How Is Aspiration Pneumonia Treated
Aspiration pneumonia is treated primarily with antibiotics. The choice of antibiotics depends on several things, including any allergies to penicillin and where the pneumonia was acquired. Hospital-acquired infections must be treated with antibiotics that are effective against many types of bacteria.
Even though aspiration pneumonitis isnt an infection, your provider may start antibiotic therapy, depending on the clinical situation and underlying medical conditions.
Additional treatment might include oxygen therapy or, in life-threatening cases, mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilation means that a machine is breathing for you.
Preventing further aspiration is an important part of treatment, since every episode of aspiration can lead to inflammation or infection.
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How To Keep Your Lungs Strong For Covid
An offense is the best defense for maintaining your lung health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this unprecedented time, it is important to not only stay home and work safely whenever and wherever possible, but it is also critically important to keep your lungs and immune system healthy to improve your bodys ability to fight off infection or illness.
We know that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease obstructs respiratory pathways with very thick mucus. In order for medicines and treatments to work, the airways must be open and unblocked. This takes a number of days.
In order to actively fight off any viral infection, including this one, the best offense is healthy lungs.
Here are some proactive steps you can take to optimize your pulmonary health.
Three Factors In Coronavirus Lung Damage
Galiatsatos notes three factors that affect the lung damage risk in COVID-19 infections and how likely the person is to recover and regain lung function:
Disease severity. The first is the severity of the coronavirus infection itself whether the person has a mild case, or a severe one, Galiatsatos says. Milder cases are less likely to cause lasting scars in the lung tissue.
Health conditions. Galiatsatos says, The second is whether there are existing health problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease that can raise the risk for severe disease. Older people are also more vulnerable for a severe case of COVID-19. Their lung tissues may be less elastic, and they may have weakened immunity because of advanced age.
Treatment. Treatment is the third factor, he says. A patients recovery and long-term lung health is going to depend on what kind of care they get, and how quickly. Timely support in the hospital for severely ill patients can minimize lung damage.
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Pneumonia Recovery: Helpful Tips
Getting adequate rest, managing symptoms, staying hydrated and eating properly can help promote a quicker recovery from pneumonia. In some cases, breathing exercises taught by a respiratory therapist can aid in healing and recovery. Stopping smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke will also help speed recovery.
Taking antibiotics as directed for as long as directed can also help prevent relapse if the pneumonia is caused by bacteria. Not completing a course of antibiotics can also increase chances of developing antibiotic resistance if you need to take this type of antibiotic again in the future, so its important to finish medication as directed. Note that a cough may persist for up to 3 weeks after finishing antibiotics.
A chest X-ray following the completion of antibiotics can help determine if the lung infection has cleared up.
If pneumonia is caused by a virus or fungal infection, other medications are needed.
An Early Response Matters
The disruption of tissue homeostasis caused by damage rapidly changes the local microenvironment adjacent to the damaged lung. The wound environment becomes positive for molecules derived from pathogens which contaminate it and from the intracellular environment of dying cells. The survival advantage given by the rapid detection of tissue damage has driven the evolution of cellular receptors that recognise conserved structural elements frequently found in pathogens and on intracellular cell components that are only released following damage. Such receptors are termed pattern recognition receptors and include the Tolllike receptors and the retinoic acidinducible gene I like receptors. Molecules derived from pathogens and recognised by specific PRR are called pathogenassociated molecular patterns , whilst ligands that derived from damaged host cells are known as dangerassociated molecular patterns .
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Can I Prevent Pneumonia
The routine vaccinations that most people receive as kids help prevent certain types of pneumonia and other infections. If you have a chronic illness, such as sickle cell disease, you may have received extra vaccinations and disease-preventing antibiotics to help prevent pneumonia and other infections caused by bacteria.
People should get a pneumococcal vaccination if they have diseases that affect their immune system , are 65 years or older, or are in other high-risk groups. Depending on the bugs that are likely to affect them, these people also may get antibiotics to prevent pneumonia, as well as antiviral medicine to prevent or lessen the effects of viral pneumonia.
Doctors recommend that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu shot. That’s because someone with the flu could then come down with pneumonia. Call your doctor’s office or check your local health department to see when these vaccines are available.
Because pneumonia is often caused by germs, a good way to prevent it is to keep your distance from anyone you know who has pneumonia or other respiratory infections. Use separate drinking glasses and eating utensils wash your hands often with warm, soapy water and avoid touching used tissues and paper towels.
You also can stay strong and help avoid some of the illnesses that might lead to pneumonia by eating as healthily as possible, getting a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night, and not smoking.
Pneumonia Recovery And Nutrition: You Are What You Eat
A healthy and well-balanced diet is critical to overall health, and it certainly comes into play as our bodies heal from infections and viruses. What you put into your body has a direct impact on your recovery from pneumonia, which is why patients are advised to stop smoking and also limit alcohol consumption if they have or are recovering from pneumonia.
