What does Afib feel like?

What does Afib feel like?

by | Dec 15, 2021 | Cardiovascular

 Article Overview

1. What is atrial fibrillation?
2. Types of atrial fibrillation
3. Atrial fibrillation symptoms
4. What does atrial fibrillation feel like?
5. How long does it last?
6. Factors causing atrial fibrillation
7. Atrial fibrillation potential complications
8. Diagnosing Atrial Fibrillation

What is atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of your heart quiver or contract.

When you have atrial fibrillation, the standard regular contraction pattern of your heart’s atria (the top two chambers) becomes irregular. This irregularity can block blood flow through the chambers and potentially reduce blood supply to the rest of your body.

If it isn’t treated promptly, the condition can cause life-threatening complications.

Types of atrial fibrillation

Types of atrial fibrillation can include paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent AFib. 

  • Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
  • Persistent atrial fibrillation.
  • Permanent atrial fibrillation.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation – This is the most common type of AFib. People with paroxysmal AFib have episodes that usually last for a few days but can recur within several weeks or months after they’ve gone away. It’s called “paroxysmal” because it comes and goes. You may not realize you have it unless someone who lives with you sees your symptoms or you notice them yourself when checking your pulse during an episode. Most people experience palpitations, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and weakness as manifestations of this type of atrial fibrillation.

Persistent atrial fibrillation – This is when AFib lasts more than seven days or if it comes back after going away for a while. With persistent AFib, irregular heartbeats can keep you from living your life the way you want to. You may feel tired and out of breath all the time and your heart may not be able to pump as much blood as it should.

Permanent atrial fibrillation – This is the most severe type of AFib. When you have permanent AFib, your heart’s electrical system has been permanently damaged, and quivering or erratic contractions will continue to occur in one or both upper chambers of the heart. However, in some cases, permanent AFib can gradually go away on its own.

Paroxysmal AFib occurs in less than 6 months or at least twice a year. Persistent AFib lasts for more than 6 months but less than two years. Permanent AFib persists beyond 2 years without medical treatment.

Learn more about 24h ECG Recorder with AI Analysis

What does afib feel like

Atrial fibrillation symptoms

  • Palpitations.
  • Heart is beating too fast, too slow, or irregularly.
  • A fluttering sensation in your chest.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness.
  • Fatigue.
  • Weakness.

What does atrial fibrillation feel like?

What does afib feel like? When you feel an episode for the first time, you might notice a skipped heartbeat, and then feel a thud or thump, followed by your heart racing for an extended amount of time. It often feels like rapid fluttering or “flip-flops” inside where your heart should be a sensation most people describe as if they were experiencing “a million butterflies in their stomach.”

Others may feel this way

  • “I feel my heart is going to burst out of my chest”
  • “I feel completely wiped out”
  • “My heart feels as though it is flopping around in my chest”
  • “I feel I having a heart attack”
  • “My heart has started pounding like after vigorous exercise.”

These symptoms may persist and never seem to go away.

How long does it last?

AFib can last for a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months. Some people have only one episode their entire life, while others may have several episodes per year. The Afib episodes can last from a few seconds to a few hours. Although uncommon, some people may eventually develop chronic atrial fibrillation, which means they have persistent atrial fibrillation that lasts for more than seven days or comes and goes.

Atrial fibrillation may come and go, but it’s a lifelong condition for some people. Most people with atrial fibrillation have episodes that last for minutes, hours, or days. In rare cases, atrial fibrillation can become chronic (ongoing). If you think you are experiencing the symptoms of Afib, please consult with your doctor. They will make a diagnosis and help you get the treatment you need.

Factors causing atrial fibrillation

  • Abnormalities of the heart’s structure.
  • Coronary artery disease.
  • High blood pressure (hypertension).
  • Fluid accumulation in lungs.
  • Diabetes mellitus type 2.
  • Medication side effects.
  • Obesity.
  • Old age.
  • Genetic factors.
  • Unhealthy lifestyle.

