Do you know the symptoms, causes, and prevention methods of 'aspiration pneumonia'?

 

Did you know about aspiration pneumonia? It is a pneumonia that occurs when foreign substances that are not allowed to enter the trachea, such as food or saliva, enter the trachea. This time, we will introduce the symptoms and causes of aspiration pneumonia, examination subjects and tests, and treatment and prevention methods.

What is aspiration pneumonia?

Aspiration pneumonia is pneumonia caused when foreign substances that should not enter the trachea, such as food or saliva, enter the trachea, and is mainly caused by oral bacteria entering the lungs. do. It is a disease that is easy to develop due to weakening of swallowing (swallowing) and coughing power in people with aging-related aging, sequelae of cerebrovascular disorders, or neurological diseases.

Other than that, there is also an indistinct misconception that saliva or gastric juice enters the trachea during sleep. During sleep, the person is not aware of it and it often occurs repeatedly. In addition, tube feeding through tube feeding can also cause aspiration pneumonia.

Pneumonia symptoms

Symptoms of aspiration pneumonia include fever, severe cough, dark-colored sputum, lung noise, and difficulty breathing. If you have shortness of breath or continue to cough while eating, you should be careful as you may swallow incorrectly. In addition, there are cases where it is misdiagnosed because symptoms are similar to those of a cold, but in the case of elderly people, there is a possibility that it is aspiration pneumonia.

However, it may be difficult for the elderly to show symptoms. Symptoms that do not appear to be pneumonia at first glance may appear, such as lack of energy or appetite, dizziness, drooling after eating, inability to swallow food, coughing while sleeping, and weight loss. there is.

Causes of aspiration pneumonia

Aging due to aging, sequelae of cerebrovascular disorders, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease often cause the swallowing function to deteriorate. Originally, the human body has a function of reflexively removing a foreign substance by coughing even if it enters the trachea. However, in the case of the elderly, this ability is reduced, and even if a foreign substance enters the trachea, it is difficult to breathe and becomes inexplicable aspiration. In addition, if the oral cavity is not clean, bacteria that cause pneumonia may multiply, increasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia.

Are there any other causes of pneumonia if swallowed by mistake?

The cause is the elderly over 75 years old, malnutrition, underlying diseases, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, insufficient oral care, deposits (cavities), and cervical nutrition.

Examination subjects for aspiration pneumonia

Consult a respiratory internal medicine department. If the elderly or those suffering from cerebrovascular disorders or neurological diseases described above develop symptoms such as fever, severe cough, dark sputum, etc., as there is a possibility of aspiration pneumonia, seek medical examination immediately. do. In addition, shortness of breath increases with food, and sputum may increase even if we swallowed by mistake. If these symptoms increase, let's seek medical attention immediately.

Inspection and diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia

Aspiration pneumonia is diagnosed when pneumonitis is confirmed on a chest X-ray in a person who has had aspiration pneumonia in the past, a person with impaired swallowing function, or a person with aspiration symptoms. In addition, blood tests that show an inflammatory reaction or an increase in white blood cells are also diagnosed.

How to treat aspiration pneumonia

Drug therapy with antibacterial agents is given to treat pneumonia. However, even if the pneumonia is treated with medicine, it cannot prevent swallowing. If swallowed incorrectly again, pneumonia may recur, so measures to prevent incorrect swallowing are necessary. Oral care is also important to prevent pneumonia.

How to prevent aspiration pneumonia

For the prevention of aspiration pneumonia, prevention of aspiration pneumonia and prevention of pneumonia are important respectively.

Prevention of Incorrect Swallowing

preventive gymnastics

First, tell me how to prevent swallowing incorrectly.

It is important to focus on swallowing while eating to prevent accidental swallowing. It is also effective to sit and chew well while eating, and not to talk or look away. . It is also recommended to cut food into smaller pieces or drink plenty of fluids to make it easier to swallow. And before eating, do swallowing exercises. Swallowing exercises are performed to facilitate swallowing by improving the movement of the neck, shoulders, mouth, and tongue.

How do you do the gymnastics?

First, take a slow, deep breath with abdominal breathing. Place your hands on your stomach, exhale slowly through your mouth while closing your stomach, and inhale through your nose while inflating your stomach. Repeat this several times. Return to normal breathing. Turn your head from side to side once, and lower your neck from side to side once. This time, I'll shrug my shoulders and put it down as if to relax. Repeat this two or three times. Continue to raise both hands and start stretching. Also, rotate your shoulders to slowly lower your upper body to the left and right.

After that, inflate or retract the cheeks 2-3 times. This time, stick out the tongue, pull it out, or move it from side to side. Please do this 2-3 times as well. Pappapa, la la la, kakakaka, and then slowly vocalize about 5 times. Finally, take the first deep breath and finish.

Prevention of pneumonia

Even with swallowing gymnastics, it is difficult to completely eliminate wrong swallowing. If the swallowing function or coughing function is weakened, it may cause involuntary aspiration during sleep, so measures are also necessary to prevent pneumonia as much as possible even if swallowed incorrectly. Let's take care of your mouth, such as brushing your teeth properly. If you don't take good care of your mouth, bacteria will multiply, which increases the number of bacteria absorbed when swallowed by mistake, which increases the risk of pneumonia. Smoking cessation is also important to prevent the growth of bacteria in the mucous membrane.

organize

Aspiration pneumonia is a pneumonia that develops when foreign substances such as food or saliva enter the trachea as a trigger. It mainly occurs when oral bacteria enter the lungs. occurs. Common symptoms include fever, severe cough, dark-colored sputum, lung noise, and difficulty breathing. The main cause is decreased swallowing function due to aging due to aging, sequelae of cerebrovascular disorders, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease. .

If you suspect aspiration pneumonia, see a respiratory physician. A chest x-ray and blood test will make a diagnosis. Treatment is medication to treat the pneumonia, but it cannot prevent incorrect swallowing. To avoid swallowing by mistake, be sure to sit down and chew well while eating, and focus on swallowing. Be careful not to lie down immediately after eating. It is also recommended to do swallowing exercises for a few minutes before eating. In addition, adequate oral care such as brushing properly is necessary to prevent pneumonia. While preventing aspiration pneumonia, if in doubt, consult a respiratory internal medicine department as soon as possible.