2006-11-03 20:23:50 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Respiratory Diseases
Pneumonia means that there is an infection or inflammation in the lung tissue. It can be caused by a lot of different micro-organisms - viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites that are too small to see - but it can also be caused by corrosive chemicals breathed into the stomach or toxic gases from a fire.
Pneumonia is still a common disease. Many people die from it every year, most commonly women and people over the age of 70. The overall death rate due to pneumonia is currently 5 per cent.
Half of all pneumonia cases are caused by bacteria. The streptococcus bacteria, known as pneumococcus, is the main cause of the most typical pneumonia.
How is pneumonia contracted?
Infection usually occurs when you breathe in the micro-organisms.
More rarely, pneumonia is contracted when bacterial colonies from infections in other places in the body - such as an infected bone - travel via the blood circulation to the lungs and stay there.
Finally, you can breathe in the contents of your stomach, eg following vomiting, which causes chemical pneumonia and may bring micro-organisms into the lungs.
2006-11-03 20:27:50 · answer #1 · answered by richard_beckham2001 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi,
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs caused by infection with bacteria, viruses or other organisms. Usually these organisms enter the lungs through the air that is breathed. Pneumonia may also be caused from infections that spread to the lungs through the blood stream from other parts of the body.
The body's defence mechanisms normally protect the lungs from infection. If these mechanisms are weakened as in patients with chronic illnesses such as malignancy, diabetes, HIV infection, alcoholism, liver cirrhosis and asthma, then bacteria or other organisms produce pneumonia.
The main causes of pneumonia are Bacteria but pneumonia may also be due to viruses and other organisms. Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus is the most common bacteria, accounting for nearly half the cases. Other bacteria may cause pneumonia in hospitalised or very sick patients, in children with cystic fibrosis, and in people with chronic lung conditions. Tuberculosis is also one of the important causes of pneumonia.
Feel Free toContact.
Enjoy Life
Dr.Mojo
2006-11-03 20:45:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are more that one way to get it , you can catch it by inhaling the virus, and can be inoculated against this form if you are elderly or diabetic. the cover lasts 10 years. or you can have a chest infection which gets worse and affects the lungs or if you have had a fall and have been lying for some hours on the floor. these are some of the ways
but
going out in the rain with newly washed hair wont give it to you no matter what my granny said.
2006-11-03 20:38:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
its easy get on the back of a truck and get wet all over with ice cold water ,(like freezing rain,in the mountains)
then get your self dry by sitting in the wind ,on the back of the same speeding truck(the colder the wind the better)and finally go in to some hot air ,like they have in the tropics.
this is what i did and i got pneumonia with out any trouble ,worked like a charm
now my question is ,WHY do you want to catch it
2006-11-03 20:35:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its in the nose and throat and normally happens when you've been ill with a chest infection. It's not very nice but i dont think you can catch it.
2006-11-03 20:27:31 · answer #5 · answered by Scatty 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
stand outside in the cold wet pouring rain for a couple of hours with no clothes on
2006-11-03 20:44:04 · answer #6 · answered by internat y 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
3 primary means.
1. bacterial infection
2. viral infection
3. physical trauma
2006-11-03 20:27:00 · answer #7 · answered by guyd_15 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
with a butterfly net
2006-11-03 20:36:09 · answer #8 · answered by tomzy33 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