(Health Korea News / Hae-ri Lim) Although the risks of pneumonia are not as well known as cancer or heart disease, it is considered a more dangerous disease than cancer for the elderly and children with weak immune systems. William Osler, a Canadian doctor known as the ‘father of modern medicine,’ described pneumonia as “the last disease treated by doctors and the last suffering suffered by humans.” This clearly shows how serious a disease pneumonia is and how difficult it is to treat.
In fact, pneumonia is considered one of the top three causes of death in Korea, along with cancer and heart disease. According to Statistics Korea’s cause of death statistics, the number of deaths from pneumonia last year (2023) was 29,422, the third highest after cancer (85,271) and heart disease (33,147). This is more than the 24,194 people suffering from cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke. On average, 80.6 people die from pneumonia every day.
Junyoung Choi, a professor of respiratory medicine at Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, diagnosed, “As the number of people living longer increases due to the increase in the elderly population and the development of medical science, pneumonia is becoming an important cause of death, especially among the elderly.” Every year, November 12th is ‘World Pneumonia Day.’ Learn about the prevention and treatment of pneumonia with the help of Professor Junyoung Choi.
◇Top 3 causes of death in Korea… Fatal for those over 65, chronically ill, pregnant women, and children
Pneumonia is an infectious disease that causes inflammation of the lungs. It is mainly caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It begins when airborne pathogens enter the respiratory tract and cause inflammation in the alveoli, the small air sacs of the lungs.
The main cause is bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Symptoms are similar to a cold, such as fever, chills, and cough, but inflammation causes water to fill the lungs, resulting in high fever and phlegm. If inflammation invades the pleura surrounding the lungs, it causes pain and shortness of breath when breathing.
For reference, mycoplasma pneumonia, which has recently seen a significant increase in the number of patients, especially among children and adolescents, initially presents symptoms similar to a cold, such as headache, fever, and sore throat, but unlike a cold, symptoms progress for more than a week and become hoarse, coughing, and temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius. It is characterized by high fever. Coughing and general weakness may persist for 2 to 6 weeks, and may be accompanied by non-respiratory symptoms such as skin disease, arthritis, and encephalitis.
However, even if healthy adults contract pneumonia, there are cases where it does not cause any abnormalities. Mild cases can be easily treated with antibiotic treatment and rest.
However, if you are over 65 years old or suffer from a chronic disease, the story is different. In severe cases, it can lead to death, and there is a high possibility that it will develop into a serious condition. It is known that 9 out of 10 deaths due to pneumonia in Korea are people aged 65 or older. In particular, more than half of high-risk groups such as pregnant women, the elderly, and children are hospitalized for pneumonia.
The reason pneumonia is so scary is because it progresses to severe infections such as pyemia. In elderly people with weakened immune systems or people with chronic diseases, pneumonia may develop into sepsis. Sepsis is a disease that causes disability in major organs due to microbial infection. Severe sepsis and septic shock are so dangerous that the fatality rate reaches 20-35% and 40-60%, respectively.
Professor Choi Jun-young said, “Pneumonia appears acutely and is characterized by high fever, cough, and phlegm, but in the elderly, there are cases where atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath or loss of energy without cough or phlegm are observed,” adding, “Cold symptoms are common in people over 65 years old. “If high fever, cough, and phlegm persist for more than three days, you should visit a hospital to check for pneumonia,” he advised.
◇Improve lifestyle habits, prevent pneumonia with a vaccine… Free vaccinations for those born in 1959 this year
To reduce the risk of developing pneumonia, you must first change your lifestyle habits. To avoid infection, you should wash your hands thoroughly after outdoor activities, eat regular, nutritious meals, and strengthen your immunity by getting 6 to 8 hours of adequate sleep a day.
For people at high risk for pneumonia, preventive vaccines are helpful. High-risk groups include those over 65 years of age or under 65 years of age with chronic heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer patients, diabetes, cochlear phosphorescence and cerebrospinal fluid leakage, administration of immunosuppressants, organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, There is asplenia, etc. Getting the pneumonia vaccine can greatly reduce the fatal complications that occur when infected with pneumococcus. It is known to be effective in preventing up to 75% of people over 65 years of age and 65-84% of people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease.
The pneumonia prevention vaccine used in Korea contains 13 (PCV13) and 23 pneumococcal antigens (PPSV23) that most commonly cause pneumonia among the 90 types of causative bacteria identified so far. The 13-valent protein conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) are administered sequentially, and the 13-valent vaccine is administered once. If the 23-valent vaccine was administered before the age of 65, the 23-valent vaccine should be re-vaccinated once or twice at intervals of 5 years or more, depending on the recipient’s condition. Seniors aged 65 years and older can receive the vaccination for free. This year, free vaccination is available for those born in 1959. Simultaneous vaccination with influenza vaccine is recommended.
Professor Choi Jun-young said, “People with chronic diseases or underlying diseases under the age of 65 who have weak respiratory systems and low immunity are also in the high-risk group, so it is good to consider getting the pneumonia vaccine, and we also recommend getting the influenza vaccine every year.” “It is recommended that all children or children in high-risk groups over the age of 5 consult with a specialist and consider receiving the pneumonia vaccine,” he advised.
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