Get To Know More About Aspiration Pneumonia Prevention

By Patricia Young


In essences, aspiration pneumonia is a complication affecting pulmonary inhalation when an individual inhales food, saliva or stomach acid to the lungs. Additionally, food travelling back from your stomach may be aspirated to the esophagus. Because all these situations may convey bacteria that bring about infections to the lungs, aspiration pneumonia prevention remains very crucial. Even though healthy lungs can clear up such aspirated contents, failure to do such clearances will often cause pneumonia.

Basically, pneumonia due to the aspirated materials arises if the body defenses have been impaired and the aspirated contents contain harmful bacteria. On the other hand, an individual may aspirate and develop this condition when a drink or food goes the wrong way. However, this may occur even when you have normal swallowing. Nevertheless, a person can be able to clear up, thereby preventing this condition although people with impaired coughing ability may find it difficult to clear it up.

On the contrary, damages in coughing abilities are a consequence of different factors for instance medical conditions like myasthenia gravis and other conditions like neurologic disorders and throat cancer. Other causes of damages to coughing abilities are such as weakened immune systems, using alcohol, illegal or prescription drugs excessively, and using sedatives and anesthesia. Additional causes are for instance dental problems which usually interrupt normal swallowing and also when a person has esophageal disorders.

Some people will as well be predisposed to the condition from various factors. The predisposition factors include lung diseases, stroke, impaired consciousness, seizure, and dementia. This is on top of factors such as swallowing dysfunctions, dental problems, neurological diseases and impaired mental status. On the other hand, heartburn, gastro-esophageal reflux diseases as well as radiation therapies to the head or neck are other risk issues.

This pneumonic condition is often diagnosed in different ways. To begin with, physicians usually assess for pneumonic symptoms via physical assessments. This is meant to pick out symptoms like decreases in airflows, crackling lung generated sounds as well as rapid heart rates. Several additional tests may also be recommended by the doctor just to verify the condition including sputum culture, chest CT scans, arterial blood gas, bronchoscopy, chest x-ray as well as blood culture.

The treatment of the aspirated pneumonic condition usually depend on how severe the condition is. Also, the duration and outcome of the treatment depends on hospital policies, preexisting conditions and the general health of the patient. If the condition is more severe, hospitalization may be necessary. Usually, doctors prescribe antibiotics for this condition.

On the other hand, aspirated pneumonic conditions remains very much preventable. Individuals can always practice restraint by avoiding behaviors that will cause the various forms of aspirations or instance drinking excessively. An individual may as well require to maintain some keenness whenever they take medications that bring about drowsiness. Nevertheless, ideal dental care remains key especially by carrying out routine dental care.

There are also complications that come with aspirated pneumonia. Such complications are such as bronchiectasis or lung abscess that arise if the condition is left untreated. This condition may also result in acute respiratory distress.




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