Pathophysiology Of Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of lungs in which the lung tissue of an infected person is filled with
fluid or pus. People suffering from this condition tend to experience some symptoms and
these include rapid breathing, fever, chills, chest and abdominal pain, presence of brown,
yellow or green colored mucous and cough. To understand this condition the
pathophysiology of pneumonia needs to be understood.

This condition may be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and other parasites and in this
infection afflicting the lungs the lungs may get inflamed. Where a person suffers from lung
injury due to chemical irritants or physical factors the condition may be referred to as
pneumonitis and this can be differentiated from the condition of infectious pneumonia. In
understanding the pathophysiology of pneumonia it can be understood that this condition
affects individuals of all ages.

The incidence of pneumonia is however higher among young children and elderly individuals
along with those individuals who have a compromised immune system. The pathophysiology
of pneumonia indicates that the development of this condition depends of number of factors
like the presence of pathogens along with the state of a person’s immune system and some
other factors.

The organism invading the immune system causes the symptoms in this condition as it
provokes the immune system to respond. As a result of the invading organisms the blood
vessels within the lungs leak and this causes the protein rich fluid to seep into alveoli. This
results in less area for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. As the patient is deprived of
oxygen the breathing becomes faster so as to bring more oxygen and release the carbon
dioxide.

The pathophysiology of pneumonia indicates that the mucous production increases and the
leaking of the capillaries may cause the mucous to get a tinge of blood. Mucous further
decreases the gas exchange within the lung. Fluid continues to fill in the alveoli and the
debris resulting from the white blood cells fighting the infection also fill the alveoli.

Alveoli are actually air spaces that are hollow however these tend to become solid because
of the debris and fluid collection. This is called consolidation and is a classical feature seen
in bacterial pneumonia cases. In mycoplasma pneumonia cases along with viral pneumonia
the alveoli walls are infected and consolidation does not occur in these cases.

Hypertension Pathophysiology

The understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension is critical to developing

effective therapies to reducing high blood pressure. The pathophysiology of
hypertension is complex and not very well understood. There is some evidence that
supports a hypothesis that the primary fault in the pathophysiology of hypertension is a
defect in the calcium binding of the plasma membrane of the cells of a pressure-
regulating center in the nervous system. Because the pathophysiology of hypertension
consists of many factors, a well-designed combination of regiments is believed to be the
best plan of attacked in treating the problem. Therefore, targeted complementary blood
pressure lowering strategies provide the most effective approach to achieving blood
pressure lowering goals.
Fluid

Fluid restriction may increase the risk for calcium phosphate precipitation in the tubules
and may contribute to a progression of kidney disease. Therefore, intake of fluids
should be encouraged and intake of sodium should be restricted only to the relatively
high sodium content that is included in products that are geared to aid patients to quit
smoking.

Smoking has been found to be an independent risk factors for development of kidney
failure. Especially, in men who have been diagnosed with kidney disease.

Calcium

Calcium compounds may be used to bind phosphates and are often used in the
treatment of hypertension. This treatment provides a safe, often effective and relatively
inexpensive means to controlling the problem.

Stress

Stress, certainly, plays a major role in hypertension. It is thought to be the influential

factor in the development of high blood pressure, right behind obesity. In the case of
stress, the blood pressure is often increased during times of stress and returns to
normal when the cause of the stress is removed. However, constant stress can cause a
situation where high blood pressure will need to be treated with medication.

Obesity

Much the same can be said with obesity. High blood pressure may be brought on by
weight gain but may, also, return to normal when the weight is lost. However, once
again weight gain can bring about a situation where medication is needed to control the
high blood pressure.

Treatment

Treatment of hypertension has largely consisted of the administration of

antihypertensive medications. Despite the large number of drugs available in various
pharmacological categories, including diuretics, alpha-adrenergic antagonists, beta-
adrenergic antagonists, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor antagonists, the need for an effective
treatment of hypertension is still not satisfied.

Conclusion

It is not always possible to avoid hypertension but in many cases it is. In these cases,
the treatment is prevention. Weight control, healthy eating, exercise and the avoidance
of alcohol abuse are the prescription to avoiding high blood pressure in most young and
middle-aged people. This, alone, could help save many people from complications in
the future.