A terrifying 'disease' far beyond the common cold... the leading cause of death among Koreans

 

Persistent cough, phlegm, and high fever lasting several days may indicate pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a disease characterized by inflammation in the lungs caused by microbial infection or irritation from chemicals or radiation. It is classified into infectious and non-infectious types depending on the cause. Infectious pneumonia is caused by microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or tuberculosis bacteria, while non-infectious pneumonia occurs after radiation therapy or exposure to chemical drugs.

When inflammation occurs in the lungs, an increase in sputum occurs, leading to coughing to expel it, and hemoptysis may occur due to bleeding caused by the inflammation. If the inflammation spreads to the pleura surrounding the lungs, the pleura may be irritated during inhalation, causing chest pain. As the lung inflammation worsens or as pleural effusion caused by pleuritis increases, shortness of breath may occur. Systemic reactions can include high fever, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea.

Professor Jeong Ji-ye of the Department of Pulmonology at Severance Hospital said, "If respiratory symptoms such as cough or phlegm are accompanied by high fever that persists for several days, pneumonia should be suspected," and added, "However, there are causative microorganisms that do not show these typical pneumonia symptoms, and especially in the elderly or immunocompromised individuals, symptoms may not appear, leading to many cases where pneumonia diagnosis is delayed."

Pneumonia can be most easily confirmed through chest X-ray imaging, and chest computed tomography scans are also performed to examine the shape and extent of inflammation as well as complications. Additionally, sputum culture tests and serological tests of blood and urine are conducted to identify the causative microorganisms responsible for pneumonia.

Pneumonia is treated by selecting appropriate antibiotics based on the causative microorganism. Professor Jeong Ji-ye said, "Generally, mild pneumonia is treated with antibiotics for 1 to 2 weeks, and the duration varies greatly depending on the causative microorganism and the severity of the pneumonia," and added, "When the amount of pleural effusion increases too much, causing respiratory distress, or when it progresses to empyema, inserting a chest tube to drain the pleural effusion and empyema can be helpful." If the problem cannot be resolved well with a chest tube, thoracoscopic decortication surgery may be performed under general anesthesia. When symptoms worsen, leading to respiratory distress or hypoxemia, and spontaneous breathing becomes difficult, assistance with a ventilator is necessary.

If there is no improvement after about two weeks of appropriate antibiotic treatment following a pneumonia diagnosis, other causes should be suspected. The antibiotics being used may not be suitable for the causative microorganism, or the causative microorganism may be uncommon, or structural defects in the lungs may slow the recovery process. Professor Jeong Ji-ye said, "Since Korea has a high prevalence of tuberculosis, pulmonary tuberculosis should be suspected, and if there is a history of smoking or a family history of cancer, the possibility of lung cancer should also be considered."

The most important ways to prevent pneumonia are regular exercise, proper intake of balanced nutrients, and avoiding overexertion. Additionally, getting vaccinated is also a good method. Vaccinations include the annual flu shot recommended every fall and the pneumococcal vaccine recommended for adults over 50.

Flu vaccination or pneumococcal vaccination does not completely prevent pneumonia, but it reduces the frequency of infection and the progression to severe pneumonia when infected. Additionally, the pneumococcal vaccine is not a vaccine for all types of pneumonia but is targeted against pneumococcus, one of the many microorganisms that can cause pneumonia. Therefore, even after vaccination, prevention should not be neglected, and ongoing health management is necessary.

Elderly people often experience choking during meals. The frequency is especially high if they have had a stroke, neurological disorders, or muscular diseases. Choking is a sudden cough that occurs as a defensive response when food or saliva enters the airway instead of the esophagus. When saliva or food repeatedly enters the airway and lungs, various microorganisms from the mouth can also be inhaled, leading to pneumonia. This is called aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, it is important to change habits such as eating quickly, drinking rice porridge with water or soup in a slurping manner, or swallowing without chewing, to prevent choking.