Pneumonia is an infectious disease that affects the lungs, which can be caused by bacteria or viruses or fungi. Inflammation of the lungs is one of the most dangerous diseases in the world, despite the fact that there is a large arsenal of medications to fight the infection. The disease often proceeds without visible symptoms, so it is detected late. Later treatment leads to various complications. This article will consider what complications are after pneumonia, and how to identify them in order to start therapy in a timely manner.
Who is at risk?
The negative consequences of the disease are most often found in the following category of patients:
- elderly people;
- children, most often infants;
- persons with congenital low immunity;
- weakened by cancer, taking a large number of medications, HIV-infected;
- suffering from diseases of the respiratory system;
- having chronic diseases - heart defects, diabetes mellitus, problems with the musculoskeletal system;
- received inappropriate treatment - drugs prescribed without analysis for effectiveness against the pathogen, self-medication;
- patients with total pneumonia;
- abusers of alcoholism and smoking.
Causes of occurrence
Complications after the disease appear as a result of:
- severe emotional stress;
- poor nutrition;
- low immunity;
- frequent colds;
- failures in the endocrine system;
- heavy operations;
- senile age;
- smoking, taking alcohol and drugs;
- non-compliance with the treatment regimen;
- incorrectly drawn up treatment regimen;
- severe intoxication of the body by pathogenic microorganisms.
Complications after pneumonia
All the consequences after pneumonia are divided at the site of localization into two types: pulmonary and extrapulmonary.
Pulmonary complications include the following diseases:
- pulmonary abscess and gangrene;
- different types of pleurisy and bleeding;
- bronchial obstructive syndrome;
- severe respiratory failure.
The most common extrapulmonary complications include:
- bleeding disorder with the formation of blood clots in small vessels (DIC);
- anomalies associated with the work of the heart and blood vessels;
- encephalitis and meningitis;
- all kinds of mental deviations;
- infectious toxic shock (ITS);
- general infection of the body by pathogens through the blood (sepsis).
To the question of what complications may be after pneumonia, it should be answered that with the blood stream the infection located in the lungs can enter any internal organ and cause its disease.
The consequences of pneumonia in children
Pneumonia is an insidious disease, after it often negative consequences occur that last a lifetime. It is very important to complete the treatment until complete recovery, since despite the improvement in the condition of the child, the inflammatory process can continue. Recovery must necessarily be confirmed by a control examination. The most common and safest consequence of pneumonia is a prolonged cough that occurs as a result of a damaged mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and the release of a significant amount of sputum. It can last several weeks after recovery.
In addition, often a complication after pneumonia in children becomes asthenic syndrome. It is manifested by mental irritable weakness, impatience, unstable mood, fatigue, intolerance to loud sound, bright light.
Physiotherapy helps to eliminate the consequences. Performing special massages, aerotherapy, breathing exercises help speed up the healing process.
Complications of pneumonia in children that appear immediately after an illness
Some complications of the disease appear immediately after the first few days after the recovery of the child or even during treatment. These include:
- Neurotoxicosis. In children, this disease is the body's response to infection. Sick, the child shows increased activity, can cry for a long time, arrange tantrums. After some time, his mood changes dramatically. Animation disappears, lethargy, depression, indifference to others appear. Then after a while the high temperature rises to 40 degrees, which cannot be reduced. Amid the heat, cramps occur with a possible respiratory arrest.
- Waterhouse-Fridericksen Syndrome. This is a serious pathology that develops with hemorrhages in the adrenal cortex. The complication after pneumonia, the symptoms of which are manifested by an increase in temperature of more than 39 degrees and headaches, has an acute course. A rapid decrease in blood pressure occurs, tachycardia appears, the pulse is barely felt. Breathing becomes rapid and intermittent, possibly a coma.
For the successful treatment of the consequences of pneumonia, it is very important to diagnose the disease on time. In childhood, complications develop very quickly.
