曾经有一段时间，您吞下了一些食物或饮料，感觉就像掉下了错误的管道。那时，一些食物或液体可能朝着您的肺而不是胃前进。大多数情况下，您会咳嗽，食物或液体会从气道中清除。但是有时候，它可以到达您的肺部并发展成一种肺炎called aspiration pneumonia.
你这n also develop aspiration pneumonia from breathing in saliva or acid from your stomach that moves up your esophagus due to reflux. Everyone has some level of reflux, where stomach acid regurgitates into the esophagus. But if your reflux is bad enough to wake you up at night, it can cause chronic lung problems that could worsen into pneumonia over time.
And people who lose consciousness and vomit could also develop it. “If you don’t cough it out, you can develop aspiration pneumonia,” said杰森·麦卡尔（Jason McCarl）, MD, a pulmonologist with Banner Health Clinic in Northern Colorado.
吸入肺炎的症状是什么？
Aspiration pneumonia has symptoms similar to any pneumonia—fever, shortness of breath,胸痛from the inflammation and a cough that’s usually productive.
Who’s at risk for aspiration pneumonia?
You’re at higher risk of developing aspiration pneumonia as you get older, since it can become harder to swallow properly. Swallowing might seem simple—even newborn babies can do it—but it’s not. “Swallowing is a very sophisticated process that requires coordination of several different muscles in your throat. Over time those muscles can deteriorate. That’s why aging puts you at risk,” Dr. McCarl said. You’re also at higher risk if you’ve had a stroke or another neurological condition.
麦卡尔博士说：“这一切都取决于吞咽机制并保护您的气道。”“如果您无法保护呼吸道免受肺部的分泌物，或者控制吞咽的肌肉无法正常工作，那么您最终可能会获得志向。”
How can you prevent aspiration pneumonia?
If you’re at risk for aspiration pneumonia, a speech therapist can do swallowing studies to identify ways to lower your odds of developing it. They can recommend a diet that focuses on foods you’re less likely to aspirate or inhale, based on their consistency. They can also recommend techniques like tucking your chin when you swallow, taking small bites and not drinking from a straw.
If you aspirate at night because of reflux, antacids can help. “We all have reflux—that’s part of how our bodies work. But if you have excessive amounts, antacids can reduce the number of times you experience reflux,” Dr. McCarl said.
Elevating the head of your bed can also help reduce reflux. Dr. McCarl recommends putting blocks under the bedposts, so the mattress stays flat but on an angle. You can also use a pillow or wedge to elevate your head and shoulders.
If you develop pneumonia and you’re elderly, or you have a history of stroke or neuromuscular disease, doctors may recommend a chest X-ray. If the X-ray shows pneumonia in your right lower lung, there’s a good chance it’s aspiration pneumonia. That’s where whatever you aspirated tends to end up, because of the design of your lung anatomy. A speech therapist can also perform a swallowing evaluation to see if you’re coughing when you’re eating or drinking.
How can aspiration pneumonia be diagnosed and treated?
Fluoroscopy—a continuous X-ray that can look for signs that food or fluid could enter your lungs—is the most definitive test for aspiration pneumonia.
如果您被诊断出患有肺炎，您的医生可能会开处方抗生素来治疗它。您可以采取上面概述的预防步骤，以确保它不会再发生。
The bottom line
If you breathe in or aspirate food or fluids, you could be at risk for aspiration pneumonia. If you have swallowing problems or reflux, your odds of developing it are higher, but you can take steps to prevent it. If you’d like tovwin.comac德赢官方首页 要了解有关您的风险的更多信息，请与Banner Health联系。主頁(欢迎您)
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