Pneumonia
By Jim Bynum
On December 31,New Years Eve of 2006, I was rushed to a hospital emergency room with a bad case of
pneumonia. The doctor was nice and very concerned about my health since I was over 65. Before being
treated for pneumonia, because of the chest pains, the doctor had to rule out heart trouble. What the
doctor also had to rule out was necrotizing pneumonia caused by a bacterial toxin that dissolves the lung
tissue and can kill very quickly. However, the doctor did not mention the potential for developing
necrotizing pneumonia. The doctor didn't mention that these bacterial toxins also cause heart disease.
Now we were looking at an lung infection caused by either a bacteria, virus, fungi or some other organism,
but, the doctor's biggest apparent concern was that I still smoked -- and had for longer than the doctor had
been alive -- and my lungs are still good --- and I didn't take any medicine. What doctor's have refused to
believe is that EPA, USDA, FDA, and CDC would agree on a policy to spread all of the infectious bacteria,
viruses, fungi and other organisms, that cause three million cases of pneumonia and 76 million foodborne
illnesses annually, on lawns, gardens and parks as a soil amendment they playfully called biosolids, instead
of contaminated sewage sludge. With almost a third of the population sick from exposure to the bacteria
and viruses, and at least 65,000 dead, the government thinks us old people are getting to be a drain on the
economy.
With the tests for heart disease (24.7 million sick and 654,092 dead) and pneumonia, the emergency room
cost is going to be well over a thousand dollars -- actualy cost for 2 hours emergency room service -
EKG 337.00
Emergency Services 1,181.00
Laboratory 1,360.00
Med/surg supplies 120.00
Pharmacy 173.15
Radiology 449.00
Respiratory Services 210.00
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Total Charge $3,830.15,
After that, the antibiotic is over $20.00 a pill, and if it doesn't do the trick, a cheap middle class burial is
$10,000.00 in Liberty, Mo., with the tombstone installed. When you are involved with the sludge issue, you
have to be prepared. Yep, the government is right, us old people and our grandchildren who are infected
by the government program exposing us to disease organisms in sludge/biosolids are a drain on the
economy.
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Every year, more than 60,000 Americans die of pneumonia — an inflammation of the
lungs usually caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms."
By guess, I do believe those infectious bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms the government is
dumping on farmland and lawns that cause pneumonia and heart disease are the same ones that cause 76
million foodborne illnesses each year with only 5,000 deaths? By golly, I do believe those infectious
bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organisms are the same 503.9(t) sewage sludge (biosolids) pollutants
EPA states could kill us. By gosh, those are the same infectious bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other
organisms in biosolids you buy as an unlabeled soil amendment for your lawn and garden -- and the same
disease organisms that cause meningitis which kill mostly the young and elderly. Do you think that may be
why EPA took all references (except the definition of a pollutant) to these infectious bacteria, viruses,
fungi and other organisms (pathogens) out of the final 1993 sludge rule. Even the Mayo Clinic believes you
should only be concerned if you are around agriculture.
Like EPA, the Mayo Clinic states that if you are exposed to certain chemicals or pollutants. "Your risk of
developing some uncommon types of pneumonia increases if you work in agriculture, construction or around certain
industrial chemicals or animals. Exposure to air pollution or toxic fumes can also contribute to lung inflammation."
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http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pneumonia/DS00135/DSECTION=1
Introduction
Every year, more than 60,000 Americans die of pneumonia — an inflammation of the lungs usually caused by
infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. Pneumonia is a particular concern for older
adults and people with chronic illnesses or impaired immune systems, but it also can strike young, healthy
people. Worldwide, it's a leading cause of death in children, many of them younger than a year old. There
are more than 50 kinds of pneumonia ranging in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. Although signs
and symptoms vary, many cases of pneumonia develop suddenly, with chest pain, fever, chills, cough and
shortness of breath. Infection often follows a cold or the flu, but it also can be associated with other
illnesses or occur on its own. Although antibiotics can treat some of the most common forms of bacterial
pneumonias antibiotic-resistant strains are a growing problem. For that reason, and because the disease
can be very serious, it's best to try to prevent infection in the first place.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pneumonia/DS00135/DSECTION=2
Signs and symptoms
Pneumonia can be difficult to spot. It often mimics a cold or the flu, so you may not realize you have a more
serious condition. What's more, signs and symptoms can vary greatly, depending on any underlying
conditions you may have and the type of organism causing the infection:
Bacteria.
