Lam 1

Patricia Lam
Scarpella
Period 2
7 June 2013
Pneumonia
Part 1- What I Know, Assume, or Imagine is True and What I Want to Find Out
There are various types of diseases and viruses that range from the brain down
to your toes, but the disease that struck my interest was pneumonia. Sadly, the only
information I know about pneumonia is that it is a disease that occurs within the lungs
and also involves water. I think that pneumonia can possibly lead to death if left
untreated because the lungs are a very crucial organ in order to survive. I would like to
know which factors cause pneumonia to develop. Is it what you eat or what you drink?
Being part of the war requires you to face extreme living
and weather conditions, is there a possibility of catching
pneumonia? What are the symptoms of pneumonia? Does
swimming or working alongside water increase your
chances of obtaining pneumonia? What I would like to
know most is the four Ws: what, why, when, and where.
The lungs in which pneumonia affects

Part 2- The Search

Before we can understand the causes and symptoms, we must first educate
ourselves about the topic itself. Pneumonia is an infection that can either target one or
both of your lungs and can be triggered by small germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and

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fungi. There are four types of pneumonia: bacterial pneumonia, viral pneumonia,
mycoplasma pneumonia, and pneumonia triggered by other illnesses. Bacterial
pneumonia is the most common form, which can occur on its own or be succumbed
after a recent cold or flu. Viral pneumonia is found more commonly in children and are
not serious in most cases. The few serious cases are targeted among people who have
pre-existing lung or heart disease and pregnant women. According to the American
Lung Association, Mycoplasmas are the smallest free-living agents of disease in
humankind. They are not classified as to whether they are bacteria or viruses, but they
have traits of both. This type of pneumonia can be found in all age groups, but it
prefers older children and young adults. Lastly, pneumonia could be triggered by other
factors such as tuberculosis or AIDS. Those who are heavily infected with tuberculosis
may cause what they call, tuberculosis pneumonia. Tuberculosis pneumonia is
extremely dangerous and could be lethal if left untreated. A patient who has AIDS have
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) which is caused by an organism which is
believed to be fungus. PCP is often the first sign of illness within those positive for AIDS.
Although there are various types of pneumonia, they share similar symptoms and
causes.
Some may be infected with pneumonia, but pass it
off as the common cold because of the mild symptoms. The
symptoms vary by the age of the person and the cause of
pneumonia, but most of the moderate symptoms include
coughing, loss of appetite, nasal congestion, headaches,
and fever. Newborns and infants may not show any sign of
PCP found in patients with AIDS

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the infection. Or they may vomit, have a fever and cough, appear restless or tired and
without energy, or have difficulty breathing and eating(Mayo Clinic Staff). After a while,
the person may notice the more severe symptoms kicking in. The patient will start to
notice that breathing gets difficult, especially while inhaling or coughing; it will also make
a wheezing and elusive noise. The patient will also notice the muscular aches and
excessive sweating. As the infection spreads, the chest pain will sharpen and rusty,
green, or blood tinged sputum will come up as you cough. The infected person may also
vomit, feel nauseous, sweat excessively, and/or have diarrhea. In rare cases, confusion
and loss of self-awareness may occur, but it often occurs mostly in older people. If the
infected person is left untreated, their lips and nails will start to appear bluish or grayish
due to the inability to receive sufficient oxygen. But in order to understand why these
symptoms occur, we must acknowledge what the causes are.
Many germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia.
Pneumonia can have over 30 different causes which include various chemicals,
bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma and other infectious agents such as pneumocystis
(fungi). Certain diseases, such as tuberculosis, also can cause pneumonia. Pneumonia
also can be caused by the inhalation of food, liquid, gases or dust(Understanding
Pneumonia). Most of the time, the specific organism that causes pneumonia cannot be
identified even when testing; instead, the organism that is identified is often the bacteria
Streptococcus pneumoniae. The most common way to get pneumonia is by inhaling
infected particles into your lungs while sleeping. A healthy person's nose and throat
often contain bacteria or viruses that cause pneumonia. Pneumonia can develop when
these organisms spread to your lungs while your lungs are more likely to be infected.

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Examples of times when this can happen are during or soon after a cold or if you have a
long-term (chronic) illness, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD)(WebMD). There is also hospital-acquired, health-care acquired, and aspiration
pneumonia. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is a bacterial infection that occurs in people
48 hours or more after being hospitalized for another condition. Hospital-acquired
pneumonia can be serious because the bacteria causing it may be more resistant to
antibiotics(Mayo Clinic). Health-care acquired pneumonia is a bacterial infection that
occurs in people who have been in long-term care facilities or been in out-patient care.
Knowing the causes and symptoms help when it comes to diagnosing. When your
doctor suspects pneumonia, they will most likely recommend a sputum test, urine test,
pulse oximetry test, blood test, or even a chest x-ray.

