figganigga
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 17, 2010
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Je ugonjwa wa Pneumonia (Nimonia) ni nini?
Pneumonia ni maambukizi katika viriba ya hewa katika pafu moja au mapafu yote. Viriba hivi vya hewa huweza kujaa maji au usaha na kusababisha mgonjwa kukohoa, homa kali na kupumua kwa shida. Pneumonia hubebwa na bakteria, virusi au fangasi.
Pneumonia inaweza kuwa ya kawaida na ikapona lakini wakati mwingine huwa ni tishio kwa uhai na huweza kuleta kifo kama ambavyo tumeona kwa ndugu yetu Agnes (Masogange). Ugonjwa huu mara nyingi huwapata watoto wadogo au watu wenye umri zaidi ya miaka 65 lakini pia huweza kuwapata watu ambao mfumo wao wa kinga mwilini umeshambuliwa na magonjwa nyemelezi.
Dalili
Dalili ziko mbalimbali na hutofautiana toka dalili za awali hadi zile ambazo ni kubwa zaidi. Tofauti ya dalili wakati mwingine haisababishwi na muda tu ambao mgonjwa ameugua bali pia nini kimesababisha, umri wa mgonjwa na kinga yake ya mwili kwa ujumla. Dalili za kati kawaida huwa kama za mafua au kikohozi lakini hudumu kwa muda mrefu.
Dalili huweza kuwa:
Watoto wachanga wanaweza wasionyeshe dalili zozote za maambukizi. Au wanaweza kutapika na kuwa na homa na kukohoa, na kuwa hawajatulia, kuishiwa nguvu na kushindwa kupumua au kula.
Muda gani umuone daktari?
Muone daktari mara moja unapoona una shida ya kupumua, maumivu ya kifua, homa isiyoisha (Nyuzi joto za mwili 39 za Celcius au zaidi) au kukohoa kusikokoma.
Ni vyema zaidi pia kwa watu wenye hali hizo hapo juu kumuona daktari hasa:
Sababu kubwa huwa ni bakteria ambao wako katika hewa tunayovuta. Kawaida kila siku unavuta bakteria hawa lakini mwili unajilinda ili wasilete tatizo katika mapafu yako. Lakini wakati mwingine vimelea hivi huizidi nguvu kinga yako ya mwili, wakati mwingine mwingine hata kama afya yako ni nzuri.
Pneumonia huwekwa katika makundi kulingana na vimelea (germs) ambao wameisababisha. Inaweza kuwa Pneumonia ya Bakteria, Virusi au Fangasi. Hizo za hayo makundi matatu kwa pamoja pia huitwa pneumonia inayopatikana toka kwenye jamii (community acquired pneumonia).
Aina nyingine ni Pneumonia inayopatika toka hospitali (hospital acquired pneumonia). Hii hupatikana wakati mwingine mtu anapokuwa amelazwa hospitali. Hii wakati mwingine ni ngumu kupona kwa sababu unaambukizwa toka kwa watu ambao tayari wako katika matibabu na bakteria wake ni ngumu kumalizika kwa dawa (anti-biotics).
Jilinde
======
Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.
Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. Pneumonia killed 808 694 children under the age of 5 in 2017, accounting for 15% of all deaths of children under five years old. Pneumonia affects children and families everywhere, but is most prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Children can be protected from pneumonia, it can be prevented with simple interventions, and treated with low-cost, low-tech medication and care.
Causes
Pneumonia is caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. The most common are:
Pneumonia can be spread in a number of ways. The viruses and bacteria that are commonly found in a child's nose or throat, can infect the lungs if they are inhaled. They may also spread via air-borne droplets from a cough or sneeze. In addition, pneumonia may spread through blood, especially during and shortly after birth. More research needs to be done on the different pathogens causing pneumonia and the ways they are transmitted, as this is of critical importance for treatment and prevention.
Presenting features
The presenting features of viral and bacterial pneumonia are similar. However, the symptoms of viral pneumonia may be more numerous than the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia. In children under 5 years of age, who have cough and/or difficult breathing, with or without fever, pneumonia is diagnosed by the presence of either fast breathing or lower chest wall indrawing where their chest moves in or retracts during inhalation (in a healthy person, the chest expands during inhalation). Wheezing is more common in viral infections.
Very severely ill infants may be unable to feed or drink and may also experience unconsciousness, hypothermia and convulsions.