Dozens of types of bacteria can cause pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia can occur on its own, or you may
develop it after you've had a viral upper respiratory infection such as influenza. Signs and symptoms, which
are likely to come on suddenly, include shaking chills, a high fever, sweating, chest pain (pleurisy) and a
cough that produces thick, greenish or yellow phlegm. Ironically, high-risk groups such as older adults and
people with a chronic illness or compromised immune system are likely to have fewer or milder symptoms
than less vulnerable people do. And instead of the high fever that often characterizes pneumonia, older
adults may even have a lower than normal temperature.
Viruses.
About a dozen different viruses can cause pneumonia. Viral pneumonia strikes primarily in the winter and
tends to be more serious in people with cardiovascular or lung disease. It usually starts with a dry
(nonproductive) cough, headache, fever, muscle pain and fatigue. As the disease progresses, you may
become breathless and develop a cough that produces a whitish phlegm. When you have viral pneumonia
you run the risk of also developing a secondary bacterial pneumonia.
Mycoplasma.
This tiny bacterium causes signs and symptoms similar to those of other bacterial and viral infections,
although symptoms appear more gradually and are often mild and flu-like. If you've been told you have
"walking pneumonia," it's probably caused by mycoplasma. You may not be sick enough to stay in bed or to
seek medical care, and may never even know you've had pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumonia spreads
easily in situations where people congregate and is common in child-care centers and among school
children and young adults. It may account for as many as one-third of childhood cases. Mycoplasma
pneumonia responds well to treatment with the appropriate antibiotics, although you may continue to have
a dry, nagging cough during your convalescence.
Chlamydia.
This bacterium causes symptoms similar to those of mycoplasma pneumonia. Although everyone is at risk,
chlamydia pneumonia is most common in school-age children. When it does strike older adults, it can be
particularly serious, though it does respond to antibiotics. Although the name is the same, the chlamydia
bacterium that causes pneumonia isn't the same bacterium that causes sexually transmitted infections.
Fungi.
Certain types of fungus also can cause pneumonia, especially Histoplasma capsulatum, which is common in
the [Mississippi] and Ohio River valleys and spreads in bird droppings. Most people experience few if any
symptoms after inhaling this fungus, but some develop symptoms of acute pneumonia, and still others may
develop a chronic pneumonia that persists for months.
Pneumocystis carinii.
Pneumonia caused by P. carinii is the most common opportunistic infection affecting Americans living with
AIDS. People whose immune systems are compromised by organ transplants, chemotherapy, or treatment
with corticosteroids or other immune-suppressing drugs such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors also
are at risk. The signs and symptoms of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) include a cough that doesn't
go away, fever and trouble breathing. In the past, P. carinii was considered a type of parasite, but more
recent studies suggest that this microorganism is more closely related to fungi.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pneumonia/DS00135/DSECTION=4
Risk factors
Adults age 65 or older and very young children, whose immune systems aren't fully developed, are at
increased risk of pneumonia. You're also more likely to develop pneumonia if you:
Have certain diseases.
These include immune deficiency diseases such as HIV/AIDS and chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular
disease, emphysema or diabetes. You're also at increased risk if you've had your spleen removed, or your
immune system has been impaired by chemotherapy or long-term use of immunosuppressant drugs.
Smoke, or abuse alcohol.
Millions of microscopic hairs (cilia) cover the surface of the cells lining your bronchial tubes. The hairs beat
in a wave-like fashion to clear your airways of normal secretions, but irritants such as tobacco smoke
paralyze the cilia, causing secretions to accumulate. If these secretions contain bacteria, they can develop
into pneumonia. Alcohol interferes with your normal gag reflex as well as with the action of the white blood
cells that fight infection.
Are hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
Pneumonia is the most common acquired infection among people in hospital intensive care units. People
who require mechanical ventilation are particularly at risk because the breathing tube (endotracheal tube)
bypasses the normal defenses of the respiratory tract, prevents coughing, and can harbor bacteria and
other harmful organisms.
Are exposed to certain chemicals or pollutants.
Your risk of developing some uncommon types of pneumonia increases if you work in agriculture,
construction or around certain industrial chemicals or animals. Exposure to air pollution or toxic fumes can
also contribute to lung inflammation.
Live in certain parts of the country.
Two types of fungus that occur in the soil in certain parts of the United States can cause lung infections and
pneumonia. Coccidioidomycosis, for example, is widespread throughout Southern California and the desert
Southwest. The majority of people exposed to the fungus don't get sick, but a few develop severe
pneumonia. [yep -- Valley fever]
Histoplasmosis is a serious lung infection caused by a soil-borne fungus that's most prevalent in the Ohio
and Mississippi River valleys. Infants, young children, older adults and people with chronic lung disease or
HIV/AIDS are at increased risk of severe symptoms.