Loretta Lynn, famed country music singer, was diagnosed with Pneumonia. She was hospitalized on Saturday causing her to miss two of her live performances. Lynn’s website constantly updates people on the health status of the 76 year old singer.

"Doctors have diagnosed her as the beginning stages pneumonia, and (she) will continue to need rest. Loretta is doing well and is disappointed but feels confident she will be ready for upcoming November dates," posted on Lynn’s website.

What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection affecting one or both lungs. Alveoli or the so-called lung’s air sacs are inflamed which cause difficulty of breathing. The air sacs are usually filled with fluid or pus. And that is the main cause of the symptoms associated – chills, fever, and cough with phlegm.

This respiratory disorder can be caused by different opportunistic microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Knowing the cause and the microorganisms that caused the disease is important for the main treatment. The severity of symptoms also varies depending on the cause.

Some groups of people can be severely affected by pneumonia. These groups include infants and young children, older adults, and people with existing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart failure, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

Pneumonia is also known to be an opportunistic disease because it targets people with weak immune system like those with HIV/AIDs, people undergoing hemodialysis, and those who are having chemotherapy sessions.

Causes of Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia remains to be the most common cause of Pneumonia in the United States. Streptococcus Pneumonae is the most opportunistic bacterium causing hospital and community acquired pneumonia.

On the other hand, viral pneumonia is about one-third of all pneumonia cases. However, it is the mildest among all types of pneumonia and can be cured in two to three weeks even without treatment.

Meanwhile, Pneumonia caused by fungi is often passive. Most people with fungal pneumonia do not have signs and symptoms of the disease. However, people with suppressed immune system with fungal pneumonia will experience the usual signs and symptoms – cough, phlegm, fever, chills, and difficulty of breathing.

Treatments:

Bacterial pneumonia can be treated by rest and antibiotics. Taking medicines will definitely relieve the symptoms after a day or two. However, relief from symptoms doesn’t n mean that you have to stop from taking antibiotics. You have to finish the treatment plan to make sure that the disease won’t come back again.

But if the main cause of the disease is viral, antibiotics won’t work. Antiviral medicines are needed to treat viral pneumonia.

If the situation gets worse, hospitalization might be needed. Symptomatic treatments are also necessary in treating the symptoms of the disease. For instance, paracetamol can be given to treat fever and oxygen masks can be used in patients with difficulty of breathing.