Pulmonary aspiration which occurs when you inhale things such as stomach acid, food or saliva into your lungs later on leads to aspiration pneumonia. This condition occurs due to the lungs getting filled up with bacteria that may come with the food or saliva you have inhaled. It is therefore important to be aware of Aspiration Pneumonia Prevention steps that you can follow to keep yourself healthier.
When pneumonia occurs, it usually displays some symptoms that you may face. One of them includes poor oral health whereby you may have bad breath. A lot of coughing with sputum and throat clearing when you eat, chest pains, fatigue, difficulty in swallowing food and wheezing are part of the symptoms. The elderly, who are above 60 years are susceptible to this condition especially those with neurological disorders.
The food, saliva and liquids can get to the lungs when they come back up from the stomach or when food goes the wrong way when chewing. These two can be caused by some medical conditions such as throat cancer and dysphagia which make it impossible for one to swallow food properly. Having gag reflexes when eating could also be a cause that can be controlled with coughing but may not be a solution to people having conditions like Parkinsons disease.
Aspiration pneumonia can be prevented with the help of advice and guidance from a specialist. For instance, people suffering from dysphagia can be taken through diet modification. Since this condition causes a person not to swallow food properly, providing a diet that has good viscosity can allow you to swallow food properly without feeling the need to cough or any pain.
The other step for prevention is through swallowing therapy. Swallowing food properly is important in preventing food from reaching the lungs. A swallow therapist can guide you through exercises that will help you relax the gut muscles and allow you to get food to the stomach properly. This will be helpful to people having difficulties in swallowing their foods due to medical conditions.
Having a good practice on dental hygiene also helps a great deal. Keeping your teeth clean at all times through regular brushing and use of mouth wash reduces the percentage of bacteria in your saliva. Intake of a lot of water also helps out in your oral hygiene. This is preventative such that when saliva finds its way to the lungs. It will have less bacteria that may cause an infection to the lungs.
Your chosen lifestyle will also have a great impact on preventing aspiration pneumonia. If you may be having a tendency of taking too much alcohol, you are risking your body to be prone to the illness. Alcohol equates to a lot of vomiting especially when taken in excess which in the end results to both food and liquid reaching the lungs. To avoid this, a change is recommended, instead of too much alcohol substitute it with other beverages.
In addition to prevention of this condition, treatment is also mandatory. Make sure you get to the most immediate health center and speak to a licensed doctor. The doctor should take you through some tests and inquire on your overall health and if you were recently hospitalized. Make sure that you are careful when taking medications, swallowing them correctly and practice a lot of care if they make you drowsy.
When pneumonia occurs, it usually displays some symptoms that you may face. One of them includes poor oral health whereby you may have bad breath. A lot of coughing with sputum and throat clearing when you eat, chest pains, fatigue, difficulty in swallowing food and wheezing are part of the symptoms. The elderly, who are above 60 years are susceptible to this condition especially those with neurological disorders.
The food, saliva and liquids can get to the lungs when they come back up from the stomach or when food goes the wrong way when chewing. These two can be caused by some medical conditions such as throat cancer and dysphagia which make it impossible for one to swallow food properly. Having gag reflexes when eating could also be a cause that can be controlled with coughing but may not be a solution to people having conditions like Parkinsons disease.
Aspiration pneumonia can be prevented with the help of advice and guidance from a specialist. For instance, people suffering from dysphagia can be taken through diet modification. Since this condition causes a person not to swallow food properly, providing a diet that has good viscosity can allow you to swallow food properly without feeling the need to cough or any pain.
The other step for prevention is through swallowing therapy. Swallowing food properly is important in preventing food from reaching the lungs. A swallow therapist can guide you through exercises that will help you relax the gut muscles and allow you to get food to the stomach properly. This will be helpful to people having difficulties in swallowing their foods due to medical conditions.
Having a good practice on dental hygiene also helps a great deal. Keeping your teeth clean at all times through regular brushing and use of mouth wash reduces the percentage of bacteria in your saliva. Intake of a lot of water also helps out in your oral hygiene. This is preventative such that when saliva finds its way to the lungs. It will have less bacteria that may cause an infection to the lungs.
Your chosen lifestyle will also have a great impact on preventing aspiration pneumonia. If you may be having a tendency of taking too much alcohol, you are risking your body to be prone to the illness. Alcohol equates to a lot of vomiting especially when taken in excess which in the end results to both food and liquid reaching the lungs. To avoid this, a change is recommended, instead of too much alcohol substitute it with other beverages.
In addition to prevention of this condition, treatment is also mandatory. Make sure you get to the most immediate health center and speak to a licensed doctor. The doctor should take you through some tests and inquire on your overall health and if you were recently hospitalized. Make sure that you are careful when taking medications, swallowing them correctly and practice a lot of care if they make you drowsy.
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