By Angela Success
Pneumonia which is killing more children in Nigeria is actually not caused by cold weather but is sustained by it. Self medication, poverty and wrong life style among others promote the spread of this killer disease which attacks the lungs and reduces quality and quantity of oxygen supplied to the body. It is fatal for the brain to stay without oxygen for up to 3minutes. It will die.
Pneumonia can be caused by fungi, virus or bacteria. It attacks the alveoli in the lungs, fills them with pus and fluid which makes the breathing difficult thus limiting the oxygen intake for the body.
According to World health organization this disease can be prevented from spreading to our children through vaccination and treated with antibiotics on early diagnosis.
UNICEF said that “Pneumonia remains the leading infectious cause of death among children under five, killing 2500 children a day. Mortality due to childhood pneumonia is strongly linked to poverty related factors such as under nutrition, lack of safe water and sanitation. An integrative approach is urgently needed to tackle this public health issue.
In a recent interview, the chairman of Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board Prof. Princewill Anthony Chike spoke on pneumonia. Excerpts:
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is what the medical world will call infections in the lungs, infection with inflammation of the lungs parenchiama. It can be caused first of all by bacteria or viral infection and by Tuberculosis Pneumonia.. It can also be caused pneumonitis, by inhaled organisms or particles or by exposure to cold because some the organisms that cause pneumonia thrive well in cold environments. Cold itself does kill bacteria it suspends them. The environment in the lungs is slightly warm so the moment this organism goes into this place they start multiplying then the symptoms starts manifesting.
Symptoms
The first common one is fever which will later be accompanied with fever, headaches, shortness of breath and weakness. Shortness of breath is caused when the lungs struggle to take in more oxygen having been weakened by the infection.
Cough is also a very serious symptom of the illness with attendant chest pain which may occur in front or at the back of the chest. If it lobar pneumonia it can be localized in an area. With decreased immunity, one can come down with Pneumonia too. You can also have pneumonia infection when antibiotics are abused as this kills the body cells that ought to fight the infection. Exposure to irradiations or unnecessary exposure to radiations can also cause a lot of damage to the lungs even though it is not common in this side of the world. Some people because of ignorance will do x-ray here and there they are so paranoid that they are ill without letting the hospital staff know. They go to unqualified to get wrong prescriptions which is wrong but if you have a record of an x-ray done within the year, the doctor could ask for it before asking for a new one if necessary. But when you go straight to a radiographer, it is his business and he will willingly do one but it is actually a radiologist or a doctor who are in positions to advice on this. When you expose yourself to such radiation it destroys the tissues and leads to inflammation and then to secondary infection then Pneumonia comes in. That is part of the physiology of Pneumonia that comes from that direction. Cough and chest pain are caused by the inflammation of the lungs. Some people vomit and become moribund needing treatment. Some People can die because one if not properly managed the person just goes. It is worse for children because of the surface area of their lungs.
What should one do if experiencing all these symptoms?
Go to a primary health centre close to you or to a hospital. You see it is not that one wants to run down other people’s business but let the right thing be done. You can’t have pneumonia and start running to a chemist to complain about cough. They will give you cough syrup or anti-malaria medication if you complain of fever or suppressants for the symptoms.
If you go to a hospital, the doctor will take your history first and examine you with his stethoscope. There are signs of Pneumonia .There are signs to look out for which may indicate that someone is in respiratory distress. Pneumonia is one sickness which can cause respiratory distress. It is the doctor who should determine whether the patient should go for an x-ray or not and the tests that are needed. The right thing should be done. People should not abuse their bodies with drugs and chemicals or be advised by any type of persons.. The right thing to do is to get examined and be treated by a doctor. He can tell you whether the cough is ordinary or is a symptom. Upper respiratory tract infections like catarrh, flu and cough are common; it is only a doctor that can tell you when it is pneumonia or tuberculosis which can present with cough.
Which group of people are most likely to come down with Pneumonia?
Children exposed to cold, people who work in cool environment and ones who work in crowded environment. Avoid overcrowding as in crowded environment, people sneeze and cough. If someone within a crowded enclosure who has that infection coughs or sneezes, people around will easily pick up the same infection. Tuberculosis tends to lead to secondary pneumonia. If you have decreased immunity, it can also lead to it like in those that have HIV the immunity to fight infection is no longer in the body so any organism that they are exposed to will anchor in their system and start multiplying in the lungs.
Smoking
Cigarette smoking exposes one to the dangers of lung damage from nicotine. It is associated with lung cancer and not directly with pneumonia. But coughing associated with lung cancer can also contribute in spreading the organism. People in this part of the world, sneeze and cough without handkerchiefs. Like I said, in a compromised immunity bacteria grow. If you come down with any respiratory disease associated with smoking or complications of smoking, it increases your chance of getting pneumonia too.
How can it be prevented?
Good exercise is good and it can help prevent it. When you exercise you expand the lungs. Breathing well is part of it. People should try to avoid overcrowded places, those who are coughing and those who have the infection too. If someone is coughing , he or she should use a handkerchief to stop spreading organisms but here people will sneeze into their hands and use same without washing to shake another person. People will touch all kinds of things and come and shake you. Children may be around and have the tendency of coughing into each other’s mouth in a crowded environment or receiving from adults without covering their mouth. If I sneeze now, I will be letting loose bacteria that are domiciled in my saliva and in the nose area into the air. If someone with low immunity breaths those in such a person may come down with the same illness.
Can it be treated?
Yes it can be treated. The treatment of Pneumonia entails first of all making the correct diagnosis .This of course has to be done by a doctor who has antibiotics and pain killers that he can use depending on the cause. In secondarily infected tuberculosis patient, you cannot just be treating the Pneumonia without treating the Tuberculosis. If the person’s immunity is low like those it with HIV infection, you can’t treat the pneumonia without treating the HIV. If the person has lung cancer, you have to treat both. If the person has cold it has to treat as well. Warm the person and avoid Cold things food and drink. Some people take a lot of cold things. It is not very good. If you take a lot of cold things you may feel uncomfortable. When you identify the bacteria it becomes easy to treat. Of course chest x-ray should be done after listening to the patient. Full blood analysis and sputum microscopic culture and sensitivity may be required to find out the exact organism so that you don’t abuse the patient with antibiotics. Medically we know that some organisms cause pneumonia we can’t say them so that some people will not start abusing drugs.
Can exposure to air or strong wind lead to pneumonia` in babies?
Yes, exposure to cold air can lead to pneumonia. I must make this comment. Our mothers of old look after children very well. The can tell a lot, unfortunately the ones we have these days are i don’t know what is going on whether is general decadence. Exposure to cold like I said earlier is one thing that will lead to it. These organisms thrive well cold environment. Heat kills bacteria but cold does not kill, it only suspends them. The moment you inhale the bacteria or take it into the body, it remains there till the body temperature which is slightly warm cultures it. But if you heat water and drink early the bacteria are killed. If you drink cold water it remains there and goes into your system to multiply later when the temperature is right for it. Like we usually say, a child belongs to the society. When you see one exposed to cold, tell the mother to cover him or her. Advise the mother to cover the child. Keep your baby covered when it is cold and windy.