Have you ever thought how precious every single breath is? Every beat, gives life to millions yet pneumonia remains a silent killer taking hundred of lives at the same time. Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that effects people of all ages particularly children under five. It is recognized as one of the most significant and leading cause of death worldwide.
According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) over 1,400 out of 100,000 children under five have pneumonia each year, which is approximately 1 case for every 71 children per year.
Pneumonia occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi infiltrates the lungs causing inflammation and fluid buildup, making it difficult to breath and for oxygen to transfer effectively.
Pneumonia is often misunderstood as its early symptoms resemble to those of flu, or common cold which results in confusion and delay of proper treatment. Unlike flu or common cold, pneumonia causes severe difficulty in breathing, muscle pain, consistent high fever, cough – producing mucus that maybe green, yellow or red, weakness and fatigue, shaking chills, rapid-shallow breathing, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
Apart from microorganisms it is also influenced by environmental factors, such as: exposure to polluted air, toxic fumes, poor nutrition, weakened immune system, smoke, and poor ventilation.
This can lead to severe complications such as respiratory failure, pleural effusion, sepsis, lung abscesses, and kidney failure , if early diagnosis and treatment is not received.
Early diagnosis is very crucial as it directly affects treatment, reducing the risk of serious conditions, helping the healthcare providers to identify the root causes and provide immediate medical attention. This helps to reduce the risks of life-threatening effects.
The diagnosis of pneumonia involves various steps, from medical history to physical examination of the patient, performing diagnostic tests if pneumonia is suspected like, chest x-ray, CT scan, blood tests, sputum test, and pulse oximetry. However, If the patient is at higher risk conditions further tests such as pleural fluid culture, arterial blood gas tests (ABG), and echo-cardiogram (ECG) are also conducted.
In order to prevent pneumonia, the first line of defense is vaccination, which does not eliminate but reduces and protects people from high risk of getting this disease. Such as, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) which protects children and adults of age 65 and older from serious infections of 13 kinds of bacteria, and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) recommended for adults over age of 65 who have already received the PCV13 vaccine, protects them against 23 kinds of bacteria.
The other best way of prevention is washing hands thoroughly to avoid transferring of infectious organisms like bacteria, viruses and fungi into your respiratory system. Avoid being in crowded places unnecessarily, or in contact with people who are sick as most of the respiratory infections are spread through tiny particles in the air that can we transferred by water droplets through sneezing or even coughing.
The diagnosis of pneumonia involves various steps, from medical history to physical examination of the patient, performing diagnostic tests if pneumonia is suspected like, chest x-ray, CT scan, blood tests, sputum test, and pulse oximetry. However, If the patient is at higher risk conditions further tests such as pleural fluid culture, arterial blood gas tests (ABG), and echo-cardiogram (ECG) are also conducted.
Along with this, smoking cessation, living a healthy lifestyle with proper balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise can help resist infections that can cause pneumonia. In addition, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life can help to prevent childhood pneumonia.
However, despite of preventing measures millions of people still develop this infection each year. Therefore, proper treatment becomes very crucial to prevent illness and life-threatening consequences. This includes medical treatment through antibiotics – to treat bacterial pneumonia, anti-fungal medication- for treatment of fungal infections, pain relievers, and oxygen therapy. Drinking plenty of water, proper rest and healthy nutrition is also very essential and effective for recovery.
The patients having severe symptoms seek hospitalization where they receive proper treatment and are continuously monitored to stabilize their condition. Although prevention and treatment plays a vital role in reducing the infection but to fight and defeat pneumonia, awareness, collective efforts and actions are needed beyond individual care, from governments, healthcare organizations and communities to overcome the adverse effects of this silent killer.
Every year thousands of people especially children under five lost their lives because vaccines, and other medical facilities are out of reach mainly in rural areas. To overcome this, the government should take measures for the availability of resources in rural areas too, in order to save lives surviving for a beat.
Health care organizations and communities should work together to raise awareness among people, recognizing the infection and seeking early medical help. As pneumonia continues to threaten millions, eliminating it requires united actions. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” These words captures the spirit and compassion needed to overcome this challenge.
Let pneumonia no longer be a disease we neglect, but a test, a reminder of our collective efforts, compassion, kindness and determination to make sure that every child, every family, and every community has the right to breath, and every breath, no matter where taken, is a breath of life, not of struggle.
