Essay on Pneumonia

Abstract

State governments have adopted several measures to fight pneumonia. This paper explains the use of the website as one way of creating health awareness in the world. In addition, the paper defines the concept of pneumonia and outlines some of the most common signs and symptoms of the disease. The paper recommends some of the most useful websites where people can get more information concerning disease.

Introduction

Pneumonia is a common killer disease. Each year, around 1.6 Million people in the world die from pneumonia (Gilani et al., 2012). As a result, many developed and developing countries have initiated pneumonia studies that provide etiology data. Use of study materials from the internet has promoted the campaign against the disease. People access various government websites to find more about treatment and prevention of pneumonia. There is a need to encourage the use of the internet as a way of creating public awareness concerning pneumonia.

Recommended Website

The most appropriate website that I would recommend to the patient for support discharge teaching is Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (https://www.cdc.gov/about/default.htm). It is a federal government sponsored website.

Reasons, Factors, and Methodology Used To Select the Site

The government finances the website, and this gives the assurance that the information contained in it is accurate, unbiased, and credible (“CDC 24/7”, 2018). In addition, the site has an extensive database of qualified physicians with adequate experience in the diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia. Due to the constant changes in the healthcare system, the site provides specific dates of the postings made in it, thus assuring users of its reliability. To consider this as an efficient website, I used some methodologies which included its usability, quality of the content, and accountability.

Authors of the site take responsibility for the contents they upload by providing their personal information such as names. In addition, information from the website is backed with practical cases. The system provides users with contact information where they can make inquiries, give their suggestions, and submit feedback. I explored factors such as compliance with the government policies and the mission of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. The site complies with the No FEAR Act of 2002. Moreover, the site is committed to protecting communities from harmful health effects related to exposure to natural and man-made substances (“CDC 24/7”, 2018).

Definition and Explanation of Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs caused by bacteria or viral pathogens. The main common organisms identified as the cause of this disease are Streptococcus pneumonia and Haemophilus influenza (Yadav & Awasthi, 2016). The disease causes mild to severe illness in people of all ages. Community-acquired pneumonia in children under five years old is divided into two categories namely, pneumonia and severe pneumonia (Yadav & Awasthi, 2016).

Pneumonia victims develop fever, start coughing, and have difficulties in breathing. The disease is currently the leading infectious cause of death in children under the age of five years worldwide(Yadav & Awasthi, 2016). Community-acquired pneumonia is caused by factors such as malnutrition, lack of adequate breastfeeding, iron deficiency anemia, and indoor air pollution. Doctors treat pneumonia depending on its cause. Often, the disease is treated with medicine and prevented by use of vaccines. Medical practitioners advise people to practice good hygiene practices such as washing hands and disinfecting the most touched surface as some of the ways to prevent pneumonia. In addition, they advise people to take responsibility for their medical problems, for example, quitting smoking.

Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia

Signs and symptoms of pneumonia vary from mild to severe (“Pneumonia – Symptoms and causes”, 2017). It all depends on factors such the age of the person, types of the germs that caused the infection, and the overall health of the patient. The patient should call the doctor or go the emergency room if the signs and symptoms become severe. Such signs and symptoms include extreme chest pain during breathing or coughing, changes in mental awareness characterized by confusion, and difficulties in breathing.

Newborns and infants may not show any signs of pneumonia (“Pneumonia – Symptoms and causes”, 2017). However, some may develop fever, become relentless, and start to breathe heavily. In such circumstances, the parents of the child should take him or her to the hospital for pneumonia diagnoses. To old adults and people with a history of heart failure and chronic lung problems, pneumonia is a serious threat to their life. It is advisable that these people report any early signs such as nausea or diarrhea to a medic as soon as they develop.

Graphical map of St John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois

Source:https://www.american-school-search.com/images/school-map/saint-johns-hospital-school-of-clinical-lab-science.png

Links

Some of the websites that give information concerning pneumonia include Kidshealth.org (http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/pneumonia.html). The website explains pneumonia and identifies signs and symptoms of the disease in young children. The site provides treatment methods and preventive measures as well. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28738364), analysis risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia in adults. http://www.pkids.org/diseases/pneumonia.html offers some of the treatment options for pneumonia. In addition, it explains types of pneumonia and their signs.

Conclusion

As highlighted above, pneumonia is among the most life-threatening diseases in the world. Doctors in the world try to control this disease by providing reliable diagnosis materials to promote patient discharge education. Such materials include websites and other online study resources. Before settling on a website to provide health education, doctors should ensure that the site is accurate, reliable, credible, and non-biased. Some of the signs and symptoms of pneumonia include chest pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting. To keep pneumonia in check, medical practitioners should encourage people to maximize the use of the internet to learn more about the treatment and preventive measures of the disease.

References

CDC 24/7. (2018). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 18 January 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov

Gilani, Z., Kwong, Y., Levine, O., Deloria-Knoll, M., Scott, J., O’Brien, K., & Feikin, D. (2012). A Literature Review and Survey of Childhood Pneumonia Etiology Studies: 2000–2010. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 54(suppl_2), S102-S108.

Pneumonia – Symptoms and causes. (2017). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 18 January 2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pneumonia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354204

Yadav, K., & Awasthi, S. (2016). The current status of community-acquired pneumonia management and prevention in children under 5 years of age in India: a review. Therapeutic Advances In Infectious Disease.