Learn more about 24h ECG Recorder with AI Analysis

What does atrial fibrillation feel like

Atrial fibrillation potential complications

  • Stroke.
  • Heart failure.
  • Blood clots.
  • Death.

Stroke – If you have Afib and are not taking anticoagulant medication (medications that help prevent blood clotting), your risk of having a stroke is five times higher than for someone without Afib. About 15-20% of people who have a stroke each year do so because of atrial fibrillation.

Heart failure – occurs when the heart muscle can no longer pump blood effectively around the body. This can lead to fluid accumulation in the lungs and ankles and shortness of breath.

Blood clots – occur when blood thickens and forms a solid mass or lump. This can cause various problems, including pulmonary embolism (a clot that travels to the lungs) and stroke. A person with Afib who is not taking anticoagulant medication has an increased risk of developing a blood clot, incredibly if immobile for long periods.

Cardiac arrest – In severe cases, cardiac arrest may occur in people experiencing atrial fibrillation. In this case, it is essential to be aware that rapid intervention from emergency medical personnel is required. If the heart rhythm returns to normal before their arrival, there is no need for CPR or other resuscitation efforts.

Death – The risk of death is also increased in people with atrial fibrillation. This is most often due to a stroke, heart failure, or blood clot. However, it is essential to note that the overall risk of death is still relatively low (less than 5%).

Know more tips about keeping your heart healthy.

Something About Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension

Something About Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Cardiovascular

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

As one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders, OSA will cause you to repeatedly stop and start breathing during your sleep, which leads to poor sleep quality and low oxygen levels. Oxygen saturation of 95%-100% is normal for healthy adults and kids. However, OSA can drive the oxygen level to 80% or even less, which is dangerous because any level below 95% means your organs, tissues, and cells aren’t getting the oxygen they need to function properly.

OSA may affect up to 30% of adults and is more common in men than women. And many experts expect obesity to be one of the causes of OSA as obesity rates rise.

Snoring, panting or choking during sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness are the main symptoms of OSA. If left untreated, OSA can lead to serious health problems, including cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure and stroke. A range of treatment options can effectively address obstructive sleep apnea and reduce its symptoms.

A Simple Way to Diagnose OSA at Home

sleep apnea oxygen monitor-2

This ring-sized continuous oxygen monitor can continuously track your oxygen levels overnight after you wear it on your finger.

Once your oxygen levels are monitored as left the safe zone, the ring will silently vibrate to remind you.

Oximetry reports are on a connected APP available to review and share with doctors, helping you evaluate your breath during your sleep.

Treating OSA: CPAP Machine or APAP Machine

By delivering oxygenated air into your airways through a mask and tube, Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is used to treat sleep apnea. But it is a little difficult to adjust the CPAP machine.

The automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) machine is similar to the CPAP machine, but it is far advanced because it is able to respond to changing pressure needs by constantly measuring how much resistance is present in your breathing.

APAP Machine to treat sleep apnea

iBreeze APAP Machine is recommended as an ideal solution to treat OSA, helping you breathe freely and smoothly during sleep, and get a healthy life back again!

Hypertension

Hypertension is referred to as a “silent killer”, which has no obvious symptoms but will put you at a risk for cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction and stroke. There are already studies showing that compared with daytime hypertension, arterial blood pressure levels during sleep are higher. Hypertension is classified as essential hypertension and secondary hypertension.

Essential/Primary hypertension

Essential high blood pressure by far is the most common hypertension. It has no clear identifiable causes but is liked to genetics, obesity, lack of exercise and poor diet.

Secondary hypertension

Secondary high blood pressure is a type of hypertension caused by another medical condition that will affect the kidneys, arteries, heart or endocrine system.

One of the common causes of secondary high blood pressure is sleep disorders. And the most dangerous type of sleep disorder in this regard is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Monitor Your Blood Pressure and ECG in Daily Life

Using home-used blood pressure monitor with ECG such a 2-in-1 health monitor is helpful for you to manage your health and understand your heart condition. Wellue smart BP monitor with ECG not only can be use as a blood pressure monitor but also a hand-held ECG monitor. It can also give AI analysis for ECG events like A-Fib because its AI-ECG platform can detect abnormal arrhythmias.

Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with ECG

Wi-Fi Blood Pressure Monitor with AI ECG

( 3 bp average measurements + AI ECG analysis)

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Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor with ECG 

hypertension and heart

OSA & Hypertension: A Dangerous Pair

OSA is often combined with hypertension and is an important cause of secondary hypertension. Except for age, obesity, and smoking, OSA is a risk factor for hypertension. 50% to 92% of patients with OSA have hypertension, and 30% to 50% of patients with hypertension have OSA.

Is OSA a risk factor for hypertension?

Yes. OSA can cause recurrent episodes of hypoxemia, hypercapnia, sleep disruption, and sympathetic nervous system activation, all of which are thought to be associated with hypertension.

In addition, OSA has long been known to cause oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic disorders, sympathetic activation, and systemic inflammation in patients with intermittent hypoxia. All of these factors or some of them may also contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, and hypertension in patients who already have certain risk factors, usually like obesity.

Treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can also help treat hypertension.

Identifications of individuals at risk for obstructive sleep apnea-related hypertension:

Patients with high blood pressure should be alerted to the presence of sleep apnea if they have the following conditions:

(1) Obesity.

(2) Craniofacial abnormalities.

(3) Snoring during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, headache and dry mouth in the morning.

(4) Resistant hypertension or masked hypertension, morning hypertension, or non-dipping hypertension or anti-dipper blood pressure rhythm. (Individuals who experience a less than 10% reduction in nighttime BP are described as having a non-dipping BP pattern.)

(5) Recurrent nocturnal episodes of uncontrollable angina pectoris.

(6) Cardiac arrhythmias that are difficult to restore at night.

(7) Intractable congestive heart failure.

(8) Refractory diabetes and insulin resistance.

(9) Unexplained pulmonary hypertension.

(10) Unexplained nocturnal awakening or nocturnal seizures.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea

by | Dec 2, 2021 | Respiratory

Sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder: Those affected suffer breathing interruptions during sleep.

The noises are loud and irregular compared to regular snoring (also a sleep-related breathing disorder). Sleep apnea mainly affects men who have too many pounds on their ribs.

Here you can read everything you need to know about sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea

Article overview

1. Description
2. Examinations and diagnosis
3. Symptoms
4. Causes and risk factors
5. Treatment
6. Course of the disease and prognosis

Sleep apnea: description

Snoring is a common phenomenon that increases with age. Almost every second person produces the nocturnal noises:

During sleep, the muscles of the mouth and throat relax, the airways become narrower. The typical fluttering noise of the uvula and soft palate is created, but this usually does not result in a brief respiratory arrest.

It is different with sleep apnea: Here, the snorer’s breathing repeatedly stops briefly. The term “sleep apnea” comes from the Greek: “A-Poe” means something like “without breath.”

Sleep apnea disturbs sleep and ensures that those affected do not wake up refreshed in the morning. This often also applies to the person next to the bed, disturbed by the thunderous and irregular snoring and breathing pauses. Sleep apnea syndrome is dangerous because the short breathing pauses during sleep can expand into long-lasting, threatening respiratory arrests.

Note:

Sleep apnea and regular snoring are classed as sleep-related breathing disorders (SBAS). These breathing disorders occur exclusively or primarily during sleep.

Sleep apnea: frequency

There are no precise figures on how often sleep apnea occurs – not every “snorer” sees a doctor. According to the International Classification System for Sleep Disorders (ICSD), around two to seven percent of the total adult population have sleep apnea. Overweight people have particularly affected: about two-thirds of patients with sleep apnea syndrome are too fat.

In addition, the frequency of sleep apnea increases with age.

Forms of sleep apnea

Doctors differentiate between obstructive and central sleep apnea:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSAS)

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is the most common type of sleep apnea. During sleep, the muscles of the soft palate relax. As a result, in people with obstructive sleep apnea, the negative pressure generated when breathing in causes the windpipe to collapse, i.e., collapse, at various points in the upper respiratory tract. The air can then no longer flow freely – the sleeper cannot breathe for a short time.

