Pneumonia – Because you Need to Know!

Pneumonia isn’t an uncommon infection, yet most people who think of themselves as relatively fit and healthy never imagine it could affect them. That’s why we’re bringing this serious illness to your attention through the first-hand experiences of Louise, who was recently diagnosed with it.

Louise’s story, in her own words:

I’m 64 years old. A vegetarian, and a non-smoker who seldom drinks alcohol. An avid gardener, I grow almost all my own vegetables, something that helps keep my weight to a healthy 60kgs. I also enjoy hiking, and for pleasure, I run 40 minutes 4-5 times a week. Whenever I go for my regular health check-up, my GP describes my lifestyle as exemplary. So how is it, just before Christmas, I ended up with pneumonia? Looking back, and with some knowledge of the infection now under my belt, it’s not that hard to understand.

Pneumonia comes in different forms but each is caused by an infection in the lungs. The infection may be caused by bacteria, virus, or other microorganisms. The different types of pneumonia are given different names according to where the infection was encountered. For example, Hospital-acquired pneumonia is contracted while in hospital, and may be resistant to antibiotics. Bacterial pneumonia (the type I had) is contracted, mainly, from those around you with the infection – if they cough or sneeze, you can breathe in their contaminated air droplets.

Hearing this, my first question to my doctor was: “Why don’t people get pneumonia more often?” After all, those with coughs and colds are all around us (my grandchildren, who I look after 3 days a week,) regularly come home from daycare with sniffles and coughs. But as it happens, when we’re in good shape, our bodies are in a position to fight off the sort of bacterial and viral infections that can cause pneumonia, and they do so through our immune system. It’s when the immune system is ‘run down’ (a colloquial term for its reduced ability to recognise and fight infection), that we’re in trouble.

As for what causes an immune system to become deficient, the reasons are many. The most common is age; adults over the age of 65 are in one of the highest risk brackets for contracting pneumonia simply because, as we age, our immune systems naturally weaken. Other factors that can potentially weaken an immune system include some medications and treatments, existing infections and diseases, obesity, lifestyle factors (including smoking and alcohol consumption), nutritional deficiencies, and chronic stress.

As I sat in my GP’s office, I mentally ticked most of those contributors off my list – except for two. The one upper most in my mind was chronic stress. It had been a very cold, wet spring in my part of the country, and the garden wasn’t co-operating. Consequently, I was out working it in all weathers, and often for much longer than I would have been normally. Coupled with this, we were expecting guests over the Christmas holidays, and I was determined to redecorate a bedroom in readiness for them. One thing led to another, and suddenly, I was washing every wall and window in the house, installing new furniture, and all on top of my regular full time office job. Then it was discovered my husband would need to be away from home for 6 weeks for medical treatment in the closest city, which left me alone with all these tasks. With all I had to do, meals got skipped, and those I did have were more like snacks on-the-run. And did I mention I was also training for the half marathon I intended running before my 65th birthday just a few weeks away?

When I mentioned all this to my doctor, she did her best not to role her eyes, but the message was clear: I was no longer a spring chicken, and I had clearly (although she didn’t use these exact words) cooked my own goose. What’s more, she said running would have to take back seat for a couple of months, and I would need to rest-up for several weeks or face the consequences. I left her office with my 9 day course of antibiotics, grateful they would soon alleviate the terrible symptoms I was suffering, and made a list of all the jobs I wouldn’t be doing before Christmas. I think I may have also whispered an apology to my immune system.

I’ve taken home some very important lessons about how not to ignore symptoms of pneumonia. In its initial stages, I attributed the extreme tiredness I was feeling to ‘doing too much,’ and thought I would simply work through it. Symptoms of pneumonia can also be confused with a nasty cold, or the flu, and those, like me, who are usually in good health, can assume these ailments will improve of their own accord. When they don’t, and we don’t make time to get the symptoms checked out, things only get worse.

Next time I feel flu-like for longer than expected, I certainly won’t be waiting for night sweats and dehydration to kick in, or for my temperature to start raging. And I certainly won’t be waiting 10 days before I head to my GP to find out what is ailing me. I’ve learned my lesson, and though I still intend running the half marathon, I’ll be building up to it more slowly, while keeping a close watch on my nutrition and other commitments.  Age doesn’t have to be a barrier to keeping active, but it does need to be taken into consideration.

If you are concerned about your potential to contract pneumonia, talk to your GP about how you can best take care of your health, especially your immune system.