Pneumonia is inflammation (swelling) of the tissue in one or both of the lungs. It’s usually caused by an infection – most commonly, bacteria and viruses, which are contagious. It can also be caused by breathing in a foreign object (aspiration pneumonia) or, in rare cases, a fungal infection, which is not usually contagious.
So Good Doctor you are full of shit
Bacterial Pneumonia
The most common cause of pneumonia in adults is a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae. Other types of bacteria that can cause pneumonia include:
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Read more information about other bacteria that can cause pneumococcal infections.
Viral pneumonia
Viruses can also cause pneumonia – most commonly, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and sometimes the flu (influenza) type A or B virus.
Viruses can also cause pneumonia – most commonly, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and sometimes the flu (influenza) type A or B virus.Fungal pneumonia
In the UK, pneumonia caused by a fungal infection of the lungs is rare in people who are normally healthy. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia remains the most common fungal pneumonia in people with low immune systems, such as those infected with HIV.
Aspiration pneumonia
Pneumonia can also be caused by breathing in a foreign object, such as a piece of food, or a harmful substance, such as smoke. This is called aspiration pneumonia. If breathing in a foreign object leads to a bacterial infection, this is contagious.
Catching pneumonia
The germs that can cause pneumonia are usually breathed in. People often have small amounts of germs in their nose and throat that can be passed on through:
- coughs and sneezes – these launch tiny droplets of fluid containing germs into the air, which someone else can breathe in
- touching an object and transferring germs onto it – someone else can touch this object, and then touch their own mouth or nose
Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which causes most cases of pneumonia, is far less contagious than a cold or flu. This is because most people’s immune systems can kill the bacteria before they have the opportunity to cause an infection.
In rare cases, pneumonia can develop from an infection somewhere else in the body, when the germs enter the lungs through the bloodstream.
Vaccination
Some people are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. To help protect against pneumonia, it’s recommended that people at greater risk of complications, such as those who are 65 or over, should have:
- the pneumococcal vaccination – for more information, see Who should have the pneumococcal vaccine?
- the flu jab – for more information, see Who should have the flu vaccine?
Good hygiene
You can help prevent the spread of germs by practising good hygiene. This includes:
- washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, particularly after touching your mouth and nose, and before handling food
- coughing and sneezing into a tissue, then throwing it away immediately and washing your hands
- not sharing cups or kitchen utensils with others
Clinton campaign releases doctor’s letter describing ‘mild’ pneumonia
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Hillary Clinton’s campaign released a letter from her doctor Wednesday describing her diagnosis and treatment for “mild, non-contagious bacterial pneumonia,” and will note that she received a CT scan confirming the illness and that she is now halfway through a regimen on the antibiotic Levaquin.
The letter, from Clinton’s doctor, Lisa Bardack, is intended to put to rest concerns about the Democratic presidential nominee’s health after the illness caused her to stumble out of a memorial service Sunday and forced her off the campaign trail for days. Clinton’s campaign said the information would update a health history released last year.
The details in the letter show that Clinton has normal-ranging vital statistics, according to several doctors who reviewed the information but have never treated her. Her blood pressure and cholesterol levels are “good” or “excellent” and place her at low risk for illness for a woman her age, the doctors said.
The campaign came under fire on Sunday, when Clinton fell ill at a Ground Zero commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. For 90 minutes after her abrupt departure, the campaign offered no information on Clinton’s whereabouts — and it was many hours later before the campaign revealed the pneumonia diagnosis, which had come on Friday.
Bardack is the chair of Internal Medicine at CareMount Medical in Mount Kisco, N.Y., and has served as Clinton’s personal physician since 2001. Her letter also described various medications that Clinton is taking, including Coumadin, a blood-thinner. And it describes Clinton’s normal-ranging vital statistics: blood pressure of 100/70; a pulse of 70; and a cholesterol level of 189.
Bardack examined Clinton as recently as Wednesday, and has done so several other times since she was diagnosed with pneumonia Friday, according to a campaign aide.
According to her doctor, Clinton has received two vaccinations against pneumonia — Prevnar and Pneumovax — although it is not clear when she received those vaccinations.
The new information reveals more about Clinton’s pneumonia diagnosis. She was tested with a non-contrast chest CT scan, which discovered a small right middle-lobe pneumonia.
According to the campaign, Clinton was diagnosed wth a mild form of non-contageious bacterial pneumonia and is under treatment with the antibiotic Levaquin.
Clinton had previously released a letter from her doctor Bardack,which contained information about her current health, medications and past health conditions, including a history of hyperthyroidism and deep-vein thrombosis.
After Clinton’s pneumonia diagnosis, she kept the information secret and ignored her doctor’s advice to rest and modify her schedule. Instead, Clinton continued with a full day of campaign events, choosing to “power through” despite her illness.
