Pneumonia
Pneumonia
But as you get older, pneumonia may look a bit different if it takes hold of you. It doesn’t manifest the way you think it would with the classic symptoms of fever, heavy sweating, coughing, sputum production, chest pain, and chills, says Henry Gong Jr., M.D., professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary and critical-care medicine and environmental health service at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Downey.
Instead, pneumonia shows itself in ways you’d never expect and with symptoms that may seem completely unrelated. Some people seem suddenly confused or less aware of their surroundings or of people around them. Others exhibit weakness and fatigue. Rapid breathing, rapid pulse, or shortness of breath may also be signs of pneumonia. Others have symptoms like nausea and diarrhea, which we normally associate with intestinal problems. In fact, someone with pneumonia who has some or all of these symptoms may never utter a single cough.
If you notice these atypical symptoms in yourself or a loved one, you should go to a doctor. Although the advent of antibiotics knocked out pneumonia as the leading cause of death back in the 1940s, the disease is still dangerous, especially to people over age 65.
What causes pneumonia is still the same, no matter what age you are. It is an infection of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or other organisms. Although the disease has more than 30 different causes, bacterial pneumonia is the most common. In this version, bacteria that’s normally present in your throat when you’re healthy starts multiplying in your lungs when your immunity is down. In viral pneumonia, a virus takes hold in your lungs and multiplies. A weakened immunity is also a common risk factor for contracting viral pneumonia.
In all kinds of pneumonia, the air sacs in your lungs fill with pus and liquid, which prevents oxygen from reaching your blood. Without enough oxygen in your bloodstream, your body’s cells can’t work correctly.
The well-traveled myth that a cold can turn into pneumonia simply isn’t true. But it is so ingrained that Bruce Leff, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Geriatric Center in Baltimore can’t even convince his mother it’s false.
People believe that a cold can directly lead to pneumonia because the one kind of illness sometimes precedes the other. But a cold just lowers your immune defenses, and when your defenses are down, you’re more susceptible to another infection such as pneumonia. Both colds and pneumonia are more common during the winter months, says Dr. Leff.
Once you get pneumonia, you need to be under a doctor’s care. Self-treatment can be dangerous, especially for older people, and it’s important to remember that pneumonia can be deadly.
But rather than fight pneumonia just when it arrives, the better course of action is to prevent it. Pneumonia usually strikes when your defenses are already down due to another illness. So the best defense against pneumonia is to keep your immune system in top shape.
Try This First
This vaccine, which protects you from certain strains of bacterial pneumonia, is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for everyone who is over the age of 65, chronically ill, or at risk for infection due to a weakened immune system.
Despite that recommendation, only about 28 percent of the over-65 population have ever received a pneumonia vaccine. A study by the CDC at a nursing home in Oklahoma observed that the vaccine probably could have prevented a pneumonia outbreak there that killed three people. If you’re over 65, the CDC recommends that you get a booster shot if it’s been over five years since your original vaccine.
Just one warning about getting a vaccine: Don’t assume that because you got the injection, you can’t get pneumonia. You can still catch a different strain of bacterial pneumonia, or you can catch viral pneumonia, which isn’t affected by the vaccine, says Dr. Gong. So if you suspect that you have pneumonia, get to a doctor even if you have been vaccinated in the past.
Other Wise Ways
Vitamin C is necessary for a healthy immune system, Dr. O’Connor says. In studies, it has been shown to help older people who have severe respiratory infections, she says. Excess vitamin C may cause diarrhea in some people, so cut back on your dosage until you find a comfortable level.
Put some muscle in your immunity. Make sure your daily multivitamin has 15 milligrams of zinc in it, Dr. O’Connor says. In older people, this mineral isn’t always absorbed properly from diet alone, so some people develop deficiencies. Immune cells are so dependent on zinc that they can’t fight off infection unless they have this mineral. You’ll find zinc in meats, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and oysters.
Whip up immunity soup. Start with a basic vegetable broth, then toss in red peppers, winter squash, carrots, garlic, onions, and any other colorful vegetables. Make this tasty meal frequently during the winter and especially when you are sick, suggests Dr. O’Connor. She calls it her carotene soup in honor of beta-carotene and other carotenoids that enhance the work of the immune system.
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Managing Your Meds For the treatment of bacterial pneumonia, doctors will prescribe antibiotics. Some people are allergic to certain antibiotics, so talk to your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction before, says Bruce Leff, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Geriatric Center in Baltimore. Also, check with your doctor before mixing antibiotics with anticoagulants such as warfarin (Coumadin). If you are given an antibiotic, be certain to take the full course of treatment. |
Carotenoids are especially prevalent in brightly colored vegetables such as carrots and squash. It’s best to get carotenoids from foods, says Dr. O’Connor, because natural carotenoids are better absorbed and work better than synthetic supplements.
Make your eyes and mouth water. During the winter, Dr. O’Connor urges people to cook with lots of garlic and onions. These two related foods may have antiviral and antibiotic properties, she says, so they can help your immune system fight off both viral and bacterial pneumonia. Garlic and onions go with everything from mashed potatoes to meat or fish, and they’re especially good in soups.
Favor foot motion. Take a brisk daily walk for half an hour a day. There’s no guarantee, but daily walks may help keep pneumonia at bay. “Regular exercise keeps your immune system functioning very well,” Dr. O’Connor says.
If you prefer other activities such as cycling or swimming, go ahead and enjoy them, she says. Any daily or regular exercise will keep your immune system strong. She also recommends trying different workouts like yoga.