Triggers and causes of pneumonia

by Groshan Fabiola

Pneumonia is the inflammation of the lungs usually triggered by viruses, bacteria or fungi. It can result as a complication of an earlier infection of the respiratory system and usually goes off when the body's immune system is weakened by common viral infections such as those caused by Influenza.

There are many clinical types of pneumonia according to the localization of the infection; when the illness only affects one pulmonary lobe it is called lobar pneumonia, when the pneumonia involves the bronchia, it can affect both lungs.

Pneumonia associated or caused by the virus Influenza is known to be the seventh cause of death among the population of the USA. Most affected by pulmonary infections are elder persons of 65 and over; about 715000 cases of pneumonia are registered in female patients every year in America while the male number of pneumonia patient is about 680000 per year.

The most often encountered cause of fungal pneumonia is triggered by Pneumocystis carinii and is mostly seen in persons with a weak immune system very often due to the HIV infection. Some related disease of the pulmonary system like tuberculosis can also be responsible for the occurrence of pneumonia. An also commonly encountered cause of pneumonia is the inhalation of food, gases, liquids or even dust.

In spite of the mentioned triggers, the most common cause of pneumonias all over the world is viruses affecting especially young persons. Viral infections are usually due to the respiratory syncitial virus and have similar symptoms with conditions caused by the virus Influenza. The usual symptoms of viral pneumonia are fever, headaches, dry cough, muscle pains, weakness and increasing breathing difficulties.

Most of the bacterial-linked cases of pneumonia are triggered by Streptococcus Pneumoniae especially active when the body' immune system is weakened. This type of pneumonia can produce major damages to the entire organism due to the high potential of the bacteria to multiply and spread to the brain causing meningitis or to the bloodstream causing bacteriemia. The onset of bacterial pneumonia can be sudden or prolonged and will debutate with symptoms like chills, chest pains, cough with rust colored or greenish mucus, tachycardia and increased breathing rate. Also causing pneumonia are small Mycoplasmas evolving with violent attacks and sparse whitish mucus.

Most of the pneumonia cases have no actual treatment; bacterial ones can be cured with antibiotics but a developing resistance is also possible after the ant biotherapy. A vaccine against bacterial pneumonia is also available but its action is only guaranteed for about 80% of the healthy population. Influenza vaccination is also recommended as the two illnesses are linked with each other in many cases.


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