What is pneumonia, how is it caused, and how can it be prevented?

Pneumonia is a disease characterized by inflammation of
lungs. It is caused by infection from different type of micro organisms like virus,
bacteria, and fungi.  Pneumonia may also be caused by allergic reaction to inhaling
irritating chemicals. Conditions like emphysema, heart disease, alcoholism, and deceases
that weaken the body's resistance of infection increase the risk of getting pneumonia,
and make recovery from it difficult.

Pneumonia is generally
caused by the infectious micro-organism present in the air inhaled. It is also caused by
the bacteria normally present in mouth, nose and throat getting into lungs. These
infectious micro organisms lodge in the air sacks of lungs where the blood interacts
with the air inhaled to exchange its carbon dioxide for oxygen. Here the microbes
multiply quickly. To wight this infection the blood produces white blood cells, causing
the air sacs to get filled with these.

Treatment of
Pneumonia requires bed rest until at least two or three days after the fever due to
pneumonia ends. For pneumonia caused by viral there is the main treatment. In case of
bacterial pneumonia suitable antibiotic drugs are
administered.

Pneumonia caused by influenza, can be
prevented by influenza vaccination. Similarly pneomococci vaccines protects the body
from this type of pneumonia. Such vaccinations are generally required only for patients
with long term illness or who have high risk of contracting
pneumonia.