Search
Close this search box.

Must-Know Facts About Pneumonia in Older Adults

pneumonia in elderly

Share This Post

As a lung infection, pneumonia can be particularly dangerous for older adults. After being admitted to the hospital with the illness, pneumonia claims the lives of almost 50,000 Americans each year. Complications and mortality are particularly common in older people.

The decline in immunological function that comes with aging increases the danger of illness and mortality, particularly for older adults.

Older people and their families may benefit from a short-term stay at an assisted living or skilled nursing facility after a hospitalization for pneumonia to regain their strength and endurance.

We’ve included information below related to symptoms of pneumonia, causes of pneumoniam, treatment and prevention.

 If you think your loved one may have pneumonia, make sure to consult with the doctor immediately.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the respiratory system that leads to swelling of the alveoli and the air sacs of the lungs. In addition, pus or fluid can collect in the alveoli, obstructing their ability to absorb oxygen from the blood. Aside from the fever, chills, and other symptoms, this may also make it difficult to breathe.

Pneumonia can affect one lung or both. Double pneumonia is a form of pneumonia that attacks both lungs. Compared to single pneumonia, the signs of double pneumonia aren’t any worse. Age, general health, and the nature of the initial illness all have a role in determining how severe an infection may become.

Symptoms of Pneumonia in Older Adults

Symptoms of Pneumonia in Older Adults

It is critical to consult a doctor as soon as possible if an older adult exhibits any of the following symptoms. It’s crucial to remember that older people could suffer distinct illness symptoms from younger people.

  • Coughing
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Sweating
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Chest pain
  • When coughing, green, yellow, or bloody sputum may appear.
  • Feeling drained
  • Shallow, rapid breathing
  • Feeling suddenly worse after a recent respiratory infection (e.g., cold, flu, COVID-19)
  • Uncertainty or alterations in behavior
  • Reduced appetite
  • A decrease in blood oxygen level that results in blue lips or fingernails

Be aware that a milder form of pneumonia, sometimes called “walking pneumonia” or “atypical pneumonia,” can also occur in older adults. Walking pneumonia symptoms might be so subtle that a person or their caregiver might not even be aware of them.

Causes of Pneumonia

Microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, or fungi can result in lung infections, often known as pneumonia. The most frequent type of pneumonia is pneumococcal pneumonia, which is brought on by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The common cold, the influenza virus, and the Coronavirus are all examples of viruses that can enter the upper respiratory tract and cause viral pneumonia, which can then lead to bacterial infection of the lungs.

Both viral and bacterial respiratory infections, which can cause pneumonia, are extremely contagious. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reports that respiratory droplets transfer pneumonia from person to person.

Most people already have Streptococcus pneumoniae or a close relative of it residing in their respiratory system. Pneumonia is contagious, although most older adults catch it by themselves.

There are bacteria in everyone’s throats and nostrils. The bronchial tubes of those who are frailer can commonly become clogged with secretions because the lungs cannot expel them. Pus, mucus, and other fluids accumulate, blocking airflow to the lungs.

This means that oxygen is not reaching the blood and cells. Pneumonia can lead to a bacterial bloodstream infection, which can lead to congestion and inflammation around the lungs.

What Increases The Risk of Pneumonia in Older Adults?

What Increases The Risk of Pneumonia in Older Adults

1. Frailty

Simply put, older adults are more fragile than young. But unfortunately, no single cause or diagnosis can be used to describe frailty.

According to one study, it is “a clinically identifiable state of heightened vulnerability arising from an aging-associated reduction in reserve and function across several physiologic systems so that the ability to cope with ordinary or acute stressors is compromised.”

Muscular weakness is a common indicator of frailty in the elderly. It can directly impact an older person’s capacity to clear discharges from the lungs and prevent infection properly. Unintended weight loss, extreme fatigue, sluggish walking speed, and a lack of physical exercise are further signs of frailty.

2. Immune System Weakness

As our immune systems decline, it might be more challenging for older adults to stave off illnesses such as pneumonia. Steroids and chemotherapy, for example, can have the opposite effect and weaken the immune system even more.

Choices in lifestyle, such as consuming tobacco products or excessive amounts of alcohol, can also damage the immune system.

