TUESDAY, DAY 2
DISEASES AND AILMENTS
Until 1936, pneumonia was the number one cause of death in the United States. In most cases, an infection spreads to the lungs, causing them to become inflamed. As a result, pus fills the air sacs, and oxygen levels fall. This oxygen shortage coupled with a spreading infection can have a lethal effect. But, thanks to the advent of infection-stopping antibiotics, pneumonia is now usually an easily curable condition, taking the lives of only 60,000 people a year.
Although most cases start off as a cough and fever, symptoms can vary depending on what type of infection causes the illness. Viral infections, with their flulike symptoms and clear or white phlegm, lead to half of all cases of pneumonia. Viruses lead to an excess of fluid in the respiratory system, creating an environment where bacteria can grow. As a result, secondary bacterial pneumonia can develop, causing a high fever, chills, sweating, and a cough with yellow- or green-tinted phlegm. One strain in particular, Streptococcus pneumoniae, is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. In 1977, a vaccine that protects against this bacteria was released; itβs now recommended for at-risk groups, such as the chronically ill and the elderly.
In mycoplasmal pneumonia, tiny pathogen called mycoplasma leads to mild flulike symptoms. Because some people with these symptoms feel well enough to go about their daily lives, this type is often called walking pneumonia. Less common are fungal pneumonia, which causes mild to serious symptoms, and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which strikes people with compromised immune systems and leads to cough, fever, and shortness of breath.
To diagnose the condition, a physician will use a stethoscope to listen to your breathing. He or she may also request a chest x-ray to diagnose and determine the extent of the infection. Bacterial pneumonias are often confined to one lobe of the lung and are called lobar, while cases that affect both lungs are called double pneumonia.