Pneumonia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

• Pneumonia is an infection in the lung tissue that causes inflammation and makes it harder to breathe.
• Air travels down the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles to reach alveoli for gas exchange.
• Alveoli are tiny air sacs surrounded by capillaries, where oxygen enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is exhaled.
• Microbes can enter the lungs, but our bodies have protective mechanisms like coughing and macrophages.
• Some microbes, like influenza or streptococcus pneumoniae, can overcome these defenses and cause pneumonia.
• Pneumonia can be categorized based on where it's acquired or how it manifests in the lungs.
• Community-acquired pneumonia happens outside of hospitals, hospital-acquired pneumonia occurs in patients already hospitalized.
• Ventilator-associated pneumonia develops when individuals connected to ventilators inhale bacteria from contaminated equipment.
• Aspiration pneumonia occurs when foreign matter, like food or liquids, is inhaled instead of swallowed.
• Bronchopneumonia involves infection throughout the lungs, interstitial pneumonia affects the interstitium outside the alveoli, and lobar pneumonia causes consolidation of an entire lobe.
• Symptoms include dyspnea, chest pain, and cough producing pus or bloody sputum, as well as systemic symptoms like fatigue and fever.
• Diagnosis is based on symptoms, chest X-rays, and lung function tests.
• Treatment includes antibiotics, cough suppressants, and pain medications.

Test your knowledge about pneumonia, an infection in the lung tissue that causes inflammation and interferes with breathing. Learn about its causes, protective mechanisms, categorization, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.