Pneumonia: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Impact on Lifestyle

Running head: PNEUMONIA
Pneumonia
Student’s Name
Institution

PNEUMONIA 1
Pneumonia
Introduction
Pneumonia is one of the diseases that have been linked to high mortality rates among
different populations, in spite of various developments to address its causes and impact on
human health. Jain and Bhardwaj (2018) define pneumonia as an infection of the lungs caused by
bacteria, virus, or fungi. The infection causes alveoli in lungs to fill up with fluid, making it
impossible for lungs to function properly. There are two types of pneumonia classified according
to the method of their acquisition. Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) occurs when the
person has not come into contact with a physician or any other person working in healthcare
environment. This paper focuses on diagnosis, treatment, prevention, the population at risk, and
the impact of pneumonia on patients’ lifestyle.
Causes, diagnosis, and treatment of Pneumonia
Pneumonia is caused by different types of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that infect alveoli
in lungs. The risk factors may be environmental, age, or health status of the person. According
to Steel, Cockeran, Anderson, and Feldman (2013), a bacteria called pneumococcal bacteria is
responsible for causing pneumonia. The bacteria may occur on its own or after a person has
suffered from flu or cold. Koldwiz and Ewig (2017) explain that viruses that affect the upper
respiratory tracks also cause pneumonia. Compared to bacterial infections, viral infections last
short time. In adults, influenza virus has been found to be the common cause of pneumonia.
Mattila, Fine, Limper, Murray, Chen, and Lin (2014) add that fungi pneumonia is pronounced in
people with chronic health issues and those that are exposed to high volume of infected soils and
environments. People undergoing treatments for HIV/AIDS and those on cancer treatment are at
high risk of developing fungi pneumonia due to their weakened immune system (Pahal &

PNEUMONIA 2
Sharma, 2017). Pneumonia is prevalent among children because their immune system is still
developing, similar to people above the age of sixty-five years because their immune system
weakens as part of the aging process.
Two methods are preferablefor diagnosis of pneumonia. While chest x-rays are preferred
to determine how the lungs are working (Prina, Ceccato, andTorres, 2017) recommend the
complete blood count test to determine how the body is fighting the infection. Other diagnosis
methods include CT scan for patients above the age of sixty-five years and pleural fluid test
where a sample of fluid is taken to determine the type of infection in the body. Treatment options
vary depending on the severity of the condition and the age of the patient. People above the age
of sixty-five years may be hospitalized due to their weakened immune system or if they are
suffering from other chronic are-related diseases. Children below the age of five years may also
be hospitalized. For community acquired pneumonia, some patients may be treated at home or
taken to ICUs depending on the severity of infection (Restrepo ,Sibila, &Anzueto, 2018).
Different types of medications are available including painkillers, antibiotics, and cough
medicine. Antibiotics kill the bacteria spreading infection.
Even though the patient may respond positively to treatment, Kolditz and Ewig (2017)
explain that the feelings of weakness may persist for a while. There are also chances of the
patient taking long to respond to medications. Mattila et al. (2017) explain that since it may take
time for the doctor to determine the specific type of bacteria causing the infection, doctors may
prescribe another type of antibiotic if the infection persists. During the recovery process, it is
recommended that the patient stays hydrated by drinking a lot of water and resting enough to
allow the immune system to fight the infection. The patient should not carry out heavy tasks until
the temperature has returned to normal.