Three tips for preventing pneumonia

May 7-13 is Lung Foundation Australia‘s Pneumonia awareness week, so what better time to publish some tips on preventing Pneumonia?

According to the Lung Foundation, pneumonia is a potentially fatal lung infection which causes swelling in parts of your lungs. It occurs once the air space within your lungs is filled with fluids that obstruct normal air flow. The most common and dangerous type is Pneumococcal Pneumonia, which is spread through bacteria in coughs and sneezes. 

It can affect anyone, but those at an increased risk of developing pneumonia are people over 65 years of age, those with other medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or chronic lung, heart, kidney, or liver disease, tobacco smokers, indigenous Australians, and babies under 12 months. No matter how healthy you are, your risk of pneumonia increases with age as your immune system weakens. 

It’s important to emphasise that pneumonia is not a cold or the flu, and you should not ignore symptoms such as difficulty breathing, cough, fever, fatigue, and chest pain, as they can lead to hospitalisation and potentially even be life threatening. 

Prevention is your best bet when it comes to avoiding pneumonia, so follow these three tips to hopefully get you through this cold season in good health.

1. Practice good hygiene

Everyone obviously does their best, but there’s no messing around when it comes to germs as we get older. Make sure you’re washing your hands often and well, as well as disinfecting common surfaces to minimise the spread of germs.

2. Quit smoking

It’s easier said than done, but you don’t need to be told it’s bad for you, but if you’re a smoker, now is the time to quit. If you’re not a smoker, it’s in your best interests to avoid places where people do smoke.

3. Vaccination

The Pneumococcal Pneumonia vaccine is free under the government’s National Immunisation Program for all Australians aged 65 years or older, Indigenous Australians aged 50 years or older, and Indigenous Australians aged 15 to 49 years who are medically at risk.

Have you ever had pneumonia? Do you have any additional tips for those most at risk?