Nutrient-rich foods are known to help our bodies and fight illnesses as well as heal from them, so focusing on a healthy diet will likely shorten your recovery time, too. When it comes to addressing the weakness and fatigue associated with pneumonia, experts point to:
- plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
- foods containing vitamin D
- foods containing iron
A Vitamin D-rich Diet
Vitamin D has been shown to strengthen our immune systems, making it a great tool in terms of fighting many illnesses, including pneumonia, and recovering from them.
While many of us get a daily dose of Vitamin D out in the fresh air, when we are exposed to sunshine, if we are in bed recovering from pneumonia our time in the sun is limited or nonexistent. We can instead look for foods to boost Vitamin D levels, including:
- fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
- fortified breakfast cereals
- eggs
- milk
In some foods Vitamin D occurs naturally. Others are fortified with Vitamin D , such as breakfast cereals.
An Iron-rich Diet
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Risk Factors For Community
CAP is the most common type of pneumonia. It develops outside of the hospital. Each year 2 to 4 million people in the US develop CAP, and 600,000 are hospitalized. Older people, infants, and young children are at greatest risk for the disease.
Chronic Lung Disease
Chronic obstructive lung disease , which includes long-term bronchitis and emphysema, affects 15 million people in the US. This condition is a major risk factor for pneumonia. Long-term use of corticosteroid inhalers may increase the risk of pneumonia in people with COPD. People with other types of chronic lung diseases, such as bronchiectasis and interstitial lung diseases, are also at increased risk for getting pneumonia and more likely to have complications.
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi, the main air passages to the lungs. It generally follows a viral respiratory infection. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and fatigue.
People With Compromised Immune Systems
People with impaired immune systems are extremely susceptible to pneumonia. It is a common problem in people with HIV and AIDS. A wide variety of organisms, including P jiroveci, Myobacterium species, Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Aspergillus species, cytomegalovirus, and Toxoplasma gondii, can cause pneumonia.
In addition to AIDS, other conditions that compromise the immune system include:
- Adult and pediatric cancers, such as leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma
- Organ transplantation
- Children
Be Aware Of Your General Health
- Since pneumonia often follows respiratory infections, be aware of any symptoms that linger more than a few days.
- Good health habitsa healthy diet, rest, regular exercise, etc.help you from getting sick from viruses and respiratory illnesses. They also help promote fast recovery when you do get a cold, the flu or other respiratory illness.
If you have children, talk to their doctor about:
- Hib vaccine, which prevents pneumonia in children from Haemophilus influenza type b
- A drug called Synagis , which is given to some children younger than 24 months to prevent pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus .
If you have cancer or HIV, talk to your doctor about additional ways to prevent pneumonia and other infections.
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Positioning Exercises To Clear Phlegm
Your lungs have 5 lobes in total and phlegm can be in any of these.
Positioning exercises use gravity to help clear phlegm that has built up in your lobes.
How effective they are will depend on the thickness or stickiness of your phlegm. It may be harder to clear thick phlegm. These exercises may not work if your phlegm is very thick and sticky.
Wait for at least 1 hour after a large meal before starting these exercises. Stop an exercise if you have heartburn or feel sick during it.
Maintenance Of Tissue Structural Integration Supports Regeneration
In parallel with the local immune response, tissue cells are stimulated to secrete extracellular matrix components and the proteases needed to remodel it. Cells proliferate and/or differentiate, and finally, excess cells undergo apoptosis in response to a reduction in the local levels of growth factors, resulting in the reforming of the previous tissue architecture. Tissue regeneration is dependent on a supply of cells from adjacent healthy tissue or precursor cell populations. The likelihood that such cells are available is related in part to the level of damage, natural history and possibly the age of the individual. If the stimuli which initiated the healing microenvironment are not reduced, cellular responses continue and this sustains the activation and differentiation of myofibroblasts. Consequently, repair processes dominate, and the damaged tissue is replaced mostly with fibrous scar tissue.
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Tips For Healthy Lungs
Like the rest of our body, our lungs need daily care
We dont often consider the role our lungs play in keeping us strong and well. Its only when we experience breathing problems that we begin to appreciate how hard our lungs work for us. The truth is that, like the rest of our body, our lungs require daily care and attention to function at their best.
Breathing feeds oxygen to the cells throughout your body. Without sufficient oxygen, people are more prone to health problems, including respiratory illnesses, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even heart disease.
But the ordinary breathing that we do day in and out isnt enough to keep the oxygen flowing through the body at peak levels, according to experts at Rush University Medical Center.
“Lungs at rest and during most daily activities are only at 50 percent of their capacity,” says Gagan Singh, RRT, a respiratory therapist. “Like the rest of your body, lungs thrive on movement and activity.”
Since regular day-to-day activity doesnt help you use your lungs to full capacity, you need to challenge the lungs with more intense activity.
And to help counteract the buildup of toxins and tar in the lungs caused by environmental pollutants, allergens, dust and cigarette smoke, you need to help your lungs cleanse themselves, Singh explains.
