Causes and Symptoms of Pneumonia
January 7, 2010
Causes and Symptoms of Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a serious disease that causes inflammation of the lungs. Certain microorganisms affect lungs and cause infection on the lungs. This infection in turn leads to inflammation. Then the air sacs and airways with in the lungs gets inflamed and filled with fluids and pus. This impairs the proper functioning of the lungs.
Causes of Pneumonia
The micro organisms that cause pneumonia includes viruses, bacteria, fungi etc and the most common cause for pneumonia is a bacterium called streptococcus pneumonia. You may get these micro organisms by breathing the air that is sneeze out by the infected people.
These micro organisms may enter in to the body through nose, mouth and eyes. When the immune system is weak these micro organism may spread in to the lungs and cause infection. Pneumonia may also occur due to some allergic substances like chemicals, irritant dusts, smoke etc.
Risk Factors for Pneumonia
If you are above an age of 65 or too young then your chances of getting pneumonia are more. Poor health condition also increases your risk for pneumonia. The habits of taking alcohol, smoking may also increases your chances for getting pneumonia. Weakness of immune system is also a reason. Accumulation of toxins in the lungs will make your lungs weak and increases your chances for infection.
Symptoms of Pneumonia
The most noticeable and primary symptoms of pneumonia is the rapid pulse rate and breathing trouble. Breathing becomes painful, shallow and there will be chest pain and shortness of breath. This happens because there will be less oxygen in the blood due to the inflated lungs. The symptoms of pneumonia may vary from person to person and some of the symptoms of pneumonia includes flu, cold, cough that is accompanied with yellow or greenish sputum.
Some others may experience high fever with shaking chills, headaches, vomiting, wheezing, exhaustion, loss of appetite etc. Sometimes there will be blue color on the skin, excessive fatigue, joint pains, muscle pains, nausea etc.
Check your symptoms with your doctor and get treatment as early as possible.


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