia. “If bacteria are causing your pneumonia,” the NHLBI says, “you usually are treated at home with oral antibiotics. Most people respond quickly to treatment. If your symptoms worsen, you should see a doctor right away. If you have severe symptoms or underlying health problems, you may need to be treated in a hospital. It may take several weeks to recover from pneumonia.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, even with treatment, some people with pneumonia, especially those in high-risk groups, may experience complications, including:
- Bacteria in the bloodstream (bacteremia): Bacteria that enter the bloodstream from your lungs can spread the infection to other organs, potentially causing organ failure.
- Difficulty breathing: If your pneumonia is severe or you have chronic underlying lung diseases, you may have trouble breathing in enough oxygen. You may need to be hospitalized and use a breathing machine (ventilator) while your lung heals.
- Fluid accumulation around the lungs (pleural effusion): Pneumonia may cause fluid to build up in the thin space between layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity (pleural). If the fluid becomes infected, you may need to have it drained through a chest tube or removed with surgery.
- Lung abscess: An abscess occurs if pus forms in a cavity in the lung. An abscess is usually treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, surgery or drainage with a long needed or tube placed into the abscess is needed to remove the pus.
In the Philippines, as in other Asian countries, the major risk for developing pneumonia, according to the WHO, are as follows: a weakened immune system due to malnutrition or undernourishment (especially in infants not exclusively breastfed) and other preexisting illnesses, such as measles; and environmental factors including indoor air pollution (cooking/heating with wood or other biomass), living in crowded houses and parental smoking. займ срочно онлайн новые
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