Skip to main content

Aspiration pneumonia, dangerous if ignored

Aspiration pneumonia is closely related to lung aspiration. What is meant by lung aspiration is a condition when there is food, saliva, or stomach acid that enters the lungs. Meanwhile, aspiration pneumonia is a complication of lung aspiration. At first glance it seems food, saliva, or stomach acid might not enter the lungs. But in reality, aspiration may occur when we choke, or when food or acidic substances from the stomach return to the esophagus and enter the respiratory tract to the lungs. Lung aspiration needs to be watched out, because it can lead to quite bad conditions, such as:

  • Obstruction

    • That is if there are objects in large sizes that enter the lungs, can cause blockage of the respiratory tract.

  • Chemical pneumonitis

    • In this condition inflammation occurs in the lung tissue due to chemical stimulation. This condition can develop, so you may experience acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). One of them can be influenced by aspirations from the contents of the stomach.

  • Bacterial infection

    • If there is an infection in the lower respiratory tract, respiratory problems can occur due to infections such as pneumonia, lung abscess until acute respiratory failure.

Virus or bacterial contamination

Food or other substances that enter the lungs, can cause the lungs to be contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Actually in a fairly healthy state the respiratory tract has a mechanism to expel objects that are considered foreign. However, if the respiratory tract is in an unhealthy state or the body is in a weak state, the entry of this foreign body cannot be inhibited or expelled to maintain the cleanliness of the lungs, so that infections can occur that cause pneumonia with various complications.

Understand the Symptoms

You may not always be able to feel when objects or substances enter the lungs. However, you can recognize it through its symptoms. These symptoms differ from one another, depending on the type of cause and your health condition. Symptoms that may arise are:
  • Pain in the chest, when coughing or breathing,
  • Hard to breathe
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Cough with phlegm
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
  • Excessive sweating
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Hard to breathe
  • The skin turns bluish (a sign of the body's lack of oxygen)
  • In the elderly or people whose immune systems are low, body temperature can be lower than normal temperatures. In addition, mental changes or confusion may occur.

See a doctor immediately

If you see any of these symptoms, see your doctor immediately. Aspiration pneumonia can cause death, especially in people who already have heart failure, chronic lung conditions, or in the elderly (elderly) group. Your doctor will ensure that you experience aspiration pneumonia by doing an X-ray of the chest, a complete blood test, bronchoscopy, and / or a CT scan on the chest. Do not ignore if you are recommended to do the examination, considering aspiration pneumonia is a serious condition. Treatment for aspiration pneumonia depends on the severity suffered. The doctor may give antibiotics for 1-2 weeks. Make sure the consumption of antibiotic drugs until they run out with the dosage according to doctor's orders. If the condition is classified as severe, you may be asked to be hospitalized for administration of drugs or other supporting devices. If the body does not show healing and is considered conservative treatment is not enough to help, the doctor may recommend surgery. Recognize the symptoms of aspiration pneumonia. then immediately see a doctor to get a fast and proper treatment if you find it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Panic, Do This When Your Child Puts Foreign Things on the Nose

The entry of foreign objects in the nose that often occurs in children, including dangerous conditions. If left unchecked, this condition can result in difficulty breathing, injury, and serious infection. This condition can occur because children do not quite understand the function of body organs and often have a high curiosity. So that not infrequently, children insert foreign objects, such as lumps of paper, foam, cotton, beads, gravel, nuts, and other small objects into the body, including the nose. Recognize the Signs of Foreign Objects in the Nose of Children Children who put a foreign object in the nose often escape the sight of parents. There are times when parents are careless in watching their children play, even though this is often the case of foreign objects entering the child's nose. Parents can recognize the symptoms of a child's nose containing a foreign object, in the form of: Children become restless, easily fussy, cry, or complain because of pain and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Recognize Symptoms of Stomach Infection and the Right Treatment

You may not realize that you have Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori in your stomach. This bacterium can cause stomach infections. One way to find out is to recognize symptoms of gastric infection. H.pylori bacteria are spiral and grow in the digestive tract. These bacteria tend to attack the stomach wall. H. pylori can cause injury to the stomach and small intestine. Furthermore, these bacteria can cause peptic ulcers, inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), and if not treated properly can cause gastric cancer. Gastric organs are part of the digestive tract that plays an important role in killing germs and digesting food by producing stomach acids, and digestive enzymes that can also kill germs. However, H. pylori bacteria can live and survive in an acidic environment in the stomach. In the stomach, these bacteria can grow and multiply in the mucous layer that protects the stomach. Various Symptoms that Appear Although the symptoms of gastric infection due to H. pylori bacteria a...
Post a Comment
Read more

These Characteristics and Symptoms of Appendicitis in Children You Should Know

Does your baby often feel unbearable pain in his stomach? If true, you are advised to check his health immediately. It could be that your baby has appendicitis in children which can endanger his health. Appendicitis or appendicitis in children requires immediate medical attention. It is important for you to know some of the symptoms. The first symptoms of appendicitis are usually mild fever and pain around the navel. The pain usually gets worse and moves to the lower right side of the abdomen but some people experience the spread of pain to the upper right abdomen, hips, and back. Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are other common symptoms that this disease can cause. Causes of appendicitis in children The appendix most often affects adolescents, but this condition can also occur in young children. This is usually caused by an infection of the stomach that has spread to the appendix or a blockage that has blocked the appendix. In addition, appendicitis or appendicitis can o...
Post a Comment
Read more