PNEUMONIA

Pneumonia is an infection which causes the normal air-containing spaces within the lungs (called the alveoli) and the smaller bronchial tubes to become inflamed and to fill with fluid. Special white blood cells then travel to the lungs to fight off the infection. This all leads to impairment of the lung's main function, which is to get oxygen from the air into the bloodstream and then around the whole body.

Causes

Many different germs can cause the infection that results in pneumonia. Although some are common and easy to identify, in quite a few people with pneumonia the germ causing the problem is never discovered.

Infection

Some germs, particularly viruses, are breathed into the lungs because they are present in the air, especially if someone nearby has an infection and is coughing or sneezing. Others (including some bacteria) already live in the throat, where they usually do no harm, but may get into the lungs if the person is "under the weather" or weakened by a virus.

Some of the rarer types of pneumonia may arise from unusual sources. The germs which cause legionnaire's disease are sometimes found in faulty air-conditioning systems or water showers, and those which cause psittacosis can be acquired from sick parrots.

Incidence

Anyone can get pneumonia, even the young and fit. However, it is more common (and usually more serious) in the very young, the very old, people who smoke, and in anyone weakened by long-term illness, especially if it interferes with the body's normal defences against infection.

Symptoms

People with pneumonia usually feel ill, feverish, and off their food. They nearly always have a cough (often with mucky sputum), and they may be short of breath, with a feeling of tightness in the chest. Sometimes a sharp pain in the side, worsened by breathing, can occur if the infection also involves the lining of the lung. This condition is called pleurisy.

Treatment

About one in twenty-five people attend their GP each year with a chest infection and of these, four or five may have actual pneumonia. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment. A high fluid intake is important, and sometimes pain killers may be needed. Most people with pneumonia are treated at home by their GP, but about one in six are ill enough to need admission to hospital for more specialised care.

Most people make a complete recovery but, although the fever may improve quickly, a feeling of tiredness and lethargy can persist for some time. Unfortunately, a few people still die from pneumonia, and research is being directed at this group of individuals to see what can be done to improve things in the future.

Prevention

Avoidance of smoking is most important, since cigarette smokers are at increased risk of pneumonia. A flu vaccination at the beginning of the winter may be of value for anyone with long-standing lung problems. There is also now a vaccine available to protect against the commonest cause of pneumonia, called pneumococcal pneumonia, and this vaccine is also recommended for anyone with lung or heart problems.

The following leaflets that deal with different lung diseases and how they can be helped are available from the British Lung Foundation at the address below:

• Air Pollution And Your Lungs
• Asthma
• Chronic Bronchitis And Emphysema
• Exercise And The Lungs
• Living With Lung Cancer
• Sarcoidosis
• Smoking And Your Lungs
• The Way Our Lungs Work
• What Is Bronchiectasis?
• Occupational Lung Disease
• Snoring And Sleep Apnoea
• Tuberculosis
• Fibrosing Alveolitis

Contact

British Lung Foundation
8 Peterborough Mews
London
SW6 3BL
020-7371 7704
(Birmingham): 0121-236 8611 (ext 5985)
(Bristol): 01272 594959
(Glasgow): 0141-204 4110
(Liverpool): 0151-228 4723
(Newcastle): 0191-263 0276