As a result of this respiratory failure, the oxygen content in the blood drops (hypoxemia), and there is an insufficient supply of the tissue. This causes the body to “wake up”:

  • It abruptly activates the breathing muscles of the diaphragm and chest.
  • The heart also increases its performance.
  • The blood pressure rises.

The sleeper usually wakes up briefly. Doctors call this awakening caused by sleep apnea “arousal.” If breathing then starts again, several deep breaths typically follow.

The brief respiratory arrests associated with obstructive sleep apnea can occur up to 100 times a night. The person concerned can usually no longer remember the following day. He kept waking up briefly at night due to a lack of oxygen.

Central sleep apnea

The second form of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea. This form is triggered by a malfunction in the central nervous system (CNS). The upper airways remain open here, but the breathing muscles of the chest and diaphragm do not move sufficiently. As a result, the person concerned inhales too little and not deeply enough. The resulting lack of oxygen alerts the brain, which immediately ensures that a deep breath is taken.

Central sleep apnea mainly affects the elderly. It is often harmless and usually does not require treatment – unless it is combined with a weak heart or nerve disorder. Then those affected should go to the doctor.

Sleep

Sleep apnea: examinations and diagnosis

Anyone who snores (often noticed by their partner, but not by the person affected) and who suffers from respiratory arrest during sleep should consult an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. There are several steps involved in diagnosing “sleep apnea” – there is no such thing as “one” sleep apnea test.

The doctor will first ask you about your medical history (anamnesis), for example:

· Do you have any previous illnesses?

· Do you have insomnia?

· Do you take medication (e.g., sleeping pills or sedatives)?

· How about your alcohol consumption?

· Do you use drugs?

· What are your sleeping habits?

In addition to these questions, the doctor may ask you to fill out a questionnaire. A physical examination follows this. The ENT doctor looks for anatomical abnormalities in the oral cavity and in the nasopharynx – for example, bite irregularities (position of the jaws relative to each other), curvatures of the nasal septum, or nasal and pharyngeal polyps. The paranasal sinuses are easy to visualize with imaging techniques.

The doctor will also determine your body mass index (BMI) from your height and weight.

Sometimes, clarification of sleep disorders and sleep-related breathing disorders also requires polysomnography – examining and measuring various parameters during sleep. You usually have to spend one to two nights in a sleep laboratory for this. Doctors analyze your sleep behavior, breathing during sleep, and other factors that indicate sleep disorders (sleep apnea screening). Electrodes attached to the skin help in this process, registering, among other things, the airflow of breathing, the pulse rate, the oxygen content in the blood, and the movements of the chest. 

Also, in the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), the patient has to take a short nap of around 20 minutes every two hours. The test records the tendency to fall asleep and the degree of daytime sleepiness.

For some time now, there have also been devices for breathing breath analysis during sleep at home. They enable similar recordings to those in the sleep laboratory but do without belts and nasal cannula. Instead, the measurement can be made on the patient’s finger, for example, where a probe measures the minor changes in the blood vessels and thus concludes breathing.

Note：

Current medical guidelines for sleep-related breathing disorders advocate using home devices to aid in the diagnosis of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea: symptoms

Typical symptoms of sleep apnea are repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. The respiratory arrests last between 10 and 120 seconds and occur more than five times an hour. This is followed by phases of excessive breathing (hyperventilation) and loud and irregular snoring (when the patient is breathing hard). In addition to snoring, partners and relatives often notice the pauses in breathing at night while the person concerned is unaware of them.

Consequences of sleep apnea

Sleep apnea has consequences. In general, sleep is disturbed, so that those affected suffer from a chronic sleep deficit and tiredness during the day. They are also forgetful and have trouble concentrating. This also increases the risk of accidents on the road.

Some people with sleep apnea also have anxiety or depression. In part, the breathing disorder leads to headaches (especially in the morning hours) and decreased sexual desire. Erectile dysfunction can occur in men.

