What is Pneumonia?

For many people, the first thing that pops to their mind when they hear the word pneumonia is that it sounds nothing like it is spelt. This is very true in my opinion, but more importantly you should know that pneumonia can be a very serious illness and potentially deadly. It is an infection in one or both lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Did you know that over 3 million people in the United States develop pneumonia each year? And 5% of these people will die from it. I bet you didn’t know that it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States either. Well don’t get too scared because in most cases the body’s immune system fights off pneumonia and your back to normal within a decent amount of time.

Pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in your mouth, throat, or nose enter your lung. If a person is in a healthy state, their immune system will prevent bacteria or viruses from causing pneumonia in the first place. However, if the person is already experiencing an illness like a cold, pneumonia will develop and invade their body. When the harmful organisms enter the lung, they nestle in the air sacs and passages where the rapidly multiply. The body attempts to fight off the infection and as a result, the lung becomes filled with fluid and puss.

The signs and symptoms an individual will experience when they have pneumonia is a cold with excessive coughing and a sore throat, shaking chills, a high fever, bloody sputum and shortness of breath. Chest pain may occur as well if the outer parts of the lung are infected. This pain is sharp and get worse when taking a deep breath.
People who have had recent viral infections, lung disease, heart disease, swallowing problems, strokes or seizures are at a higher risk for developing pneumonia. Individuals who are alcoholics or drug users are more prone to it as well.

As you can see, pneumonia is more that just a funny spelt word. It can be very serious and potentially life threatening. Many people who have pneumonia just think they are experiencing a really bad cold. For that reason, you should never hesitate to see a doctor even when you think it’s “just a cold”.


http://www.medicinenet.com/pneumonia/article.htm
#18 (coolest person ever)