Risk factors
While most healthy children can fight the infection with their natural defences, children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. A child's immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breastfed.
Pre-existing illnesses, such as symptomatic HIV infections and measles, also increase a child's risk of contracting pneumonia.
The following environmental factors also increase a child's susceptibility to pneumonia:
Pneumonia should be treated with antibiotics. The antibiotic of choice is amoxicillin dispersible tablets. Most cases of pneumonia require oral antibiotics, which are often prescribed at a health centre. These cases can also be diagnosed and treated with inexpensive oral antibiotics at the community level by trained community health workers. Hospitalization is recommended only for severe cases of pneumonia.
Prevention
Preventing pneumonia in children is an essential component of a strategy to reduce child mortality. Immunization against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough (pertussis) is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia.
Adequate nutrition is key to improving children's natural defences, starting with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. In addition to being effective in preventing pneumonia, it also helps to reduce the length of the illness if a child does become ill.
Addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution (by providing affordable clean indoor stoves, for example) and encouraging good hygiene in crowded homes also reduces the number of children who fall ill with pneumonia.
In children infected with HIV, the antibiotic cotrimoxazole is given daily to decrease the risk of contracting pneumonia.
Economic costs
The cost of antibiotic treatment for all children with pneumonia in 66 of the countdown to 2015 countries for maternal, newborn and child survival is estimated at around US$ 109 million per year. The price includes the antibiotics and diagnostics for pneumonia management.
WHO response
The WHO and UNICEF integrated Global action plan for pneumonia and diarrhoea (GAPPD) aims to accelerate pneumonia control with a combination of interventions to protect, prevent, and treat pneumonia in children with actions to:
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
======
Pneumonia in Children
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia claims the life of a child every 20 seconds and accounts for 16 percent of all deaths of children under age 5.
While 99 percent of pneumonia-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, it's still important to recognize how the symptoms show up in children.
Unlike adults, children who have pneumonia may not experience a nagging cough or fever, and may have signs of infection that are much more subtle.
They also are at greater risk of contracting the disease because their immune systems aren't fully developed.
“While most healthy children can fight the infection with their natural defenses, children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia,” according to the WHO. “A child's immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breast-fed.”
Overall, pneumonia symptoms vary according to age, but there are a number of clues that can help you recognize when your child has more than a bad cold.
“Age makes a big difference, as well as a person’s immune status … and, of course, the symptoms themselves,” which often mimic those of a cold or flu, says Marie Budev, MD, a pulmonologist and the medical director of the lung transplant program at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Michelle Barron, MD, an associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at University of Colorado in Denver, agrees that being young and in good health doesn’t mean you’re immune to pneumonia — just the opposite, in fact.
“There’s an interesting paradox where if you’re young and healthy, your immune system can go into overload,” says Dr. Barron. “Your immune system is like an elite military constantly guarding you and looking for things. If they recognize invaders, they attack.”
When there’s a “big immune-system response,” chemicals released to fight the infection can cause severe inflammation throughout the body and potential organ damage. “Your body can control the response most of the time,” says Barron. “But, if not, you can end up with collateral damage.”
Mild Pneumonia in Children
Pneumonia that is caused by certain bacteria, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, usually results in milder symptoms, even in children.
This type of pneumonia, known as atypical or walking pneumonia, is prevalent among school-age children.
Children with walking pneumonia may not feel sick enough to stay home, but they could have the following symptoms:
That's because the bacteria that can cause walking pneumonia — which most often develops in late summer and fall — spread from person to person. Outbreaks clearly can occur within groups that have close contact, such as schools or camps, and kids who are exposed to these germs while they're at school often bring the illness home.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections can cause a number of symptoms, including fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, skin rash, cough, and ear infections.
Fortunately, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections respond well to antibiotic treatment, and they are rarely serious. People who have had the infection develop some level of immunity, but a subsequent infection is possible.
Moderate Pneumonia in Children
Viruses cause most cases of pneumonia in preschool children between ages 4 and 5.
Affected children will usually have symptoms that are also associated with other viruses, such as:
Bacterial pneumonia is more common among school-age children and teens.
These types of pneumonia often develop more abruptly than a cold or virus and result in more dramatic symptoms, such as:
Newborns and infants may not show typical signs of pneumonia infection.
It may also be difficult to determine if toddlers have the illness because they may not be able to communicate how they feel as well as an older child can.