Delayed complications
A child who is considered to have recovered may suddenly feel unwell as a result of late complications after pneumonia. Such diseases include:
- Pulmonary failure - often worries children after recovering from an underlying disease. The child has shortness of breath, rapid surface breathing, lips and nasolabial triangle acquire a bluish tint.
- Sepsis is a general infection of the body by pathological microorganisms that enter the bloodstream. It is characterized by high body temperature, impaired heart rate, decreased blood pressure, loss of consciousness. The disease is incurable.
To prevent negative consequences, the treatment of pneumonia should be taken very seriously and strictly follow all doctor's prescriptions.
Complications of the cardiovascular system
Pathogens located in the lungs, spreading throughout the body, often cause heart complications. After pneumonia, the following diseases can occur:
- Myocarditis. This is an inflammation of the heart muscle, as a result of which its main functions are violated: conductivity, the ability to contract. The disease begins with mild symptoms. With the progression of myocarditis, a decrease in working capacity, rapid fatigue, weakness against the background of normal or slightly elevated body temperature appears. The main symptom of the disease is a constant stitching or pressing pain in the upper part of the heart, which cannot be stopped with nitroglycerin. Heart failure appears, as indicated by shortness of breath with slight physical activity, arrhythmia and swelling of the legs.
- Pericarditis. If an infection enters the pericardial cavity with complications after pneumonia, the outer membrane of the heart becomes inflamed. The patient feels severe weakness and constant chest pain, which intensifies with inhalation, coughing, swallowing and lying down. There is a change in the tissue of the pericardium: it becomes dense and thick, limiting the amplitude of the movement of the heart. It ceases to cope with the incoming blood volume, so puffiness is formed. Without proper treatment, pulmonary edema may develop.
What are the complications after pneumonia in adults?
In addition to disorders in the cardiovascular system, the following serious diseases can begin:
- Lung abscess - this disease is associated with inflammation of the lung tissue, its destruction and the formation of necrotic cavities filled with pus. In the initial stages, general weakness, shortness of breath, fever, dry cough, loss of appetite are observed. With the development of the disease, the cough becomes moist, a large amount of sputum is released, which has an unpleasant odor and dark color, the body temperature decreases and the general condition improves.
- Pulmonary edema - occurs due to the accumulation of fluid in the tissues of the organ. Symptoms of complications after pneumonia in adults are manifested in a violation of gas exchange, which leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood, the appearance of bluish skin and lack of air. The patient suffers from severe shortness of breath even at rest, bubbling breathing, tachycardia. When coughing, foamy sputum of a pink hue is released. Fear of death appears, consciousness is confused, often a coma occurs.
- Pleurisy - there are three types: dry, exudative and purulent. Often diagnosed as a complication after pneumonia, when the infection enters the pleura and causes inflammation. Each type of disease has its own symptoms, but weakness, low working capacity, fever, and cough are characteristic of all.
Prevention of Complications
The most important thing for patients with pneumonia is to protect themselves from complications. To do this, make sure that after the course of therapy, the body temperature has completely stabilized, and x-rays show that there are no foci of inflammation left in the lungs. After recovery, doctors recommend paying special attention to nutrition. The diet will include healthy foods containing vitamins, minerals and trace elements. To maintain the immune system, you need to use decoctions of herbs and vitamin complexes.
To restore the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, the use of probiotics is necessary. The course of physiotherapy will help restore and strengthen the respiratory system. It is recommended that the recovering person is more likely to be in the fresh air, engage in all possible sports and beware of colds. With a serious attitude to treatment, rehabilitation is successful, and health is restored.
Conclusion
Pneumonia, like all other diseases, is not treated equally. Some, using medicines, quickly recover, others, even with a serious attitude to the disease and careful healing, recover slowly and hard. As a result, serious complications after pneumonia are possible. This is due to various factors, the most important of which are: improperly selected drugs or weak immunity.