But by Sunday morning, Clinton became severely dehydrated during the outdoor 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero, according to the campaign. She left the event early and was seen in video footage buckling as she was helped into her van by her aides and security detail.
The campaign’s long delay in providing information to the media and the public prompted criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Clinton cancelled three days of scheduled campaign events and has been resting at home in Chappaqua, N.Y. She is expected to return to the campaign trail with an event in Greensboro, N.C., on Thursday.
“Obviously I should have gotten some rest sooner,” Clinton said on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 on Monday. “I just didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal.”
Clinton has previously become severely dehydrated in 2012 and fainted, suffering a concussion. She was later diagnosed with a blod clot in her skull that was discovered during routine testing while recovering from her concussion.
At the same time, Clinton has criticized Donald Trump for releasing a letter from his doctor earlier last year, which contained virtually no objective health information. Trump has since said that he would release more medical information from a physical he received last week.
On Wednesday, Trump taped an episode of the Dr. Oz Show, in which he discussed his overall health with host Mehmet Oz.
When Oz asked why he had not released his medical results, Trump replied: “Well, I really have no problem in doing it.”
“I have it right here,” he said, brandishing two piecies of paper that contained his most recent results from his physical. “Should I do it? I don’t care. Should I do it?”
Clinton has taken the blood-thinner Coumadin at least since last year. A partial health history released by Clinton’s campaign last summer refers to the drug but does not say precisely when it was prescribed. A letter from Bardack released July 31, 2015, said Clinton had been prescribed Lovenox, a short-acting blood thinner, when she was flying for long distances. Bardack said then that the medication was discontinued when Clinton began taking Coumadin.
Edward Geltman, a cardiologist at Washington University’s School of Medicine, said the information released shows her to be healthy, with normal range for vitals. Her blood pressure is on the “low side of normal,” he said, so she would be prone to fainting and sensitive to dehydration.
Her medications include medicine for an underactive thyroid, a blood thinner, an antihistamine (Clarinex) for seasonal allergies, and B-12 for mild anemia.
She has gotten the standard vaccine for bacterial pneumonia, but that only prevents certain strains, and wouldn’t protect her from picking up other strains from “shaking hands on a rope line,” Geltman said.
The one main health item that does not seem to be included is information about the health of her heart, such as electrocardiogram. Those are fairly standard tests, and as people age, it’s important to establish a baseline, he said. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. But her because she doesn’t smoke, and doesn’t appear to be particularly overweight, he said, and has good cholesterol levels, she doesn’t appear to be at risk for a heart attack.
Doctors said the Levaquin, which she is taking to treat her pneumonia, is an excellent and appropriate treatment. Her blood pressure and cholesterol are excellent and seem to place her at low risk for a woman her age. She is on minimal medications. She has had appropriate breast cancer screening, but there is no mention of colon cancer screening.
Brady Dennis, Anne Gearan and Lena Sun in Washington contributed to this report.
Now the kicker to this:
Levaquin (levofloxacin) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body.
Levaquin is used to treat bacterial infections of the skin, sinuses, kidneys, bladder, or prostate. Levaquin is also used to treat bacterial infections that cause bronchitis or pneumonia, and to treat people who have been exposed to anthrax.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause serious or disabling side effects. Levaquin should be used only for infections that cannot be treated with a safer antibiotic.
Stop taking Levaquin and call your doctor at once if you have sudden pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, stiffness, or movement problems in any of your joints. Rest the joint until you receive medical care or instructions.
Levofloxacin may cause swelling or tearing of a tendon,especially if you are over 60, if you take steroid medication, or if you have had a kidney, heart, or lung transplant.
You may not be able to use Levaquin if you have a muscle disorder. Tell your doctor if you have a history of myasthenia gravis.
You should not use Levaquin if you are allergic to levofloxacin or other fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, gemifloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and others).
To make sure Levaquin is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:- tendon problems, bone problems, arthritis or other joint problems (especially in children);
- slow heartbeats or other heart rhythm disorder (especially if you take medication to treat it);
- a personal or family history of long QT syndrome;
- liver or kidney disease;
- a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
- a nerve disorder;
- diabetes (especially if you use insulin or take oral diabetes medication);
- low levels of potassium in your blood (hypokalemia); or
- if you use a blood thinner (warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven) and have "INR" or prothrombin time tests.
Levofloxacin may cause swelling or tearing of a tendon (the fiber that connects bones to muscles in the body), especially in the Achilles' tendon of the heel. This can happen during treatment or up to several months after you stop taking Levaquin. Tendon problems may be more likely to occur if you are over 60, if you take steroid medication, or if you have had a kidney, heart, or lung transplant.
Do not give this medicine to a child without medical advice. Tendon and joint problems may be more likely in a child taking Levaquin.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Levofloxacin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
list of side effects link
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