Still, the following symptoms can indicate that a baby or young child may have pneumonia:
Medical Attention for Children With Pneumonia
Children who have been recently hospitalized, use antibiotics frequently, have asthma or another chronic illness, or haven't been fully vaccinated against certain illnesses — rubeola (measles), chickenpox, pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) infections, or the seasonal flu — are at greater risk for developing pneumonia.
A child who hasn't been vaccinated with Prevnar 13 (PCV13) is also more likely to get pneumonia.
The only way to know for sure if a child has pneumonia is to see a doctor. A pediatrician or family medicine doctor can check for fluid in your child's lungs using a stethoscope or X-rays.
By paying attention to early pneumonia symptoms in children, parents may be able to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Still, pneumonia can progress very quickly among children, particularly infants and those with underlying medical conditions.
Two key signs that a child requires immediate medical attention are:
Source: Everyday Health
Pneumonia ni maambukizi katika viriba ya hewa katika pafu moja au mapafu yote. Viriba hivi vya hewa huweza kujaa maji au usaha na kusababisha mgonjwa kukohoa, homa kali na kupumua kwa shida. Pneumonia hubebwa na bakteria, virusi au fangasi.
Pneumonia inaweza kuwa ya kawaida na ikapona lakini wakati mwingine huwa ni tishio kwa uhai na huweza kuleta kifo kama ambavyo tumeona kwa ndugu yetu Agnes (Masogange). Ugonjwa huu mara nyingi huwapata watoto wadogo au watu wenye umri zaidi ya miaka 65 lakini pia huweza kuwapata watu ambao mfumo wao wa kinga mwilini umeshambuliwa na magonjwa nyemelezi.
Dalili
Dalili ziko mbalimbali na hutofautiana toka dalili za awali hadi zile ambazo ni kubwa zaidi. Tofauti ya dalili wakati mwingine haisababishwi na muda tu ambao mgonjwa ameugua bali pia nini kimesababisha, umri wa mgonjwa na kinga yake ya mwili kwa ujumla. Dalili za kati kawaida huwa kama za mafua au kikohozi lakini hudumu kwa muda mrefu.
Dalili huweza kuwa:
- Maumivu ya kifua unapokohoa au kuhema.
- Kuchanganywa mambo (mental Confusion). Hii mara nyingi hutokea kwa watu ambao wana umri zaidi ya miaka 65.
- Kikohozi kizito
- Uchovu usioisha
- Homa, kutoka jasho na kutetemeka mwili.
- Joto la mwili kushuka kuliko kawaida (hii pia hutokea kwa watu ambao wana umri zaidi ya miaka 65 au wana kinga pungufu ya mwili)
- Kichefuchefu, kutapika na kuharisha.
- Kuishiwa pumzi.
Watoto wachanga wanaweza wasionyeshe dalili zozote za maambukizi. Au wanaweza kutapika na kuwa na homa na kukohoa, na kuwa hawajatulia, kuishiwa nguvu na kushindwa kupumua au kula.
Muda gani umuone daktari?
Muone daktari mara moja unapoona una shida ya kupumua, maumivu ya kifua, homa isiyoisha (Nyuzi joto za mwili 39 za Celcius au zaidi) au kukohoa kusikokoma.
Ni vyema zaidi pia kwa watu wenye hali hizo hapo juu kumuona daktari hasa:
- Kama wana umri zaidi ya miaka 65
- Watoto wadogo wa miaka miwili kushuka chini.
- Watu wenye matatizo mengine ya afya na mfumo wa kinga ambao ni dhaifu
- Watu ambao wana saratani na wanapokea matibabu ya mionzi au dawa nyingine ambazo huweza kuleta tatizo kwa mfumo wa kinga mwilini.
Sababu kubwa huwa ni bakteria ambao wako katika hewa tunayovuta. Kawaida kila siku unavuta bakteria hawa lakini mwili unajilinda ili wasilete tatizo katika mapafu yako. Lakini wakati mwingine vimelea hivi huizidi nguvu kinga yako ya mwili, wakati mwingine mwingine hata kama afya yako ni nzuri.
Pneumonia huwekwa katika makundi kulingana na vimelea (germs) ambao wameisababisha. Inaweza kuwa Pneumonia ya Bakteria, Virusi au Fangasi. Hizo za hayo makundi matatu kwa pamoja pia huitwa pneumonia inayopatikana toka kwenye jamii (community acquired pneumonia).
