Aspiration Pneumonia Is: Causes, Risk Factors, and Symptoms

Illustration - aspiration pneumonia (photo: Freepik)

YOGYAKARTA - Aspiration pneumonia is a type of respiratory disease. This condition is caused by bacterial infection and inflammation in the lungs due to the entry of foreign objects into the lungs, such as saliva, vomit, drinks, or food.

In order to understand it better, let's see what aspiration pneumonia is, from the causes to the accompanying symptoms.

Aspiration Pneumonia Is

Quoted from the Cleveland Clinic website, aspiration pneumonia is a bacterial infection that occurs in the lungs. This condition can arise when a person experiences aspiration, that is, inhaling something other than air into the respiratory tract. The inhaled object or substance can be food, liquid, saliva, stomach acid, vomit, even small foreign objects.

Most people have experienced an incident when food or drink "goes the wrong way", that is, enters the respiratory tract leading to the lungs, not the esophagus leading to the stomach. In normal conditions, the body will respond with a cough reflex to remove the substance. However, in some people, the substance is not successfully removed and eventually enters the lungs, even though it should not be there. This situation can trigger bacterial growth and cause lung infections or pneumonia.

Many people with aspiration pneumonia are unaware that the aspiration process has occurred. This condition is known as silent aspiration. Infection due to aspiration can develop slowly, ranging from a few days to even several weeks after the aspiration occurs.

Causes of Aspiration Pneumonia

Aspiration pneumonia occurs when a person inhales a foreign substance into the lungs that should not be there.

The risk of aspiration pneumonia will increase if the foreign body cannot be expelled through a cough reflex or when the aspiration process is not realized.

Substances other than air generally carry bacteria which can then develop and cause infection in the lungs.

Some substances that can enter the lungs and trigger the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia include:

Saliva and mucus from the mouth and nose Gastric acid Emesis Food or drink Small foreign objects Risk factors for aspiration pneumonia

In addition, there are several conditions that can increase the incidence of aspiration pneumonia, including:

Disturbance of consciousness, for example due to the abuse of NAPZA, the use of narcotics, excessive alcohol consumption, stroke, head injury, epilepsy, and dementia. Swallowing disorders, for example due to esophageal cancer, throat cancer, wounds in the esophagus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and mystenia gravis. Other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), too long lying down due to illness as well as using a nasogastric tube. Symptoms of Aspiration Pneumonia

Aspiration pneumonia can be experienced by anyone, including children. The main symptoms of aspiration pneumonia are coughing with greenish mucus, accompanied by blood, and a bad smell.

Here are some symptoms of aspiration pneumonia that need to be aware of:

Fever Shortness of breath (dyspnea) or wheezing Cough with blood or pus Chest pain Bad breath Very severe fatigue

For additional information, the symptoms of aspiration pneumonia do not always appear immediately. In many cases, new symptoms develop within days to weeks after a person has aspirated. It is important to know that many people with aspiration pneumonia do not realize that they have inhaled foreign objects or substances into the respiratory tract.

That's the explanation about aspiration pneumonia. Visit VOI.id for other interesting news.