The infection of the lung is a disease called the pneumonia. It is a common disease which is caused by several different agents. Will talk about what causes pneumonia below. In the United States alone, the sixth most common disease that leads to death is pneumonia. At the same time, it is the most common fatal infection that patients acquire in the hospitals. In other developing countries, it has become one of the two most common causes of death with diarrhea being the other. Before we discuss what causes pneumonia, let’s first understand pneumonia in greater detail.
A healthy human lung is free of disease-causing microorganisms. Normally there is no bacterium or virus present in a healthy lung. What keeps our lungs free from such microorganisms is our immune system. This complex defense system helps our lungs keep clean. First and foremost, when we breathe air, the hairs in our nose trap the large particles of foreign invaders away from our lungs. In the larynx, there is what we call the epiglottis that serves as the trapdoor. It keeps the food and other swallowed substances from our lungs. On the other hand, the mucus that we know as the thick liquid is in fact
normal. It is produced to capture the other smaller particles such as bacteria, dust, and other microorganisms. On the other hand, the cilia that are hair-like projections running through the respiratory system also trap and remove foreign particles away from our body or the lungs. Aside from that, white blood cells, particularly the special types called the macrophages are part of the defensive system. All these are what keep our lungs healthy.
On the other hand, the defenses may from time to time not work as it should depending on several factors. And those imperfections are what cause lungs to get infections. For one, if the person smokes or is exposed to large amounts of smoke on a regular basis, then that person is most likely to be infected. If there are too many smoke particles that your body inhales, then it may be too much for our defenses to remove. When this happens, our lungs get infected and can eventually lead to pneumonia.
So what causes pneumonia? Here are some conditions that can lead to this disease:
- If your epiglottis is damaged, then you may develop pneumonia. Your epiglottis may be damaged due to factors such as stroke, seizures, alcohol, and various drugs. When this happens, some particles can get into the lungs when you swallow.
- Viruses that can affect the respiratory tract can also lead to pneumonia. One example can be HIV or AIDS.
- Old age can also be a reason for pneumonia because as people gets older, the immune system also gets weaker.
- Chronic diseases and surgery can also cause pneumonia.
Other than these conditions, pneumonia can also be caused by the following organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites:
- Viruses such as influenza, tonsillitis, common cold
- Streptococcus penumoniae bacteria
- Mycoplasma pneumonia organis
- Protozoan called Pneumocystis carinii
- An organism known as Chlamydia psittaci