Aina nyingine ni Pneumonia inayopatika toka hospitali (hospital acquired pneumonia). Hii hupatikana wakati mwingine mtu anapokuwa amelazwa hospitali. Hii wakati mwingine ni ngumu kupona kwa sababu unaambukizwa toka kwa watu ambao tayari wako katika matibabu na bakteria wake ni ngumu kumalizika kwa dawa (anti-biotics).
Jilinde
- Pata chanjo
- Epuka sigara na uvutaji tumbaku wa ujumla
- Tunza mfumo wako wa kinga kwa kuzingatia kanuni za afya
- Tunza usafi
- Watoto wapate chanjo
======
Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.
Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide. Pneumonia killed 808 694 children under the age of 5 in 2017, accounting for 15% of all deaths of children under five years old. Pneumonia affects children and families everywhere, but is most prevalent in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Children can be protected from pneumonia, it can be prevented with simple interventions, and treated with low-cost, low-tech medication and care.
Causes
Pneumonia is caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and fungi. The most common are:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae – the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in children;
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) – the second most common cause of bacterial pneumonia;
- respiratory syncytial virus is the most common viral cause of pneumonia;
- in infants infected with HIV, Pneumocystis jiroveci is one of the most common causes of pneumonia, responsible for at least one quarter of all pneumonia deaths in HIV-infected infants.
Pneumonia can be spread in a number of ways. The viruses and bacteria that are commonly found in a child's nose or throat, can infect the lungs if they are inhaled. They may also spread via air-borne droplets from a cough or sneeze. In addition, pneumonia may spread through blood, especially during and shortly after birth. More research needs to be done on the different pathogens causing pneumonia and the ways they are transmitted, as this is of critical importance for treatment and prevention.
Presenting features
The presenting features of viral and bacterial pneumonia are similar. However, the symptoms of viral pneumonia may be more numerous than the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia. In children under 5 years of age, who have cough and/or difficult breathing, with or without fever, pneumonia is diagnosed by the presence of either fast breathing or lower chest wall indrawing where their chest moves in or retracts during inhalation (in a healthy person, the chest expands during inhalation). Wheezing is more common in viral infections.
Very severely ill infants may be unable to feed or drink and may also experience unconsciousness, hypothermia and convulsions.
Risk factors
While most healthy children can fight the infection with their natural defences, children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. A child's immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breastfed.
Pre-existing illnesses, such as symptomatic HIV infections and measles, also increase a child's risk of contracting pneumonia.
The following environmental factors also increase a child's susceptibility to pneumonia:
- indoor air pollution caused by cooking and heating with biomass fuels (such as wood or dung)
- living in crowded homes
- parental smoking.
Pneumonia should be treated with antibiotics. The antibiotic of choice is amoxicillin dispersible tablets. Most cases of pneumonia require oral antibiotics, which are often prescribed at a health centre. These cases can also be diagnosed and treated with inexpensive oral antibiotics at the community level by trained community health workers. Hospitalization is recommended only for severe cases of pneumonia.
Prevention
Preventing pneumonia in children is an essential component of a strategy to reduce child mortality. Immunization against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough (pertussis) is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia.
Adequate nutrition is key to improving children's natural defences, starting with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. In addition to being effective in preventing pneumonia, it also helps to reduce the length of the illness if a child does become ill.
Addressing environmental factors such as indoor air pollution (by providing affordable clean indoor stoves, for example) and encouraging good hygiene in crowded homes also reduces the number of children who fall ill with pneumonia.
In children infected with HIV, the antibiotic cotrimoxazole is given daily to decrease the risk of contracting pneumonia.
Economic costs
The cost of antibiotic treatment for all children with pneumonia in 66 of the countdown to 2015 countries for maternal, newborn and child survival is estimated at around US$ 109 million per year. The price includes the antibiotics and diagnostics for pneumonia management.
WHO response
The WHO and UNICEF integrated Global action plan for pneumonia and diarrhoea (GAPPD) aims to accelerate pneumonia control with a combination of interventions to protect, prevent, and treat pneumonia in children with actions to:
- protect children from pneumonia including promoting exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding;
- prevent pneumonia with vaccinations, hand washing with soap, reducing household air pollution, HIV prevention and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for HIV-infected and exposed children;
- treat pneumonia focusing on making sure that every sick child has access to the right kind of care -- either from a community-based health worker, or in a health facility if the disease is severe -- and can get the antibiotics and oxygen they need to get well;
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
======
Pneumonia in Children
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia claims the life of a child every 20 seconds and accounts for 16 percent of all deaths of children under age 5.
