Contents:
- Medical Video: Pneumonia | Nucleus Health
- How can flu cause pneumonia?
- How do I know if the flu has become pneumonia?
- In addition to pneumonia, flu can also cause other complications
Medical Video: Pneumonia | Nucleus Health
The flu becomes a subscription disease during the rainy season and is very easily transmitted from one person to another. Symptoms vary, can also be mild and severe and lead to complications, one of which is pneumonia. Is it true that flu can become pneumonia? Find out how flu viruses cause complications and some of the symptoms that you must watch out for.
How can flu cause pneumonia?
Flu is a common disease that is often overlooked by symptoms. Even though this disease can be very dangerous and cause death, especially in children, the elderly, and people with certain health problems. The most common cause of death from complications of flu is pneumonia, which is inflammation of the alveoli in the lungs.
Nearly one third of cases of pneumonia patients are caused by influenza virus infections. "Flu viruses can cause inflammation and lung damage," said Jason Turowski, MD, a pulmonologist (respiratory disease expert) at the Cleveland Clinic, as quoted from Everyday Health. Besides influenza viruses, other causes of pneumonia are bacteria, fungi, or parasites.
When the flu virus spreads and enters the lung area, the air sacs in the lungs called the alveoli can become inflamed. The Alveoli will be filled with fluid and pus so that the exchange of carbon dioxide with oxygen is inhibited. As a result, people with this condition will have difficulty breathing.
Without treatment, pneumonia from the flu virus can cause fluid buildup in the lungs, spread viruses or bacteria to the bloodstream, and cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). If someone already has COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), such as bronchitis or emphysema, then the risk of getting pneumonia due to the flu virus becomes greater.
How do I know if the flu has become pneumonia?
To find out if the flu has worsened and become pneumonia, you need to pay attention to what the symptoms are. The flu causes mild to severe symptoms, such as fever, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and body aches. When this happens, you can take cold medicine without a prescription or do your home treatment to relieve symptoms.
Symptoms of mild pneumonia that attacks the body (atypical), usually looks like flu symptoms. The difference is that all the flu symptoms will stay more than one week. In addition, other symptoms that need to be addressed are phlegm coughing, fever with shivering and sweating, breathing faster, difficulty breathing, and chest pain.
In addition to pneumonia, flu can also cause other complications
If you feel flu symptoms that are severe and do not go away, you should immediately check with your doctor. Get faster treatment, help you prevent complications of the disease. Besides pneumonia, flu viruses can also cause other complications, such as:
- Sinusitis and otitis media. The flu virus can cause the sinuses to swell. Symptoms include nasal congestion, sore throat, coughing, pain in the area of the nose and around the eyes. Without treatment, the sinuses can cause otitis media (middle ear infection). Symptoms include swelling and ear pain, discharge from the ear, fever, and difficulty hearing.
- Bronchitis. This disease occurs due to irritation of the bronchial mucous membranes in the lungs. Symptoms that you need to watch out for are phlegm cough, chest tightness, fever and a cold, hot body, and body fatigue.
- Encephalitis.Although rare, flu viruses can enter brain tissue and cause inflammation. This condition results in nerve cells being destroyed, bleeding, and brain damage.