Sleep apnea in children

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) can also affect children. According to experts, breathing disorders may also play a role in sudden infant death syndrome.

Older children with OSAS often appear sluggish and clumsy. They usually stand out in school because of their poor performance.

Sleep apnea risk

Sleep apnea: causes and risk factors

Various factors contribute to the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. These include:

· body mass index too high (overweight)

· age (the frequency of sleep apnea increases with age)

· Gender (men are more often affected than women)

· Taking sleeping pills or sedatives (muscles in the roof of the mouth relax more quickly and close the airways)

· Deviations in the structure of the facial skull (craniofacial peculiarities): An example is a lower jaw that is too small or falling back or a crooked nasal septum.

Further risk factors are smoking, alcohol, pregnancy, and existing diseases such as rheumatism, acromegaly, hypothyroidism, or polycystic ovarian syndrome. A large tongue, enlarged tonsils (tonsils), nasal polyps, and a lot of fatty and connective tissue at the entrance to the airways can also promote sleep apnea. In general, rough sleeping times can make symptoms worse.

Central sleep apnea is rare and is caused by disorders in the central nervous system (CNS). Due to neurological damage, the control of the respiratory muscles works poorly.

One possible cause is Lyme disease. Patients with heart failure often (sometimes on an obstructive) suffer from central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea can also occur due to chronic kidney failure (chronic kidney failure) or shortly after a stroke.

Sleep Apnea - O2ring

Sleep apnea: treatment

You can find out which therapy options are available for sleep apnea in the article Sleep apnea treatment.

Sleep apnea: disease course and prognosis

Obstructive sleep apnea should be treated because it affects health as well as professional and private life:

· Patients with daytime sleepiness are up to seven times more likely to have an accident on the road.

· Sleep apnea is related to high blood pressure, cardiac insufficiency, coronary heart disease, and cardiac arrhythmias.

· A connection with pulmonary hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney failure (kidney failure), and arteriosclerosis seems likely.

· Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is generally associated with increased mortality.

In people with dementia, sleep apnea treatment is also essential because the sleep-related breathing disorder further promotes mental decline.

Sleep apnea during pregnancy can harm the unborn baby. However, there are currently no controlled studies to recommend therapy for sleep apnea (and other sleep-related breathing disorders) in pregnant women.

Apart from the possible health consequences, snoring and sleep apnea also burden the partnership. 

How does sleep apnea occur?

How does sleep apnea occur?

by | Nov 30, 2021 | Respiratory

Chapters

1. Process of sleep apnea
2. Factors leading to sleep apnea
3. Symptoms of sleep apnea
4. Complications of sleep apnea

Process of sleep apnea

sleep apnea

If you have obstructive sleep apnoea, your breathing pauses for brief periods while you’re asleep.

Normally when you breathe in air flows in through your mouth and nose and down your throat, also called the pharynx.

Air then flows down your windpipe or trachea spreading through a tree-like structure of smaller tubes into your lungs.

sleep apnea - lungs

Each time you breathe in, negative suction pressure pulls the soft tissues in your mouth and pharynx inward.

The muscles in your pharynx respond by pulling the soft tissues outward again, which keeps your airway open.

When you sleep, it’s normal for the muscles in your mouth tongue, and pharynx to relax slightly, but not enough to block your airway.

If you have obstructive sleep apnoea, the muscles of your mouth and pharynx may relax too much.

Your tongue drops onto the soft tissue in the roof of your mouth, pressing it against the back of your throat.

This completely blocks the flow of air into your lungs.

sleep apnea - air

The lack of oxygen in your lungs wakes you up.

You may gasp for air to re-establish airflow before falling asleep again.

The cycle of apnea and waking up may happen many times at night preventing restful sleep.

Factors leading to sleep apnea

Factors that may contribute to obstructive sleep apnea include

sleep apnea - fat
1. Obesity, because more fat may be present in the walls of the pharynx.

small or receding jaw
2. A small or receding jaw with a narrowed airway.

Swollen tonsils
3. Loss of muscle tone in your pharynx due to aging and swollen tonsils.

