A significant increase in the dynamics of pneumonia infection is observed. The disease primarily affects children of school age and younger.
Symptoms that begin like a common flu can turn into severe pneumonia in just a few days.
Infectious disease specialist Amina Ismikhanova stated in a declaration to Modern.az that pneumonia is an inflammatory disease of the lung tissue. It can occur in mild, moderate, and severe forms and is observed in all age groups:
“Recently, as it is more frequently observed in children, I would like to discuss this in more detail. The most at-risk age groups are 0–2 years (especially infants up to 6 months), 2–5 years, and preschool periods. However, we observe pneumonia more frequently in school-aged children. The reason for this is the collective factor. Children are in close contact in classrooms, stay in enclosed spaces for long periods, and easily contract viruses and bacteria. This increases the spread of pneumonia. The origin of pneumonia is bacterial, viral, atypical, and aspiration.
Atypical pneumonia is more frequently observed in school-aged children. (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae) These types of pneumonia begin slowly. They persist with a prolonged dry cough. Often, it is evaluated as a “common cold”. Consequently, diagnosis is delayed, and pneumonia is already established.
The main symptoms of pneumonia in children are fever (sometimes very high), rapid and difficult breathing, sometimes back and chest pain, persistent cough, weakness, and loss of appetite. In infants, reduced sucking and groaning are observed. Treatment is directed at the cause. It is important to know that bacteria are not the only cause of pneumonia, so antibiotic use may not be effective in these cases”.
According to the doctor, if fever persists for more than 5 days, if a cough is continuously observed, or if shortness of breath occurs, the patient must be examined.
“To protect against pneumonia, vaccinations (pneumococcal, Hib, flu, etc.) are essential as a preventive measure. Protecting children from cigarette smoke, frequent ventilation of enclosed spaces, and breastfeeding infants are important.
If pneumonia is detected early in children, it is a fully curable disease. However, in delayed cases, it can lead to complications and even life-threatening risks. Parents should take prolonged cough and shortness of breath seriously and should not use any medication on their own”.
