| Pneumonia refers to lung inflammation. There | | | | pneumophilia. |
| are 50 such lung inflammatory ailments. | | | | |
| During such situations, the lungs inevitably | | | | PNEUMONIA FORMS |
| experience build up of fluids. Several | | | | |
| micro-organisms cause pneumonia. Pneumonic | | | | There are basically three forms of pneumonia. |
| inflammation of the lungs occurs due to | | | | They are atypical pneumonia caused by |
| collection of cellular wastes and blood cells | | | | Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a mono cell organism |
| within the air sacs within the lungs. Such | | | | lacking nucleus; the pneumonia caused by the |
| pneumonic inflammation creates breathing | | | | harmless protozoan Pneumocystis carinii; and |
| problems. | | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae. Atypical pneumonia: |
| | | | This is a common type of pneumonia. Outbreaks |
| KNOWING PNEUMONIA | | | | of such forms of pneumonia are generally |
| | | | witnessed among students in educational |
| Pneumonia refers to lung inflammation. There | | | | institutions and also among soldiers. |
| are 50 such lung inflammatory ailments. | | | | Normally, atypical pneumonia resolves by |
| During such situations, the lungs inevitably | | | | itself. However, antibiotics can also bring |
| experience build up of fluids. Several | | | | about relief. It is caused by a minute |
| micro-organisms cause pneumonia. Pneumonic | | | | prokaryotic organism known as Mycoplasma |
| inflammation of the lungs occurs due to | | | | pneumoniae. This single-celled micro organism |
| collection of cellular wastes and blood cells | | | | is neither a virus nor a bacterium. |
| within the air sacs within the lungs. Such | | | | Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia: This form of |
| pneumonic inflammation creates breathing | | | | pneumonia is caused by the protozoan |
| problems. | | | | Pneumocystis carinii. This micro organism is |
| | | | usually harmless. Such pneumonic incidences |
| PNEUMONIA CAUSES | | | | are common among people suffering from |
| | | | impaired immune syndromes or also among many |
| Pneumonia is caused by infections. The | | | | leukemia patients. This form of pneumonia has |
| culprits responsible for causing such | | | | been the primary cause of deaths among people |
| pneumonic infections are protozoa or fungi, | | | | suffering from AIDS (Acquired |
| mycoplasma, rickettsia, and bacteria. | | | | Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). |
| Respiratory infections caused by | | | | |
| rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, and influenza | | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae: Chlamydia pneumoniae is |
| virus can also lead to pneumonia. Most of the | | | | a contagious ailment caused by the Chlamydia |
| viral pneumonia cases are mild. They also | | | | set of bacteria. Chlamydia pneumoniae affects |
| resolve within a week's time with or without | | | | the upper respiratory tract. Chlamydia |
| any particular treatment. | | | | pneumoniae infections can also strike the |
| | | | bronchitis, pneumonitis, and the pharyngitis. |
| HOW DANGEROUS CAN PNEUMONIA BE | | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae can also lead to heart |
| | | | attacks and coronary heart diseases. Besides |
| Every year, 90,000 deaths are reported to be | | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae, the other two species |
| because of pneumonia in the United States. | | | | of Chlamydia bacteria are Chlamydia psittaci |
| What is more, approximately five million | | | | and Chlamydia trachomatis. |
| pneumonia cases are registered in that | | | | |
| country. | | | | THE SECOND MAIN CAUSE OF DEATH IN USA |
| | | | |
| PNEUMONIA CAN BE LIFE THREATENING | | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae has been identified as |
| | | | the second main cause of pneumonia in US. |
| If detected early, a person with a good | | | | Anybody between the ages of five to 35 can be |
| constitution and proper treatment can recover | | | | affected by Chlamydia pneumoniae. The |
| quickly from an influenza bout. However, | | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae bouts are usually mild |