Follow these nine tips and to help improve your lung health and keep these vital organs going strong for life:
Can Coronavirus Patients Lessen The Chance Of Lung Damage
There are things patients can do to increase their chances for less severe lung damage, Galiatsatos says.
If you have a health issue that puts you at higher risk, make sure youre doing everything you can to minimize the chance of contracting the virus. Also, make sure that your chronic health conditions are managed as well as they can be. For example, people living with diabetes, COPD or heart disease should be especially careful to manage those conditions with monitoring and taking their medications as directed.
Galiatsatos adds that proper nutrition and hydration can also help patients avoid complications of COVID-19. Staying well fed is important for overall health. Proper hydration maintains proper blood volume and healthy mucous membranes in the respiratory system, which can help them better resist infection and tissue damage.
Coronavirus: Smoking, Vaping, Wildfire Smoke and Air Pollution
Our expert, Panagis Galiatsatos, M.D., M.H.S. discusses how smoking, vaping and air pollution might increase the severity of COVID-19. Learn about how each of these could affect a COVID-19 diagnosis.
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Choosing The Right Antibiotic
Dozens of antibiotics are available for treating pneumonia, but selecting the best drug is sometimes difficult. People with pneumonia need an antibiotic that is effective against the organism causing the disease. When the organism is unknown, “empiric therapy” is given, meaning the doctor chooses which antibiotic is likely to work based on factors such as the person’s age, health, and severity of the illness.
In adults, the choice of antibiotic therapy depends on the severity of infection and site of care. In all cases, the more quickly antibiotic therapy is started once the diagnosis is made, the better the outcomes. In most cases, the organism causing the pneumonia will not be known before antibiotic therapy is started, so the doctor must choose an antibiotic regimen based on history and symptoms. Later, the therapy may be altered when more information becomes available. To determine the appropriate antibiotic, the doctor must first answer a number of questions:
Once an antibiotic has been chosen, there are still difficulties:
- Individuals respond differently to the same antibiotic, depending on their age, health, size, and other factors.
- People can be allergic to certain antibiotics, thus requiring alternatives.
- People may have strains of bacteria that are resistant to certain antibiotics.
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Antibiotic Treatments For Community
For a more detailed discussion of the different types of antibiotics, see the “Antibiotic Classes” section below.
Joint guidelines issued in 2019 by the IDSA/ATS recommend that mild CAP in otherwise healthy people be treated with amoxicillin or doxycycline. If the person lives in an area with low S pneumoniae resistance to macrolides, a macrolide antibiotic therapy may also be considered.
The British Thoracic Society recommends amoxicillin, doxycycline, or clarithromycin as alternatives.
Many people with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or other coexisting conditions may still be treated as outpatients.
People with coexisting conditions should be given a macrolide plus a beta-lactam or a fluoroquinolone as monotherapy. Doxycycline can be given as an alternative to a macrolide. Current recommendations call for at least 5 days of antibiotic therapy. People should have no fever for at least 48 hours and no more than one sign of continuing severe illness before discontinuing antibiotics.
Many cases of CAP are caused by S pneumoniae — Gram-positive bacteria that usually respond to antibiotics known as beta-lactams , and to macrolides. However, resistant strains of S pneumoniae are increasingly common. Most resistant strains respond to fluoroquinolones such as levofloxacin , gemifloxacin , or moxifloxacin .
In addition, other important causes of CAP, particularly in younger people, are atypical bacteria, which respond to macrolides , or newer fluoroquinolones.
What Vitamins May Help Repair The Lungs
Aug 13, 2021 | hide, Uncategorized
Many people are aware of the benefits proper levels of vitamins and minerals in the body may offer. However, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic lung diseases may benefit from vitamins to a greater degree than other people. In fact, our health care team at Lung Health Institute can tell you there are 2 vitamins that may help promote the repair of tissue in the lungs.
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Chronic Lung Disease Results From Dysregulated Repair Processes
The consequences of prolonged or repeated periods of infection, irritants or toxins can induce a state of chronic inflammation, a tissue environment in which repair processes that replace the normal tissue architecture with fibrotic tissue are favored over tissue regeneration. If multiple areas of the lung are affected in this way, then lung function is progressively and irreversibly reduced.
Lung Health Institute Can Help You Find Ways To Get The Helpful Vitamins Your Lungs Need
Our health care team at Lung Health Institute is well aware of the benefits certain vitamins and minerals may offer for your chronic lung disease. Thats why weve made getting the vitamins and minerals you need a cornerstone of our 3 Anti-Inflammatory Initiative plans. For instance, our AI2 plans provide nutrition tips and a supply of helpful supplements that may help your body get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to promote lung health. We also offer cellular therapy, which uses your bodys own cells in ways that may help promote lung tissue repair and reduce inflammation. Contact one of our patient coordinators today for more information or to schedule a free consultation.
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