While 99 percent of pneumonia-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, it's still important to recognize how the symptoms show up in children.
Unlike adults, children who have pneumonia may not experience a nagging cough or fever, and may have signs of infection that are much more subtle.
They also are at greater risk of contracting the disease because their immune systems aren't fully developed.
“While most healthy children can fight the infection with their natural defenses, children whose immune systems are compromised are at higher risk of developing pneumonia,” according to the WHO. “A child's immune system may be weakened by malnutrition or undernourishment, especially in infants who are not exclusively breast-fed.”
Overall, pneumonia symptoms vary according to age, but there are a number of clues that can help you recognize when your child has more than a bad cold.
“Age makes a big difference, as well as a person’s immune status … and, of course, the symptoms themselves,” which often mimic those of a cold or flu, says Marie Budev, MD, a pulmonologist and the medical director of the lung transplant program at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Michelle Barron, MD, an associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at University of Colorado in Denver, agrees that being young and in good health doesn’t mean you’re immune to pneumonia — just the opposite, in fact.
“There’s an interesting paradox where if you’re young and healthy, your immune system can go into overload,” says Dr. Barron. “Your immune system is like an elite military constantly guarding you and looking for things. If they recognize invaders, they attack.”
When there’s a “big immune-system response,” chemicals released to fight the infection can cause severe inflammation throughout the body and potential organ damage. “Your body can control the response most of the time,” says Barron. “But, if not, you can end up with collateral damage.”
Mild Pneumonia in Children
Pneumonia that is caused by certain bacteria, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, usually results in milder symptoms, even in children.
This type of pneumonia, known as atypical or walking pneumonia, is prevalent among school-age children.
Children with walking pneumonia may not feel sick enough to stay home, but they could have the following symptoms:
- Dry cough
- Low-grade fever
- Headache
- Tiredness
That's because the bacteria that can cause walking pneumonia — which most often develops in late summer and fall — spread from person to person. Outbreaks clearly can occur within groups that have close contact, such as schools or camps, and kids who are exposed to these germs while they're at school often bring the illness home.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections can cause a number of symptoms, including fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, skin rash, cough, and ear infections.
Fortunately, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections respond well to antibiotic treatment, and they are rarely serious. People who have had the infection develop some level of immunity, but a subsequent infection is possible.
Moderate Pneumonia in Children
Viruses cause most cases of pneumonia in preschool children between ages 4 and 5.
Affected children will usually have symptoms that are also associated with other viruses, such as:
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Low-grade fever
- Nasal congestion
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness or lack of energy
Bacterial pneumonia is more common among school-age children and teens.
These types of pneumonia often develop more abruptly than a cold or virus and result in more dramatic symptoms, such as:
- High fever
- Sweating or chills
- Flushed skin
- A bluish tint to the lips or nail beds
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
Newborns and infants may not show typical signs of pneumonia infection.
It may also be difficult to determine if toddlers have the illness because they may not be able to communicate how they feel as well as an older child can.
Still, the following symptoms can indicate that a baby or young child may have pneumonia:
- Looking pale
- Being limp or lethargic
- Crying more than usual
- Feeding poorly
- Being irritable or restless
- Vomiting
Medical Attention for Children With Pneumonia
Children who have been recently hospitalized, use antibiotics frequently, have asthma or another chronic illness, or haven't been fully vaccinated against certain illnesses — rubeola (measles), chickenpox, pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) infections, or the seasonal flu — are at greater risk for developing pneumonia.
A child who hasn't been vaccinated with Prevnar 13 (PCV13) is also more likely to get pneumonia.
The only way to know for sure if a child has pneumonia is to see a doctor. A pediatrician or family medicine doctor can check for fluid in your child's lungs using a stethoscope or X-rays.
By paying attention to early pneumonia symptoms in children, parents may be able to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Still, pneumonia can progress very quickly among children, particularly infants and those with underlying medical conditions.
Two key signs that a child requires immediate medical attention are:
- Flaring of the nostrils while breathing
- Using the muscles below and between the ribs and above the collarbone to aid in breathing
Source: Everyday Health