| acute pneumonia attacks can be life | | | | in nature. The Chlamydia pneumoniae symptoms |
| threatening as well. More often than not, | | | | are fever and cough. At times, there can be |
| pneumonia can prove to be fatal to patients | | | | more sputum production. Sputum is a mixture |
| having weak immune systems. Even healthy | | | | of various mucus and saliva. It arises from |
| persons can have complicacies if pneumonia is | | | | the respiratory tracts. |
| not detected early. There can be serious | | | | |
| consequences if pneumonia patients fail to | | | | CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE SYMPTOMS |
| get effective and prompt treatment. | | | | |
| | | | The Chlamydia pneumoniae symptoms may not be |
| LOBAR PNEUMONIA | | | | very visible initially. Or, at times, the |
| | | | Chlamydia pneumoniae signs may also point to |
| Lobar pneumonia is an acute form of | | | | the other forms of Chlamydia dysfunctions. |
| infection. It is caused by the Pneumococcus | | | | One type is the chlamydia type of illnesses |
| bacterium. The generic name of this bacterium | | | | caused by various strains of the trachomatis |
| is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Lobar pneumonia | | | | species. Another severe type of chlamydia |
| usually follows an extreme form of viral | | | | disease is caused by a strain of the |
| respiratory infection, particularly of the | | | | fly-borne Chlamydia trachomatis. |
| upper respiratory tract. The symptoms of | | | | |
| lobar pneumonia are chest pain during | | | | DIAGNOSING CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE |
| breathing, or cough and fever accompanied by | | | | |
| chill and shaking. The patient's body | | | | To diagnose Chlamydia pneumoniae infections, |
| temperature hovers around 104° F (roughly | | | | patients generally have to undergo various |
| 40° C). The sputum is blood streaked. | | | | tests. These include cell cultures that |
| Notably, most of the deaths before the | | | | exclude other illnesses with similar |
| invention of antibiotics were due to lobar | | | | symptoms. The other ailments having similar |
| pneumonia. Lobar pneumonia generally attacks | | | | symptoms are candidiasis, trichomoniasis, |
| a lung lobe or a portion of it. At times, | | | | herpes, and gonorrhea. The modern method of |
| lobar pneumonia strikes both the lungs; then | | | | diagnosing Chlamydia infections are |
| it is known as double pneumonia. | | | | immunoassays blood tests. These examinations |
| | | | pinpoint the specific antibody that may have |
| DIFFERENT TYPES OF BACTERIAL PNEUMONIAS | | | | been constituted by the patient's immune |
| | | | system against chlamydia infection. In 1939, |
| Besides the Streptococcus pneumoniae, the | | | | major advances were made in pneumonia |
| other bacterial pneumonias fall in the | | | | therapy. Their wider application lowered |
| bronchopneumonias category. Bronchopneumonias | | | | pneumonia from the third to the fifth leading |
| fever is lower compared to the one | | | | cause of death in the USA. |
| experienced in Streptococcus pneumoniae. | | | | |
| Moreover, bronchopneumonias symptoms appear | | | | TREATING PNEUMONIA |
| slower than the Streptococcus pneumoniae | | | | |
| signs. The bronchopneumonias primarily target | | | | More often than not, antibiotics effectively |
| the bronchial tubes known as the bronchioles. | | | | deal with the majority forms of bacterial |
| Since these small tubes are located nearest | | | | pneumonia. For patients above 50 years, and |
| the lungs, they may become rather dangerous. | | | | for those suffering from the most acute types |
| The bacteria that can cause bronchopneumonias | | | | of pneumococcus, physicians generally |
| are streptococci, different types of | | | | recommend a vaccine. It also grants the |
| staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae, | | | | people immunity against these virulent |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae, and pneumococcus | | | | pneumonia states. The vaccine is further |
| besides the bacterium causing the | | | | given as an immunity measure to patients who |
| Legionnaires' disease, namely Legionella | | | | have chronic liver, lung or heart ailments. |