Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs. It is one of the very serious health conditions that should be treated by a doctor. It can be fatal and land you in the hospital for extended periods of time. Lung infection will affect the tiny air sacs of the lung, and the symptoms of it are having a bad cough, flu, and fever.
You don’t have any idea that you may be putting yourself at a higher risk of Pneumonia without knowing it due to your lifestyle. Here are the six risk factors you need to know about Pneumonia.
1. Smoking
Inhaling cigarette smoke can improve your chances of a serious lung infection. According to Science Daily, almost 10 percent of smokers admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and diagnosed with cancer within a year.
Lung cancer is a form of a disease that kills most Americans. Pneumonia and lung cancer are found to be the highest incidence of cancer.
2. Age
While smoking is a choice, your age isn’t. It’s also one of the risk factors when it comes to developing pneumonia. According to the Mayo Clinic, children under 2 years and adults over 65 years are at high risk.
3. COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition that causes blocked airways and makes breathing difficult. If you develop pneumonia with COPD, you may experience chills, increased chest pain, or a high fever.
4. Hospital Says
Staying in a hospital for another reason can increase your chances of developing a lung infection. The chances increase if you’re in the intensive care unit or using a ventilator. It can also come on following major surgery or while getting treatments like kidney dialysis, for one. It can be dangerous if you’re already dealing with a weakened immune system.
5. Human Immuno Deficiency (HIV)
The Human Immuno Deficiency virus (HIV) can increase your chances of contracting pneumonia. Almost 75 percent of HIV positive patients contracted Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP). The good news here, is since therapies and drugs have been introduced to treat HIV that percentage is way down.
6. Certain Medications
WebMD also notes that if you take medication known as “proton pump inhibitors” to reduce the amount of Stomach acid, you could be at higher risk for pneumonia. Several studies have also shown inhaled corticosteroids (for patients with chronic obstructive lung disease) increase the chance of developing pneumonia as well.
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