This chest x-ray indicates where the pneumonia is within the lung

A sputum test means a collection of coughed up sputum in order to examine it under a

microscope while taking your pulse oximetry measures the amount of oxygen level in
the bloodstream. In most cases, a sputum test is enough for the doctor to identify
pneumonia. But if a sputum test is not enough to identify the problem, your doctor will
order a blood test which will indicate the presence of bacteria and also try to identify
exactly what is organism caused pneumonia. A chest x-ray can show inflammation in

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the lungs, indicating that pneumonia is taking place. Anybody can get pneumonia, but
there are factors that increase a persons risk. The age group that is most affected are
children under 2 years old and elderly over 65 years old. Risk factors that increase your
chances of getting pneumonia include: a recent viral respiratory infection such as the
cold or flu, chronic lung disease, cerebral palsy, living in a nursing facility, recent surgery
or trauma, and impaired consciousness. "You are most likely to get pneumonia if you:
smoke. Cigarette smoking is the strongest risk factor for pneumonia in healthy young
people"(WebMD). The various symptoms can help distinguish pneumoniae infected
people from those who are healthy. The representation of an infected person are not
very distinguishable. They may be out of breath often, cough with a wheezing noise,
and sweat excessively. In severe cases, the person heavily infected with pneumonia
may experience confusion, loss of self-awareness, and their skin may appear bluish.
Pneumonia can escalate towards death if left untreated, but there are many cures and
treatments to defeat the infection.
There are different types of medication, home-remedies, and treatments that help
cure pneumonia. Most doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial pneumonia and
most people see improvements within three days, but it will take twice as long to see
improvements in a smoker. If a patient has viral pneumonia, doctors will prescribe
antiviral medications which take about one to three weeks to recover. Fever reducers
and cough medicine are also other recommended medications. The number one
command a doctor will give you is to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. A
home-remedy would be staying home from work or school to keep the infection from
spreading. If none of the treatments show any sign of improvement or if there is a

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complication, your doctor will refer you to a hospital for treatment. Hospital treatment
ranges from injecting antibiotics directly into the bloodstream, to respiratory therapy in
order to remove excessive mucus from the lungs. Along with treatments, there are also
preventions to keep the infection from recurring in the future. Getting the flu shot yearly
is a must; it is a common way to get pneumonia, so the vaccine will create immunity and
prevent pneumonia. Wash your hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose,
going to the bathroom, diapering, and before eating or preparing foods. Don't smoke.
Tobacco damages your lung's ability to fight off infection, and smokers have been found
to be at higher risk of getting pneumonia(American Lung Association). Acknowledging
your general health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will build up your immune system
as well. Vaccines to help prevent pneumonia are available. The vaccine for children is
called the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). The vaccine for older adults (age 65
or older), people who smoke, and people who have some long-term (chronic) conditions
is called the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV). The pneumococcal vaccine
may not prevent pneumonia. But it can prevent some of the serious complications of
pneumonia, such as infection in the bloodstream (bacteremia) or throughout the body
(septicemia), in younger adults and those older than age 55 who have a healthy
immune system(WebMD).
During an interview with Brian Lam, who is currently 24 years old, he tells of his
experience with pneumonia. His immunity isnt the strongest, so he catches colds
frequently. He was asked him, When did you first realize that youve gotten sick? Did
you know that it was pneumonia? He answered, No, I didnt know it was pneumonia,
but it actually hit me overnight. I woke up one morning and did not have the strength to

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get out of bed. I slept in bed all day because my family thought I had gone to work,
therefore no one came to check my room. He said that he had recently recovered from
a common cold when he became infected with pneumonia. Brian immediately made a
doctors appointment and took his prescription to the pharmacy. He was then asked to
describe how he felt during the time. He replied, My body ached and my nose was
constantly congested, I could hardly breathe. I was so exhausted, I literally could not get
out of bed. As soon as I would wake up, I would fall back asleep. Due to Brians weak
immune system, his body could not fight off the infection. It took him about a week to
start noticing the improvements. Are you doing anything to prevent future pneumonia?,
the interviewer asked. He said he started acknowledging his well being and sanitized
his hands whenever he could. He also made sure to get his flu shot on a yearly basis.

Part 3- What I Learned

After researching and connecting various documents, I learned that pneumonia is
an infection that inflames the lungs, which fills the air sacs with fluid. It can be caused
by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. You can also acquire it after a recent cold or flu.
Understanding why and how pneumonia affects you is crucial; if left untreated, it can
lead to death. I discovered that pneumonia is also the first sign of illness within a
person carrying AIDS. Before I started my research, I assumed that pneumonia was
caused by being exposed to water for too long. After my research, I now know that
pneumonia can have over 30 different causes. The best way to prevent pneumonia from
occurring is to frequently wash your hands and acknowledge your overall well being. I
will continue my research to further my knowledge and teach back to my peers.