Hi CML Family.
Thought this might be of interest given it's the winter months! Sending my best to all of you! Love, Barbara Heathcote Raleigh, NC PS - It's from an e-newsletter I receive weekly entitled 'Bottomline Secrets' ========================= How to Avoid Pneumonia William Schaffner, MD Vanderbilt University Medical Center Special from Bottom Line/Health his time of year, we are usually bombarded with warnings about influenza -- and now there is concern about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). But another respiratory disease -- one that often falls beneath the public radar -- poses a much greater threat. Fact: Each year, pneumonia strikes 4 million Americans. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the US, killing nearly 62,000 Americans annually.* Problem: Early pneumonia symptoms are nearly identical to those of a cold or the flu, so many patients don't see their doctors until the condition is advanced and more difficult to treat. HOW PNEUMONIA DEVELOPS Most cases of pneumonia occur when viruses, bacteria or fungi are inhaled into the lungs. Main types... Community-acquired pneumonia. People contract a viral infection in the course of daily life -- at work, at public gatherings, etc. A virus can be transmitted by inhaling airborne droplets from a sneeze or cough... or by touching our eyes or mouth after shaking hands or touching a contaminated hard-surface object, such as a telephone or doorknob. The viral infection lowers our resistance to bacteria, which can inflame the lungs and surrounding tissue, causing pneumonia. Pneumonia can also develop when germ-laden foreign matter, usually from the sinuses or the throat, is inhaled (aspirated) into the lungs. At greatest risk: People with an impaired gag reflex, such as those who have suffered a stroke, brain injury or Parkinson's disease. Hospital-acquired pneumonia. The most serious form frequently occurs in patients in intensive-care units as well as in those who have had medical instruments, such as a ventilator tube, inserted into their respiratory tracts. Germs found in hospitals tend to be the most lethal. Beware: At least one-third of these germs are resistant to common antibiotics. People with weakened immune systems (due to AIDS, for example, or treatment with steroids or chemotherapy) also are vulnerable to pneumonia caused by opportunistic pathogens -- organisms that aren't dangerous for healthy people, but cause disease in individuals with compromised immunity. TELLTALE SYMPTOMS Because so many people don't realize that they have pneumonia until it is advanced, treatment often is delayed until large portions of the lung or lungs are affected. Caution: Patients with any upper-respiratory infection are at risk for pneumonia because inflammation in the airways impedes their ability to expel secretions. These secretions provide a rich environment for the organisms that cause pneumonia. People with any chronic health problem that reduces mobility also are vulnerable to pneumonia because their ability to cough is impaired. Pneumonia symptoms to watch for... Coughing up green or yellow sputum. It often means that infection has entered the lung. Chills accompanied by a fever higher than 102�F. Chest pain that gets worse when you inhale. Shortness of breath. See a doctor if you are getting sicker and experiencing an increase in the number of symptoms and/or the severity of them. Using a stethoscope, your doctor will listen for bubbling, crackling or rumbling sounds in your chest, all caused by infection and inflammation. A chest X ray will confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia. PREVENTION Because pneumonia is the most common complication of the flu, everyone over age 50 should get a flu shot. Anyone with heart or lung disease, diabetes or compromised immunity also should get a yearly flu shot. The vaccine not only helps keep you healthy, but also prevents you from getting sick and spreading the illness to others. Also helpful: If you do get the flu, antiviral drugs, taken orally or by inhaler, shorten the duration of the illness and reduce your risk of infecting others. These drugs also reduce the chance that the flu will progress to pneumonia. Zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) must be taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms to shorten the duration of the flu. Other prevention strategies... Get the pneumococcal vaccine (in addition to a flu shot) if you're age 65 or older or have risk factors for pneumonia. This vaccine will offer you further protection -- beyond the flu shot -- against the most common bacteria that cause pneumonia. Risk factors include cardiovascular disease, cancer, sickle cell anemia, diseases that weaken the immune system or a previous case of pneumonia. Don't eat or drink two hours before bed if you have chronic lung or gastric reflux disease. Lying down immediately after eating increases the risk that you'll aspirate stomach contents while you sleep. This increases the risk for pneumonia. Also helpful: Put two pillows under your torso to raise it an inch or two. Gravity will help keep stomach contents from entering the lungs. Wash your hands often throughout the day with soap and water, for at least 15 seconds each time, to curb your exposure to germs that cause pneumonia. Always wash your hands when you come in from outside and before you prepare and eat food. TREATMENTS Treatments for pneumonia depend on the severity of symptoms and the organism involved. Bacterial pneumonias are usually treated with antibiotics. Severe cases of pneumonia may require therapy with oxygen and intravenous antibiotics. Some viral pneumonias can be treated with drugs, such as amantadine (Symmetrel), zanamivir or oseltamivir, but the main approach is the same as that for the flu -- plenty of fluids, rest, etc. Also important... Positive-pressure breathing exercises. Your doctor may ask you to blow as hard as you can every hour or two into an incentive spirometer, a device consisting of a tube attached to a handheld plastic chamber. Blowing into this mechanism increases pressure in the bronchial tubes and promotes lung drainage. This helps eliminate infectious material and makes breathing easier. Stay upright as much as possible during recovery. An upright position makes it easier for the chest muscles to move and bring in oxygen. It also makes it easier to cough and expel potentially harmful secretions. *The top six leading causes of death in the US are 1. heart disease 2. cancer 3. stroke 4. chronic lower respiratory disease 5. accidents 6. diabetes. ------------------------ Yahoo! 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