3. Health Issues Common Among Older People

Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and heart disease are just a few chronic illnesses that might raise the risk of pneumonia in older adults. In addition, emphysema, asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and bronchiectasis are all lung disorders that considerably increase this risk.

According to data gathered by the CDC, over 86% of U.S. people aged 65 and up suffer from at least one chronic health condition.

4. Surgery

Because their bodies are already making great efforts to heal, older patients recovering from surgery are at a higher risk of contracting pneumonia. In addition, in the aftermath of surgery, patients are often offered pain medication, which might cause them to breathe more shallowly and contribute to the accumulation of mucus in the lungs.

Complications of Pneumonia

Pneumonia ranges in severity from minimaloderate to severe to fatal. In the absence of appropriate treatment, pneumonia can progress to bacteremia (blood infection). In addition, severe sepsis, an immune system response to a blood infection, is possible. Infections affecting the respiratory system, such as pneumonia, are a leading cause of sepsis in older adults.

Older adults have an increased risk of death from sepsis, making it a medical emergency. Changes in mental state, blood pressure, and respiration rate can all occur suddenly and are indicators of sepsis.

If you have any symptoms of sepsis, you should visit the nearest emergency department right away. Additional issues include emphysema, pleural effusion, pleurisy, pulmonary abscesses, kidney failure, and respiratory failure.

Treatment of Pneumonia in Older Adults

The treatment for pneumonia is condition-specific. The best way to make your older loved one feel better is to treat the condition. Make sure to contact the doctor immediately if any symptoms occur.

The common cold and influenza are treatable with antibiotics, but viral pneumonia is not. A doctor may recommend antiviral treatment for your older relative’s pneumonia if a viral infection is to blame. However, sometimes the only thing that’s needed is a bit of rest and some medication to ease the symptoms.

Most people recover from viral pneumonia within a few weeks, but if your loved one’s symptoms worsen, medical attention should be sought. In rare cases, bacterial pneumonia can develop after a bout with the flu.

Antibiotics can combat bacterial pneumonia. In addition, the doctor may order diagnostic testing to identify the specific strain of bacteriagerms responsible for your family member’s pneumonia.

However, it is still important that your loved one take all of the medication as directed by the doctor, even if they begin to feel better within a few days. Antibiotic resistance and recurrence of the initial infection are possible outcomes of not completing the entire course of medicines as directed. This will make it harder to treat pneumonia that has hit your loved one.

Prevention of Pneumonia in Older Adults

Prevention of Pneumonia in Older Adults

If you want to protect an older family member against pneumonia, you should encourage them to take the following measures:

1. Talk to Your Doctor About The Pneumococcal Vaccine

Talk to the doctor about the vaccination against pneumococcal disease.

2. Every Year, Get a Flu Vaccination

Secondary pneumonia infections are possible following an initial influenza infection. However, the risk of pneumonia, a consequence of the flu, is reduced in those who get the flu vaccination.

3. Maintain Your COVID-19 Immunization Status

The combination of a coronavirus infection with pneumonia can be fatal. Talk to your healthcare provider regarding the COVID 19 vaccine.

4. Always And Thoroughly Wash Your Hands

Washing hands reduces the spread of disease, so it’s important to perform and maintain proper hand hygiene. Wash your hands after using the restroom, before eating, and any other time you might come into contact with food.

5. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Keep moving and consume a diet full of fresh produce, healthy grains, and lean proteins.

6. Manage Long-Term Illnesses

Conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes can exacerbate pneumonia symptoms.

4. Refrain From Smoking

It’s important to have a conversation with your loved one and their doctor about quitting smoking if they are smokers.

Closing Thoughts

Preventing pneumonia requires a combination of up-to-date vaccinations and a healthy lifestyle. An older person’s immune system can be strengthened by various lifestyle changes, including refraining from tobacco use, maintaining a clean and healthy mouth, engaging in regular exercise, and eating a balanced diet.

The practice of regular hand washing is another important line of protection.

Family caregivers should learn about pneumonia and other illnesses that affect older adults. Knowing that you’ve done everything in your power to keep your loved one healthy, this information will bring you comfort.

References

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore