Bronchopneumonia is one type of pneumonia, which is an infection that causes inflammation of the lungs caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Bronchopneumonia can also be triggered by several risk factors, such as age,, environment, lifestyle, and certain health conditions.
Bronchopneumonia is a type of pneumonia that causes infection and inflammation of the airways (bronchi) and air sacs (alveoli). This causes the airways to narrow and the area of air exchange with blood to be reduced. As a result, people with bronchopneumonia have difficulty breathing.
Symptom Symptoms of Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia is characterized by several symptoms, namely:
- Fever
- Cough with phlegm
- Hard to breathe
- Chest pain
- Quick breath
- Sweating
- happy
- Headache
- Muscle ache
- Fatigue
- Decreased appetite
Symptoms of bronchopneumonia that appear can be mild or severe. Initially, the symptoms tend to be similar to those of bronchitis. Therefore, if you experience the above symptoms and the symptoms persist for several days, consult your doctor immediately.
Doctors will usually recommend a chest X-ray to see what's inside the lungs. The diagnosis of bronchopneumonia can be determined through X-rays.
Risk Factors for Bronchopneumonia to Watch Out for
Bronchopneumonia is generally caused by a bacterial infection and can be contagious. A person is likely to be infected with this disease if he inhales the droplets of saliva that come out of the sufferer's sneeze or cough.
In addition, there are also several factors that can increase a person's risk of developing bronchopneumonia, namely:
1. Age
Children under 2 years of age or the elderly (65 years and over) are both at higher risk of developing bronchopneumonia and its complications. The reason is because the immune system of children under 2 years of age tends to be underdeveloped, while the immune system of the elderly tends to decrease.
2. Certain medical conditions
People with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, lupus, heart disease, and diabetes, have a higher risk of developing bronchopneumonia.
3. The air is not clean
Exposure to air pollution, namely smoke, dust, and chemicals can cause inflammation of the lungs. This makes the lungs more susceptible to respiratory infections such as bronchopneumonia.
4. Lifestyle
Alcohol addiction, smoking, and poor nutritional intake are also risk factors for bronchopneumonia.
5. Nosocomial infections
A person who is hospitalized for suffering from certain diseases is at risk for nosocomial infections, especially if the person is treated in the ICU (ICU).intensive care unit) and use a ventilator to breathe.
The use of a ventilator makes it difficult for a person to cough so that phlegm is difficult to get out and germs are trapped inside. In addition, the development of bronchopneumonia in the hospital can also be caused by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Examination and Management of Bronchopneumonia
If you belong to a group of people who are at high risk of developing bronchopneumonia, you are advised to immediately consult a doctor when symptoms of bronchopneumonia appear. The doctor will thoroughly examine your health condition and may suggest a number of tests, such as a chest X-ray, blood tests, or a CT scan.
If the test results lead to a diagnosis of bronchopneumonia, the following treatments may be recommended:
Consumption of antibiotics
If your bronchopneumonia is caused by a bacterial infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. You will need to take your antibiotics as directed by your doctor for a full recovery.
Rest at home and adopt a healthy lifestyle
In mild cases of bronchopneumonia or caused by a virus, you may not need serious treatment because symptoms usually get better on their own within 2 weeks. However, in order for the body to recover quickly, you are advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle during the healing process.
Keep in mind that bronchopneumonia can also become severe, even causing a person to need a breathing apparatus. Therefore, prevention is better than cure.
To prevent bronchopneumonia infection, you are advised to maintain good health and hygiene, including getting used to regularly washing your hands with soap. For infants and toddlers, giving the pneumococcal vaccine or PCV on schedule can help prevent children from becoming infected with this disease.