Symptoms of sleep apnea

Common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are
1. Snoring
2. Morning headaches
3. Chronic daytime sleepiness
4. Fatigue
5. Irritability
6. Impaired concentration

Complications of sleep apnea

Left untreated obstructive sleep apnea may lead to complications, such as
1. High blood pressure
2. Heart disease
3. Irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias
4. Stroke
5. Diabetes

Recommendations for sleep apnea

Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to treat obstructive sleep apnea including:
1. Losing weight
2. Sleeping on your side
3. Not smoking
4. Avoid substances that can make you sleepy such as alcohol and sedatives.

For mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnoea an oral appliance may keep your airway open, this device works by pulling your jaw forward and moving both your tongue and the roof of your mouth away from the back of your throat.

The most common and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is a continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP machine.

CPAP machine

This machine pumps air through a tube into a mask that fits over your nose or both your nose and mouth.

The mild air pressure of the CPAP machine helps keep your airway open enabling you to get a deep restful sleep.

 

Another device that is also very helpful for sleep apnea is Welleu O2ring.

Wellue O2ring

It can discover the sleep data during sleep to evaluate the treatment.

In addition, when your blood oxygen level in sleep is lower than the value you set, O2ring will help sleep apnea treatment by vibrating to remind you to change sleep position, thus improving the quality of sleep.

You can see everything about O2ring here >The Ultimate O2ring Usage Guide.

What is Pneumonia?What is the relationship between pneumonia and blood oxygen?

What is Pneumonia?What is the relationship between pneumonia and blood oxygen?

by | Nov 30, 2021 | Respiratory

Article overview

1. What is Pneumonia?
2. How Serious is Pneumonia?
3. Causes of Pneumonia
4. Symptoms of Pneumonia
5. Symptoms of Pneumonia in Children
6. What is the relationship between pneumonia and blood oxygen?
7. Wellue O2ring Blood Oxygen Monitor
8. How is Pneumonia Treated?

Respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, remain a major concern to hospitals around the world, especially during the winter months when an influx of patients can put some hospitals into crisis mode.

Pneumonia ranges in severity from a mild illness to life-threatening. Anyone can contract pneumonia, but babies, young children and older people are particularly susceptible to the dangers of this illness (Healthdirect 2020).

Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in children, with about 15% of deaths attributed to children under five (WHO 2019a).

What is Pneumonia?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that causes the alveoli in one or both lungs to fill with pus and fluids.

Pneumonia is an acute infection of the lungs that causes the alveoli in one or both lungs to fill with pus and fluids. This results in lung consolidation (wherein the alveolar spaces are filled with fluid instead of air) and interferes with gas exchange (Better Health Channel 2018; Moyer 2018).

When a person has pneumonia, breathing is painful and oxygen intake is limited (WHO 2019b).

Pneumonia doesn’t discriminate across the lifespan and can affect any age group, though it is more common in young children and older adults (Better Health Channel 2018). Depending on the severity, some people may not necessarily need to be hospitalized, whilst others will.

Generally, those with more comorbidities or any problem that may exacerbate pneumonia will require hospital admission. Pneumonia can also be treated in the community as long as the individual has access to good medical and nursing care.

How Serious is Pneumonia?

In the United States alone, approximately $10 billion is spent each year to manage about 4 million episodes of, and almost 1 million hospitalizations for, pneumonia.

In 2017, over two million people died from pneumonia worldwide (Dadonaite & Roser 2019).

Causes of Pneumonia

 Pneumonia is caused by a viral, bacterial – or rarely – fungal infection (Healthdirect 2020). In some cases, it is triggered by an existing cold or flu that enables pathogens to access the alveoli (Better Health Channel 2018).

 Transmission commonly occurs by inhaling infected droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze of an infected person. It can also spread via blood (WHO 2019b).

