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Page 4
I Health and Wellness at the Crossroads, Feb. 17,1999
New shot can prevent bacterial pneumonia for many years
Special to Health and Wellness
Pneumococcal (pronounced new
mo-KOK-al) disease is an infection
caused by bacteria. These bacteria can
attack different parts of the body. When
they invade the lungs, they cause the most
common kind of bacterial pneumonia.
When the same bacteria enter the
blood, they cause an infection called bac
teremia (bak-ter-E-me-ah). In the brain,
they cause meningitis. Pneumococcal
pneumonia is a serious illness that kills
thousands of older people in the United
States each year, according to the National
Institute on Aging.
Can Pneumonia Be Prevented?
For some causes of pneumonia, yes. The
pneumococcal vaccine is safe, it works, and
one shot lasts most people up to 10 years.
People who get the vaccine are protected
against almost all of the bacteria which
cause pneumococcal pneumonia and other
pneumococcal diseases as well. The shot,
which is covered by Medicare, can be a
lifesaver.
National Institute on Aging experts say
it may be best to get the shot before age 65
anytime after age 50 since the
younger you are, die better the results.
New program at Perry Hospital gives relief to asthma patients
Special To Health and Wellness
Asthma sufferers know the
signs of an attack wheezing,
tightness in the chest, and short
ness of breath. Some 14 million
Americans suffer from asthma, a
chronic pulmonary disease for
which there is no known cure or
cause.
Keeping asthma under control
is the best defense and die mis
sion of AsthmadCare, a new
patient education program head
ed by Perry Hospital’s
Respiratory Therapy
Department.
Heart
(From Page 3)
mainly family history,
race, age and sex, can
not be controlled.
According to the
American Heart
Association, men run
a greater risk of heart
attack than pre
menopausal women.
African-Americans
and Hispanics tend to
have higher blood
pressure, a major risk
factor for demoping
cardiovascular disease.
“Prevention is real
ly the key to surviving
heart disease," said
White. “People can
help reduce their risk
by getting regular
checkups, . avoiding
smoking, eating a low
fat diet, keeping
weight in check, stay
ing physically active,
and if needed, taking
medication to reduce
cholesterol and blood
pressure levels."
This free program for adult
patients, children and their par
ents features one-on-one asthma
counseling by respiratory thera
pists.
“The main thing that’s impor
tant is learning to keep asthma
under control, and we teach
Sitients how to do that,” said
indy Marshall, RRT, a respira
tory therapist who works with
AsthmatiCare.
“We teach patients how to
learn their trends and symptoms
and the early warning signs of an
attack, such as a stuffy nose,
• Senior Citizens Discount
• Free In-Town Delivery
• Durable Medical Equipment
• Computer Medical Records
• Emergency Service
• Complete Line of Sundry Items
, | l|i|
flK
y<H* tomitg pkofcmocy
Mon.-Fri. 8:30-6:00 Sat. 8:30-12:30
1036-A Macon Street Perry, GA
They also say people should have this shot
even if they have had pneumonia before.
There are many different kinds of
pneumonia, and having one kind does not
Erotect against the others. The vaccine,
owever, does protect against 88 percent of
the pneumococcal bacteria which cause
pneumonia. It does not guarantee that you
will never get pneumonia. It does not pro
tect against viral pneumonia.
Most people need to get the shot only
once. However some older people may
need a booster, check with your doctor to
find out if this is necessary.
Who Should Get the vaccine?
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, everyone age 65
and older should get it the pneumonia vac
cine. Some younger people should get it
also.
Ask a doctor for the vaccine if you:
V Are age 65 or older.
V Have a chronic illness, such as heart
or lung disease or diabetes.
V Have a weak immune system. (This
can be caused by certain kidney diseases,
some cancers, HIV infections organ trans
plant medicines, and offer disease.)
Some people have mild side effects
from the shot, but these usually are minor
and last only a very short time. In studies,
about half of thepeople getting the vaccine
had mild side effects swelling and sore
ness at the spot where the shot was given,
usually on the arm.
A few people (less than 1 percent) had
fever and muscle pain as well as more seri
ous swelling and pain on the arm. The
pneumonia shot cannot cause pneumonia
because it is not made from the bacteria
itself, but from a bacterial component that
is not infectious. The same is true of the
flu shot; it cannot cause flu. In fact, people
can get the pneumonia vaccine ana a flu
shot at the same time.
About the Disease and the Vaccine
There are two main kinds of pneumo
nia viral pneumonia and bacterial pneu
monia. Bacterial pneumonia is more seri
ous. One kind of bacteria causes pneumo
coccal pneumonia. In older people, this
type of pneumonia is a common cause of
hospitalization and death.
About 20 to 30 percent of people over
age 65 who have pneumococcal pneumo
nia develop bacteremia. At least 20 percent
of those with bacteremia die from it, even
though they get antibiotics.
shortness of breath, chest tight
ness and mild wheezing,”
Marshall said.
Depending on individual
needs, therapists lead patients
through one or two sessions
which cover asthma basics, med
ications, asthma triggers, daily
medicine plans, peak-flow moni
toring ana self-monitoring.
Therapists also organize a
written management plan for
patients, including what steps to
take when symptoms occur.
Although an exact cause is not
known, asthma can be inherited
Hubert Bennett
Pharmacist
or result from offer triggers such
as allergies, explained Marshall.
“Asthma affects both children
and adults and can occur at any
age,” she added.
When an acute asthma attack
strikes, air passages swell, con
strict and make breathing diffi
cult.
Breathing becomes more
inhibited even after the attack
ends, as large amounts of mucous
are secreted and trapped in the
airways. Residual mucous in the
airtubes can also lead to pneumo
nia.
child .1 ni! adolescent medicine
• Steve Wade, M.D.
Diploma of the
American Board of Pediatrics
Yaritza E. Colon, M.D.
WWjBWT Diplomat of the
jßßfajateV American Board of Pediatrics
People age 65 and older are at high risk.
They are two to three times s more likely
than people in general to get pneumococ
cal infections.
A recent, large study by the National
Institutes of Health suggests that the vac
cine prevents most cases of pneumococcal
pneumonia.
The U.S. Public Health Service, the
National Coalition for Adult
Immunization, and the American Lung
Association now recommend that all peo
ple age 65 and older get this vaccine.
Key Facts
V Everyone age 65 and older should get
the pneumonia vaccine.
\ Anyone with chronic disease or a
weak immune system should also get the
vaccine.
V Most people need to get it only once.
V Most people have mild or no side
effects.
V It is covered by Medicare.
More information about adult immu
nizations is available from:
National Institute on Aging; P.O. Box
8057; Gaithersburg, Md., 20898-8057; 1-
800-222-2225 or 1-800-222-4225
(TTY).
“Learning to take medications
correctly is important because an
attack can progress quickly from
mild to life-threatening,”
Marshall explained.
“You can go from very well to
very sick fast, as the airway shuts
down in no time. A person with
asthma can go from breathing
normally to an asthmatic episode
or severe shutdown right away,”
she added.
For more information about
the AsthmatiCare program at
Perry Hospital, call 988-1688.