Types of pneumonia

Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) - a disease that brings together a large group of different processes in the lungs often of infectious origin, mainly affecting the alveoli (bubbles in the lungs at the ends of the smallest bronchi, entwined network of capillaries). Pneumonia can occur as an independent disease or as a complication of other diseases that can occur acutely and chronically.

Causes of acute pneumonia

Acute pneumonitis occurs often enough. Its main cause is bacterial and viral infections, pathogens which are characterized by a pronounced tendency to defeat lung tissue (pneumotropic) is some species of streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, Proteus, and others.

In recent years, it increased the number of mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumonia. There pneumonia caused by various fungi, mainly, the genus Candida. Acute pneumonia can accompany and complicate various infectious diseases - whooping cough This pest, pest whooping ... Measles Measles in children - may cause serious complications , Scarlet fever.

Inflammation of the lung tissue can also occur with exposure to physical or chemical factors, for example, by inhalation of vomit, effects of drugs, ionizing radiation burns of the respiratory tract, inhalation of irritants. This infection is joined for the second time, after the development of the inflammatory process.

To severe pneumonia predispose various chronic respiratory diseases (chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma), nasopharynx (chronic otitis media, sinusitis), congenital defects of the bronchi and lungs, smoking, circulatory failure with prolonged bed rest, hypothermia.

Acute pneumonia can be lobar and focal. When lobar pneumonia affected the entire lobe of the lung, with the focal - a small portion of the lung.

Lung fever

It calls this a different kind of pneumococcal pneumonia. A disease starts suddenly, with sharp chills, fever, severe pain in the side, aggravated by deep breathing and coughing, shortness of breath and dry cough. Her cheeks reddened such a patient, usually on the side corresponding to the side of inflammation, nostrils flared when breathing, sometimes there are disturbances of consciousness with delirium Brad - not only crazy . About the third day, you may receive scanty viscous glassy mucus, sometimes mixed with blood, a few days later sputum becomes brownish-red rusty color.

When lobar pneumonia in the process always involves the pleura (membrane covering the lungs), so it is called pleuropneumonia. When lobar pneumonia disrupted the activities of all organs and body systems. Especially suffering from cardiovascular system, there is increased heart rate, shortness of breath, congestion in the lungs.

Fever, cough and sputum production with lobar pneumonia may last more than two weeks, and then gradually begins recovery.

Complication of lobar pneumonia may be an abscess Abscess - why it is so dangerous ulcers?   lung, pulmonary heart disease and pulmonary edema.

Focal pneumonia

Signs of focal pneumonia depends on the reason she was called, predisposing factors, and the general condition of the patient. Starts focal pneumonia and acute, with a high temperature, occurrence of cough with phlegm, which in the early days there is no pus, sometimes blood-streaked sputum appear. There are also general weakness, malaise, mild chest pain. When time begun treatment duration of fever does not exceed five days, after which the patient is slow to recover. The total duration of focal pneumonia for about three weeks.

Chronic inflammation of the lungs

Chronic pneumonia is the result of not fully cured of acute pneumonia. About this passage says no change in the X-ray light, despite the long period of intensive treatment. Repeated exacerbations occur generally at the same location of the lung, where there was an acute pneumonia. Patients with chronic pneumonia, complaining mostly of a cough, chest pain on the affected side, occasionally - by fever, coughing up blood, weakness, sweating. During exacerbation of the disease status of these patients deteriorates when aggravation passes - improves.

Treatment of pneumonia

The treatment of both acute and chronic pneumonia should be complex. Be sure to prescribe antibiotics, the choice of which depends on the sensitivity of the pathogen to them, as determined by the study of sputum. In addition, prescribed drugs that enhance the bronchi, thinning mucus, expectorants, bracing means. After the acute effects will, attached physiotherapy and chest compressions.

Sometimes, when a collection of pus in the pleural cavity with lobar pneumonia performed pleural puncture - puncture of the chest and removing the pus from the pleural cavity.

Mycoplasma pneumonia was first detected in the 40-ies of the last century and was called Eaton agent. Initially, it assumes that a viral agent is Eaton nature, and only in 1962 it was found that the microorganism belongs to mycoplasmas. Since that time the name appeared Micoplasma pneumoniae.

Mycoplasma pneumonia - what does it represent and how is transferred

Mycoplasma pneumonia - a small organism that does not have its hard cell membrane, allowing it to easily penetrate cells in human tissue. Inside the complex is a mycoplasma genes - the genome. The pathogen enters the human body through airborne droplets when coughing or sneezing. For infection often requires close contact, so often sick families. Children are more susceptible to this disease than adults. Because adults often suffer from men than women. The organized groups (eg, offices, schools), the infection can circulate for a long time. Outbreaks occur more frequently during the cold season.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is sensitive to the effects of physical factors: shaking, freeze-thaw, a sharp change in temperature and acidity.

What happens in the body in contact with Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma pneumonia misses the mucous membranes of the upper and lower respiratory tract by means of special receptor "glued" to the epithelial cells. However, it produces compounds that cause inflammation in the cells first, and then destroy intracellular membranes, destroying epithelial tissue. All this leads to cell death.

Such changes may occur throughout the respiratory tract, until the alveoli (sacs filled with air that make up the lung tissue). The alveoli mycoplasma form colonies. Cells alveoli while increase in volume and contain inclusions in the form of mycoplasmas. Less pronounced changes occur in the cells of the bronchial epithelium. When interstitial pneumonia occurs defeat mezhalveolyarnyh partitions.

Mycoplasma symptoms of upper respiratory tract

The incubation period of the disease (time from infection to onset of symptoms) from a week to a month. The disease usually occurs in the form or acute respiratory diseases (upper respiratory tract), or in the form of pneumonia Pneumonia - Symptoms and Causes .

Acute respiratory disease is most easily or in a moderate form. Start gradually, first appearing stuffy nose, unpleasant dryness and sore throat. Then join a runny nose and cough. Coughing is not permanent, it is paroxysmal shape and resembles whooping cough This pest, pest whooping ... . A cough usually lasts one to two weeks. In the first few days, the temperature can be kept up to 38˚S, but then it drops, and a small (low-grade) temperature can hold up to two to three weeks. Sometimes the disease is complicated by tracheobronchitis.

Symptoms of mycoplasma pneumonia

Mycoplasma pneumonia is also more likely to develop gradually in the form of symptoms characteristic of acute respiratory disease. In a few days the temperature rises sharply to 39-40˚S and increases the cough. At high temperature figures kept for no longer than five days, and then reduced to subfebrile and keeps for a long time.

Cough when mycoplasma pneumonia initially dry, and by the end of the second week with phlegm. Cough hurts - the pain appears in the chest on the affected side of the lung.

On the X-ray visible focal shadows in the lung and changes in interstitial (connective tissue septa) tissue. Regression of the inflammatory process, confirmed by X-ray examination, is very slow, usually within a month, and sometimes longer.

Complications of pneumonia are rare. Prognosis is usually favorable.

Diagnosis and treatment of respiratory mycoplasmosis

To confirm the diagnosis of sputum analysis carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) - determined the genome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Using immunofluorescence blood revealed antibodies against infectious agents.

Treatment of mycoplasma Mycoplasmosis - infection does not always equal disease   respiratory disease depends on the shape. When mild form, which occur in the form of acute respiratory disease, symptomatic treatment is appointed. In severe, and even more so with the development of pneumonia, antibiotics are prescribed.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is sensitive to antibiotics Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future?   tetracycline and macrolides. These antibiotics and administered to treat disease.

Galina Romanenko