Dr Mamman Ibrahim, a Paediatrician at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, says pneumonia is not caused by cold but by bacteria or viruses.
Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that “pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung or parenchyma, which is the portion of the lung involved in gas transfer.’’
He said that pneumonia could be viral, fungal or bacterial in nature.
“Pneumonia usually starts when one breathes germs into the lungs and may likely get the disease after having a cold or flu.
“The patients usually present with cough, difficulty in breathing and fever,’’ he said.
He explained that for prevention, one should treat any underlying cough or catarrh, as most pneumonia cases were caused by bacteria from these diseases resulting from infected lungs.
He said that pneumonia could be contacted during normal daily activities at school, workplace, hospital, also known as community-associated pneumonia.
He explained that the symptoms could also be associated with chest pain and could be worsened by coughs resulting in fast heartbeats.
“The main sign of pneumonia in older adults may be severe confusion or hallucination, which is common if the adult already had lung infection.
“Symptoms caused by viruses are the same as those caused by bacteria, but may come on slowly and often are not as obvious or as bad,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said that the management of pneumonia could be with anti-biotic and oxygen, to support difficulty in breathing.
He, therefore, recommended visiting a doctor for physical examination like chest x-ray and blood tests, if any symptom of pneumonia was observed.
Ibrahim said that for common cold and catarrh, parents should seek doctor’s advice and never indulge in self medication.
He cautioned that no matter how small the illness was, one should consult a doctor on time because it could result in a bigger medical issue.