Inflamed Lungs, (Pneumonitis) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

By Kenneth Kee

Pneumonitis is a normal term for inflammation of lung tissue.
Chronic inflammation of lung tissue can result in irreversible scarring (pulmonary fibrosis).
Pneumonitis is not a definite disease but a sign of an underlying disorder.
While pneumonia is technically a form of pneumonitis, most doctors are referring to other causes (hypersensitivity or chemical effect) of lung inflammation when they use the term "pneumonitis".
Acute chemical pneumonitis produces swelling of the lung tissue, movement of fluid into the air spaces in the lung and decreased ability to absorb oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
In severe instances, death of patients may occur from hypoxia.
Chronic pneumonitis may result from low levels of exposure to the irritant over long periods of time, producing inflammation which may result in fibrosis, leading to reduced gas exchange and stiffening of the lung, and eventually resulting in respiratory failure and death.
Causes
The disease can be caused by many known factors such as:
1. Breathing in animal dander,
2. Exposure to feathers or bird excrement,
3. Aspiration inhaling small food particles,
4. Sepsis,
5. Inhaling chemicals, such as of spores of some species of mushroom or Sodium hydroxide and
6. Receiving radiation therapy to the chest
Causes of pneumonitis are:
1. Pneumonia - . Pneumonitis is normally used for noninfectious causes of lung inflammation.
2. Inhalation of foreign matter, normally of stomach contents
3. Pertussis (whooping cough)
4. Exposure to an inhaled allergen
5. Connective tissue diseases
6. Adverse reaction to a drug or toxic chemical; many household and industrial chemicals
7. Exposure to dangerous levels of chlorine gas
8. Inhalation of dangerous substances can happen during smelting, welding or other metalwork
9. Medicine: a variety of medicines can cause interstitial pneumonitis
10. Radiation therapy
Symptoms of pneumonitis are:
1. Shortness of breath
2. Cough
3. Fatigue
4. Loss of appetite
5. Unintentional weight loss
6. Cyanosis
7. Finger clubbing
8. Exercise intolerance
Diagnosis
At the physical examination, the doctor will use a stethoscope to listen carefully to the lungs while the patient breathes.
1. Blood tests: FBC may be raised neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, eosinophilia, ESR raised in inflammation
2. Blood gases: hypoxemia
3. Sputum or culture of lung secretions with bronchoscopy
4. Serum activating antibodies against offending antigens for suspected pneumonitis
Chest X-ray
CXR may be normal or show micro-nodular or reticular opacities
CT scan
It may show:
1. Diffuse, patchy ground-glass attenuation and small, poorly defined centrilobular nodules;
2. Patchy areas of air-trapping;
3. Evidence of pulmonary fibrosis and
4. Honeycombing seen in chronic and advanced lung disease
Spirometer measure lung function to see if it is normal
Bronchoscopy check brochioles and do lung lavage or obtain samples of cells for testing
Surgical lung biopsy
Treatment
Treatment of pneumonitis is dependent on the underlying cause and may need medicines such as:
1. Systemic corticosteroid therapy, which can improve resolution of pneumonitis.
These drugs work by suppressing the immune system, decreasing inflammation in the lungs.
2. Antibiotics for infection.
3. If the patient has hypersensitivity or chemical pneumonitis, the doctor will advise eradicating exposure to the allergen or chemical irritating to the lungs.
4. Oxygen therapy
5. Lifestyle and home remedies
No smoking
Change of hobbies
Change of work
Pneumonitis that goes not noticed or not treated can produce irreversible lung damage.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Inflamed Lungs (Pneumonitis)
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapt

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Kee
• Release date: Oct 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370593422

Kenneth Kee

Medical doctor since 1972.Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours inthe afternoon.He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.comThis autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.The later books go into more details of medical disorders.He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) startingwith the Apple computer and going to PC.The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.Dr Kee is the author of:"A Family Doctor's Tale""Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine""Case Notes From A Family Doctor"

Book preview

Inflamed Lungs,

(Pneumonitis)

A

Simple

Guide

To

The Condition,

Diagnosis,

Treatment

And

Related Conditions

By

Dr Kenneth Kee

M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

Copyright Kenneth Kee 2017 Smashwords Edition

Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated

To my wife Dorothy

And my children

Carolyn, Grace

And Kelvin

This book describes Pneumonitis, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

(What The patient Need to Treat Pneumonitis)

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If the patient would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Introduction

I have been writing medical articles for my blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.

My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.

Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).

I then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.

This autobiolographical account A Family Doctor’s Tale was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 800 amazon kindle books and 200 into Smashwords.com eBooks.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.

For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.

The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.

Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.

As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.

Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.

I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.

I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.

I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.

Chapter 1

Inflamed Lungs (Pneumonitis)

What is Pneumonitis?

Pneumonitis is a normal term for inflammation of lung tissue.

Chronic inflammation of lung tissue can result in irreversible scarring (pulmonary fibrosis).

Pneumonitis is not a definite disease but a sign of an underlying disorder.

While pneumonia is technically a form of pneumonitis, most doctors are referring to other causes (hypersensitivity or chemical effect) of lung inflammation when they use the term pneumonitis.

Pneumonia is pneumonitis combined with consolidation and exudation because of lung infection.

Because of the large number of factors that produce it, Pneumonitis is one of the leading causes of death in the world.

Acute chemical pneumonitis produces swelling of the lung tissue, movement of fluid into the air spaces in the lung and decreased ability to absorb oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.

In severe instances, death of patients may occur from hypoxia.

Chronic pneumonitis may result from low levels of exposure to the irritant over long periods of time, producing inflammation which may result in fibrosis, leading to reduced gas exchange and stiffening of the lung, and eventually resulting in respiratory failure and death.

Incidence:

It is widespread, if all causes of pneumonitis are considered.

The yearly incidence of interstitial lung diseases has been measured as 30 per 100,000 populations with pneumonitis responsible for less than 2% of these cases

The danger of forming side-effects after radiotherapy not only depends on radiation dose but may also be involved by patient-related risk factors - e.g., older age and the presence of co-morbidity

Pneumonitis was placed as the one of the top 15 leading causes of death (at number 15) in the USA.

This was because of a number of factors, such as a rise in the population of people over 75, for whom pneumonitis is a frequent cause