Aspiration Pneumonia is a Serious Problem

Introduction:

Inayat, who was recently in the hospital, came back home and was on bed rest when she realized that she had developed some severe throat problem which was not expected. At first, she thought it was because of previous disease. But her situation grew, and it became more serious. She called her doctor and told her the symptoms. The doctor said to her that she might have developed the symptoms of aspiration pneumonia in the hospital.

After going through several tests and an X-ray, it was discovered that she had developed aspiration pneumonia, and now again, she was admitted to the hospital.

Aspiration Pneumonitis

Aspiration pneumonia is a severe problem. The lungs get inflamed and the bronchial tubes too, due to breathing of a foreign substance. It occurs when a person incorrectly swallows food, liquids, vomit, mouth secretions, or any other substances, and it passes in the respiratory tract of the lungs instead of the stomach. It can also be caused due to the absence of a gag reflex when asleep or in an unconscious mind. It also affects children who cannot speak and are infants.

Treatment of Aspiration Pneumonia

Antibiotics: eating antibiotics helps in fighting germs and bacteria.

Change in posture: changing the posture of feeding will show an improvement.

Substituting liquids for solids: 

Surgery: the last option in case of severity is surgery.

Symptoms of Aspiration Pneumonia

• Weak sucking: Your child might have a problem drinking milk from your breast. Frequent stopping and a fall in appetite are observed. They might not suck milk or water as they usually would, and you will see them coughing very frequently.
• Choking: Choking is a significant sign of aspiration pneumonia. Every time you feed your child, they will start choking.
• Breathing pace: there is a sudden increase in their pace of breathing. They will stop various times while you feed them.
• Constant lung infections: aspiration pneumonia paediatrics shows a sign of this.

Causes Of Pneumonia In Pediatrics

• Abnormal anatomy: When anatomy is abnormal, specific organs might not be placed as usual. So the food, liquid, or anything that they consume might get displaced. Therefore they are at risk of contracting this kind of pneumonia.
• Delayed growth: A delay in the development of hormones is also a significant cause of pneumonia. According to the doctors, as the body is growing, there might be some problem in swallowing food leading to pneumonia.
• Brain damage: children who are mentally not sound and have brain damage might face this problem. Due to brain damage, the brain might not receive the message of the body as expected, and the food might get stuck in the lungs leading to aspiration pneumonia.
• Problems with nerves: When the nerves do not function properly, the body might not work as usual. When you try to chew food, the jaw might not work. It is hazardous, and people with nerve problems are often at risk of getting aspiration pneumonia.
• Medical procedure: While performing specific medical procedures, often a mistake is made, and then it can cause a problem in the throat, and the passage might change. An expert always gets treated; a minor issue in infants can also lead to severe threats to their bodies.

Conclusion

Aspiration pneumonia can be a severe problem if you don’t treat it.  Usually, it does not happen to fit and fine people and occurs to those who are physically not fit or have undergone some surgery or are mentally not sound. It is highly advised to notice the patterns of eating of small babies.

Always consult a doctor whenever you feel there is something wrong.

It is wise to do something on your own but never good for the patient.

Aspiration pneumonia is indeed a serious problem and requires medical assistance. But don’t worry, doctors are experts in handling these kinds of stuff and provide you with expert care.