Coping with Pneumonia

As early as 1984, a British worker sued his employer for pneumonia and pleurisy. The reason was the cold and windy room where he had to work. The judge who tried the case concluded that the room was very cold, windy humid and damp, especially early in the morning, and awarded the worker £ 430 in damages valued at more than $ 3,100.

But is the worker's pneumonia, which is actually pneumonia, caused solely by the conditions in which he was forced to work? It really was a factor, but there were also parasites at work. There are actually several types of bacteria and viruses that can cause pneumonia. The most typical case of pneumonia is infection caused by pneumococcal bacillus. In this most common form of pneumonia, the small air sacs in the lungs fill first with fluid and then with white blood cells that try to fight the infection. Red blood cells also accumulate, giving the sputum a characteristic "rusty" appearance.

The right lung has three lobes and the left two lobes. Only part of a flap can be inflamed or one or more flaps can be completely affected. You can get pneumonia without any other disease, but it usually affects a person after the flu, cancer or kidney disease.

What are the symptoms of typical pneumonia? Some of the first things you will experience are shaking chills, chest pain, dry cough, coughing up blood and high fever. You may also experience heavy sweating, nausea and diarrhea. Due to severe pneumonia, it is advisable to contact a doctor immediately, especially as immediate treatment can mean the difference between early recovery and worsening - long-term illness or even death. death.

What to do?

Until thirty-five years ago, people feared proper pneumonia, as 30 to 50 percent of those affected died. This is because the measures taken to treat the symptoms, reduce them, have never particularly affected the bacteria or viruses responsible.

The treatment then included enemas, hot baths, application of various wet compresses and anti-inflammatory compresses on the chest. In addition, the patient remained calm and relaxed, was given plenty of fluids to drink and was instructed to avoid unnecessary physical and nervous energy. Visits are not recommended so as not to tire the patient. He was told to follow an old maxim: "Keep your feet warm and your head cool." His room was airy and clean.

But despite all the loving and loving care of pneumonia victims at the time, they still had only a 50:50 chance to deal with it. Despite the dangers associated with penicillin, 95% of people with pneumonia recover today, so it's not the terrible disease of the past. Of course, in addition to the treatment that kills pneumococcal bacillus, general supportive measures, including rest and diet, are still very important for good treatment.

Prevention is better

Interest in preventive medicine is increasing more and more today. What can you do for yourself, because "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? You can apply this principle by trying to avoid conditions that make you so weak that you become susceptible to pneumococcal bacillus. Also, make sure you dress appropriately to stay warm and dry during a storm or rain. If your feet are wet and cold, take a warm foot bath as soon as possible. In addition, good "preventative medicine" includes protection against obesity, malnutrition, alcohol abuse, early morning maintenance and losses of all kinds.

Yes, you get resistance to pneumonia by developing a strong, healthy body. As Rockefeller Institute researcher Rene J. Dubos discovered, the ecological principle also applies to the human body: the damage that bacteria and viruses can cause depends a lot on their environmental condition. of your body. Therefore, whenever possible, create a disease-resistant environment in your body, take care of your health, even when you are not sick. This means that you eat healthy and nutritious food (in moderation), keep your muscles, heart and lungs healthy through necessary exercises (especially if you are sedentary).