Bronchopneumonia: symptoms, causes and how to treat

Definition

What is bronchopneumonia disease?

Bronchopneumonia is a type of pneumonia that affects the bronchi and alveoli. The bronchi are the airways that ensure proper passage of air from the trachea to the alveoli. Meanwhile, the alveoli are small air pockets that function as a place to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Although they both attack the lungs, especially the airways or bronchi, bronchopneumonia is different from bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi).

Bronchopneumonia is an infection that occurs in the bronchi and alveoli, whereas in bronchitis, infection occurs only in the bronchi.

A person who has this type of pneumonia may find it difficult to breathe freely or have shortness of breath because their lungs are not getting enough air supply.

How common is this disease?

Quoted from Journal of the Academy Medical Sciences, bronchopneumonia is the most common type of pneumonia in children. This disease is even one of the leading causes of death due to infection in children under 5 years of age.

You can prevent bronchopneumonia by reducing the risk factors for causing it. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Symptoms

What are the symptoms of bronchopneumonia?

Symptoms of bronchopneumonia can vary, depending on the severity and overall health condition of the patient.

Like the symptoms of pneumonia, bronchopneumonia also causes signs in the form of fever, cough with phlegm, to chest pain. In addition, the symptoms of bronchopneumonia are:

• Headache
• Muscle ache
• Limp, lethargic, and weak
• Hard to breathe
• Pain or pain in the chest area when coughing or breathing deeply
• Excessive sweating
• Quick or rapid breathing

Usually the symptoms of bronchopneumonia tend to be more serious in people with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, people with HIV / AIDS, or cancer.

Symptoms of bronchopneumonia in children and infants differ from those of adults. Apart from coughing and fever, the symptoms of bronchopneumonia in children are:

• Fast heart rate
• Often fuss for no reason
• Appetite and drink decreased dramatically
• Hard to sleep

There may be some signs and symptoms of bronchopneumonia not listed above. If you feel you have any of these symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

Remember, there is no other way to determine what type of pneumonia you have except to see a doctor.

When to go to the doctor

This disease will often endanger the health of the sufferer when it is severe. Immediately contact a doctor if:

• You experience one or more of the bronchopneumonia symptoms mentioned above, but do not have a history of pneumonia.
• You have a history of pneumonia, but the symptoms do not improve even after being given medication.

If you have any signs or symptoms of bronchopneumonia listed above or just want to ask about this disease, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.

Every body functions differently from one another. Always discuss with your doctor to find the best solution according to your condition.

Cause

What causes bronchopneumonia?

This disease can be caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. In most cases, however, bronchopneumonia is most often caused by a bacterial infection. The bacteria that cause pneumonia can enter the lungs through the air or blood.

The bacteria that most often cause bonchopneumonia are:

• Staphylococcus aureus
• Haemophilus influenza
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Escherichia coli
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Proteus species

Risk Factors

What are the risk factors for this disease?

Everyone can get this disease. However, there are two age groups that are more at risk:

• Infants and children under 2 years of age, because their immune system is still developing
• Adults over 65 years, because their immune system is weaker

Other factors that increase your risk of developing bronchopneumonia are:

• Smoke
• The habit of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
• Have a history of chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart disease.
• Having a weak immune system due to HIV / AIDS, organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, or long-term steroid use

There may be several risk factors for bronchopneumonia that were not listed above. If you are concerned about other risk factors, please consult a doctor for more information.

Complications

What are the complications of bronchopneumonia that may occur?

Bronchopneumonia is a disease that affects the respiratory system. Therefore, if it is not treated or is already severe, this disease can cause various complications and even death.

Pneumonia of any type can cause complications, including bronchopneumonia. Here are some of the complications that may occur due to this disease are:

• Bloodstream infection or sepsis
• Lung abscess
• A buildup of fluid around the lungs, known as a pleural effusion
• Breath failure
• Kidney failure
• Heart failure, heart attack, and abnormal heart rhythms

Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How to diagnose this disease?

As with any disease, the doctor will first perform a basic physical examination and review your medical history. If you are suspected of having symptoms of bronchopneumonia, the doctor will perform other investigations to confirm the diagnosis.

Here are some tests that doctors usually do to diagnose bronchopneumonia are:

• Chest X-ray. Using X-rays, the doctor can see the part of the lungs affected by pneumonia.
• Blood test. blood tests are performed to determine the type of virus or bacteria that causes pneumonia.
• Sputum test. Viruses or bacteria that cause this health problem will be seen in sputum if you have this problem.
• Check blood oxygen levels. This is done to find out how much oxygen is in your blood. The reason is, this disease can cause oxygen not to enter the bloodstream.

In addition to the above examinations, your doctor may also ask you to perform the following tests:

• CT scan. If the lung infection that you suffer from does not go away, the doctor will ask you to do a CT scan to see the condition of the lungs at that time.
• Lung fluid culture. This examination requires the doctor to take fluid in the lungs and then examine the womb. This examination helps the doctor to determine the type of infection that has occurred.

How to treat bronchopneumonia?

Treatment of pneumonia is adjusted to the type, severity of the disease, age, and the patient's overall condition. People who have no previous history of certain diseases usually recover within 1-3 weeks.

In mild cases, the disease can improve only with regular medication and rest at home. However, in severe cases, the patient may require intensive care in the hospital.

If your pneumonia is caused by a bacterial infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to kill harmful bacteria in your lungs. Antibiotics cannot be used for viral infections.

Therefore, if your pneumonia is caused by a viral infection, your doctor will usually prescribe antiviral medication. Meanwhile, for pneumonia caused by fungus, the doctor will prescribe an antifungal drug.

Make sure you take antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal medications as prescribed by your doctor. Do not reduce or increase the dose of medication without your doctor's approval.

Apart from taking medication, some things you can do to speed up the recovery process for bronchopneumonia are:

• Avoid doing strenuous activities for a while
• Drink plenty of fluids to help thin mucus and reduce discomfort when coughing
• Wear a mask if you want to travel or interact with other people so you don't spread the infection
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol
• Watch your food intake

Prevention

How to prevent bronchopneumonia?

In many cases, these infections are preventable. Some prevention that can be done so as not to get this disease is by giving vaccines and avoiding various risk factors for this disease.

Some of the most common ways to prevent bronchopneumonia are:

• Vaccinations. Bronchopneumonia in children can also be prevented by means of vaccines. Usually the vaccines given to children under 2 years of age with children 2-5 years of age are different.
• Applying a clean lifestyle. Bronchopneumonia is an infectious disease. To reduce risks, you must maintain personal, family and environmental hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and clean running water so that bacteria and viruses do not stick to the surface of the skin.
• Stay away from cigarettes. This habit will only make your respiratory tract infected, including the lung organs.
• Live a healthy lifestyle. This aims to maintain your overall health. In addition, by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly, you will have a strong immune system and be able to ward off various foreign substances from entering the body.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.