The Doctors: Who Is At Risk For Pneumonia?
On The Doctors, a 56-year-old man named Butch shared that he recently caught pneumonia. He had a fever, severe headache, and fluid in his lungs. He was hospitalized for a week and now wants to know if there’s anything he can do to prevent that from happening again. The Doctors welcomed Dr Freda Lewis-Hall from Pfizer, as well as Butch. Dr Freda said Butch found out the hard way that pneumonia is a serious condition. She said over a million hospitalizations are caused by pneumonia in the U.S., and it’s still a leading cause of death.
The Doctors discussed everything you need to know about pneumonia, including risk factors and symptoms. (Sebastian Kaulitzki / Shutterstock.com)
You can get Pneumonia if you’re anyone, anywhere, whether you’re elderly or young, in a hospital or in your own home. The most common kind of pneumonia is called Community-Acquired Pneumonia which can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and other fungi. When you first get pneumonia, you may start with a cough. But pneumonia causes fluid buildup in the lungs and your bodies immune response builds up, and eventually it can become more difficult to breathe.
The Drs TV: Risk Factors For Pneumonia
If you’re not elderly and you’ve returned to full health after getting pneumonia, you are at no greater risk of getting it again. There are certainly risk factors for getting pneumonia which include age, smoking, and having a cold or flu, as well as chronic illnesses like COPD, asthma, heart disease, liver cirrhosis, or diabetes. You may be at a greater risk of getting pneumonia as well as contracting a more serious form of pneumonia.
The Doctors: Symptoms Of Pneumonia
Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, cough, chills, loss of appetite, and generalized weakness, which sound like general cold and flu symptoms. So to tell them apart, you should notice if the illness seems to be lingering, or if you feel faint, or have shallow and fast breathing. Also, chest pain or heaviness and coughing up mucus mixed with blood could all be signs that you’re suffering from pneumonia.
Dr Stork said you can’t always tell the difference, so if you have these symptoms, see a doctor right away. Of course, eat right, exercise, and wash your hands regularly. Also ask your doctor if there are any vaccinations available to you.
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