Symptoms of Pneumonia

Symptoms may vary depending on age, the cause and severity of the infection, and any existing health problems (Better Health Channel 2018). Assessing the patient and gaining a comprehensive patient history is vital in diagnosis. Symptoms may include:

  • Coughing (dry or productive);
  • Fever, chills, or sweating;
  • Breathing difficulties;
  • Increased respiratory rate;
  • Fatigue or general malaise;
  • Little to no appetite;
  • Chest pain;
  • Abdominal pain or aches;
  • Blue coloring around the mouth (cyanosis); and
  • Nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.

(Health Direct 2018; Better Health Channel 2018; Healthy WA 2015)

With correct treatment, a health improvement is usually observed within 7 to 10 days (Better Health Channel 2018).

Symptoms of Pneumonia in Children

  • Lethargy;
  • Irritability;
  • Chest pain;
  • Abdominal aches or pain;
  • Fever;
  • Coughing and difficulty breathing;
  • Little to no appetite; and Pallor.

(RCH 2018; Healthy WA 2015)

What is the relationship between pneumonia and blood oxygen?

Low oxygen saturation reflects an integrated noninvasive measure of the extent of lung parenchyma involvement by infection, consequent anatomic and physiologic derangements, and available cardiopulmonary functional reserve, and thus it seems to accurately capture the clinical severity of pneumonia.

Our results suggest that as a single independent criterion for hospital admission, oxygen saturation <92% might be both safer and clinically better-justified for patients with pneumonia.

 

-Clinical Infectious Diseases

Testing for fever, high pulse rate, crackly breath sounds, and low oxygen levels could be key to helping GPs distinguish pneumonia from less serious infections, according to a large study published in the European Respiratory Journal.

-ScienceDaily

Wellue O2ring Blood Oxygen Monitor

 

Wear the ring, it will automatically start to track your overnight blood oxygen saturation, heart rate and body movements continuously.

The report shows how long your oxygen is below 90%; how many times during a night your oxygen drops over 4%. You can share personal overnight oximetry reports with your doctor and it hepls you stay informed with your blood oxygen level at any time.

How is Pneumonia Treated?

Antibiotics

Treatment depends on the severity of pneumonia. In mild cases, the individual may be able to take oral antibiotics in a community setting. For more severe cases, they may require admission to hospital and treatment with intravenous antibiotics, oxygen therapy and chest physiotherapy (Dunn 2005).

As pneumonia is an infection, antibiotic therapy should be started as soon as possible. Sometimes this can be before the causative organism has been determined, however, the type of antibiotic can be changed if necessary. Depending on the severity of pneumonia, this can be in either an intravenous or oral form (Watson 2008).

Oxygen Therapy

Another important aspect of pneumonia treatment is oxygen therapy and maintaining adequate oxygen saturation levels. Depending on the patient, oxygen saturation levels should be above 93%, with the oxygen concentrations also varying depending on the patient, their comorbidities and severity of pneumonia. Humidified oxygen therapy can also be used in order to assist the patient with expectoration (Watson 2008).

Sometimes pulse oximetry can be inaccurate on these patients, and this is where arterial blood gas levels may play a role in ensuring adequate oxygenation is being achieved. Some patients, even when receiving high flow oxygen, can still remain hypoxic, and therefore, continuous positive airway pressure may be indicated (Farrell & Dempsey 2013; Watson 2008).

 

Pain Management

It is important to remember that a patient with pneumonia may be in pain. This means that their lung expansion may be compromised, which can further exacerbate their condition. This pain can often be described as pleuritic-type chest pain (Farrell & Dempsey 2013; Watson 2008).

Those with severe pneumonia may require treatment from physiotherapists. As part of an interprofessional team, physiotherapists can assist in not only any concurrent physical decline and chest physiotherapy, but can also help teach the patient effective breathing patterns and posture to promote lung expansion and expectoration (Watson 2008).

Hydration

 Other treatments for pneumonia should focus on ensuring the patient is adequately hydrated and if not, ensure that intravenous fluids are commenced. Adequate hydration is important for the expectoration of secretions and will also help with any associated hypotension. The individual may have increased fluid loss if they are febrile and continue to have an increased respiratory rate, therefore, urinary output should also be monitored, as this can flag deterioration in the patient’s condition (Dunn 2005; Watson 2008).