According to experts, it’s better to know information in theory about a disease like pneumonia than to encounter it in practice. Especially when it comes to children's form. In fact, this kind of disease is quite common. In three out of five cases, as a rule, a child is diagnosed with pneumonia in our country. It is noteworthy that this ailment lies in wait for the baby at a tender age (2-3 years). Let's take a closer look at it in this article.
general information
How does pneumonia occur in a child? Surely many parents are interested in this issue. Everything is very simple. With pneumonia, the pathogen rapidly penetrates directly into the alveoli themselves (vesicles at the ends of the bronchi). Then the inflammatory process begins to develop. In the alveoli, the so-called exudate accumulates. This is a liquid, which, in turn, greatly complicates the process of gas exchange in the body. As a result, there is a sharp decrease in oxygen in the baby (hypoxia). Almost all vital organs lack oxygen, which, of course, is not good.
Why does a child develop pneumonia?
- Doctors note that the causes of this ailment in adults and children are somewhat different. In the adult generation, such a disease mainly develops as an independent. Most often (about 90% of all cases) in a child, pneumonia is diagnosed due to recent infections (acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, etc.).
- In young children, as you know, the immune system is not yet as well developed as in adults. It is she who plays a direct role in whether the infection present in the body will develop into pneumonia or not. Therefore, the younger the child, the higher the likelihood of pneumonia.
- Not the least role is played by the development of the respiratory system. If the baby was born with an underdeveloped lung or immature respiratory system, the risk of developing the disease is slightly higher.
Diagnosis of pneumonia in children
Upon availability
If there is a suspicion on the part of the parents about this diagnosis, seek qualified help immediately. Doctors, in turn, must necessarily conduct a series of examinations, after which such an unpleasant disease will be confirmed or refuted.
Treatment
Pneumonia in young children is currently being treated by standard methods. First of all, doctors eliminate the focus of inflammation and all associated symptoms. Most often prescribed antibiotics. Of course, almost all parents are not happy that their child is exposed to the strongest effects of drugs, but at the moment this kind of practice is the most effective.
Conclusion
It should be noted that the treatment of this disease should be carried out exclusively by qualified doctors. In no case should you resort to the help of traditional medicine. So you will only make the child worse, and the disease cannot be defeated at all.