Pneumonia

=__**Pneumonia**__ = = Pneumonia is a inflammation of the lungs with congestion = - Characterized by fever, a cough with blood-tinged phlegm, and difficult breathing.

 What organism causes the disease? The disease we know as pneumonia, is caused by the the organism streptococcus pneumoniae. In this form of pneumonia, there is usually an abrupt onset of the illness with shaking chills, fever, and production of a rust colored sputum.

 What kind of organism is it? Streptococcus pneumoniae is known to be a bacterial organism, but viruses, and mycoplasmas (the lack of cell walls of typical bacteria) are to blame for pneumonia cases as well.

 What are the effects? The effects of Pneumonia vary as shown. It is an infection that settles in one lung or targets both. When this occurs the lung tissue becomes inflamed, and the microscopic air sacs fill with liquid. The combination of fluid and swelling is very dangerous since it can hinder the movement of oxygen into the bloodstream.

Chemical pneumonia is the inflammation of the lung tissue from poisons or toxins. Only a small percentage of pneumonia's are caused by chemicals.

Symptoms:
 * Intense cough, fever, shaking chills, production of a rust colored sputum, and fatigue.
 * Some types mimic a cold and include muscle aches, sore throats, and headache.
 *  Serious cases will cause chest pain, a racing pulse, and breathles sness.

Treatment: <span style="color: #e82685; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">For viruses: Viruses usually form milder cases of pneumonia than bacterial cases do. A viral pneumonia will most likely clear up on its own within a week or two. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> However, the fact that pneumonia affects your lungs, a viral case should not be ignored. Treat your symptoms as a common flu -- get plenty of rest, drink fluids, and take steamy showers to loosen up the gunk in your lungs. Over-the-counter medicines, contribute affectively to manage fevers, aches and pains, and of course a cough.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: #e82685; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">For bacteria: Bacterial forms of pneumonia are much more serious and should be taken with many more considerations, seeing that it can lead to long-term complications. Fortunately, antibiotics can successfully help treat it. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Antibiotics are widely used for treatment against pneumonia. Such as penicillin, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, and macrolide antibiotics, including erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> Penicillin is formally the antibiotic of choice when treating pneumonia. However, with the view of antibiotics and the widespread use of a broader-spectrum, drug resistance has developed significantly. Although penicillin may still be the effective treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia it should only be used after cultures of the bacteria confirm their sensitivity to this antibiotic.



How is it transmitted? The germs that cause pneumonia are usually found in the mouth and nose of the infected person. Either by air, or simply touching a contaminated surface, germs spread fast and easily. The germs then enter the person's body by entrance from mouth, eyes, or nose. When this occurs, a battle begins. The persons immune system tries to kill the germs, while the germs repetitively try to multiply, creating this battle.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> How to prevent it? The best way to prevent <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">pneumonia is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can do this by simply eating right, washing your hands and staying away from infected persons. This will all effectively help build a stronger immune. Luckily, vaccines take into play for more serious situations, and actions. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Vaccines are shown as followed:
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**pneumococcal conjugate vaccine**- recommended for all children below two years of age and children from two to four years of age who have certain medical conditions,
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">**pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine**- recommended for adults at increased risk for developing pneumococcal pneumonia. This includes elderly, people with diabetes, chronic heart, or kidney disease.

<span style="color: #e82685; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Bibliography: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">http://www.medicinenet.com/pneumonia/page3.htm <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/preventive-care/how-to-prevent-respiratory-infections3.htm