{"id":13333,"date":"2024-11-13T01:50:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T01:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=13333"},"modified":"2024-11-13T01:50:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T01:50:50","slug":"world-pneumonia-day-2024-6-symptoms-of-pneumonia-in-the-elderly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=13333","title":{"rendered":"World Pneumonia Day 2024: 6 symptoms of pneumonia in the elderly"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Pneumonia in the elderly can quickly become serious and deadly. On World Pneumonia Day, know the symptoms of this infection that affects one or both lungs, and ways to prevent it.<\/p>\n

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Pneumonia is an infection that attacks one or both the lungs of people, including older adults. As we grow older, your immune system gets weak and tends to infect all kinds of bacteria and viruses. Bacteria are a common cause of this lung infection in adults. Pneumonia in the elderly can easily get severe, which is why timely treatment is a must. The problem with spotting the signs of this infection in seniors is that the classic symptoms like fever, and cough are usually not present. On World Pneumonia Day, observed each year on November 12, we tell you about the symptoms and treatment options.<\/p>\n

What is pneumonia?<\/h2>\n

It is a severe lung infection<\/a> that causes inflammation in the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs. \u201cThe alveoli may fill with fluid or pus, and lead to symptoms like cough, and fever. It can affect people of all ages, but is particularly dangerous for elderly individuals due to weakened immune systems and other underlying health conditions,\u201d says pulmonologist Dr Pooja Bajaj<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Pneumonia
Bacteria mostly cause pneumonia in adults. Image courtesy: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It can be caused by different types of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, but bacteria are one of the most common causes of this infection in adults, according to the US National Heart, Lung And Blood Institute<\/a>. Bacterial pneumonia, the most common form, often affects only one part of a lung, as per the American Lung Association<\/a>. It has four stages of pneumonia:<\/p>\n