Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar².

Symptoms of diabetes often include extreme thirst, unintentional weight loss, excessive hunger, blurred vision, numb or tingling hands and feet, extreme tiredness, dry skin, sores that heal slowly, frequent urination, and more infections than usual³.

Those who suffer from diabetes face higher risks of contracting pneumonia⁴. Typical symptoms of pneumonia include breathing difficulties, chest pain, fever, and rapid heartbeats⁵.

However, risks of contracting pneumonia can be reduced with a pneumococcal vaccine, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet⁶.

Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs and a chronic respiratory disease. It causes your airways to get inflamed and narrow, and makes it hard to breathe. It is also referred to as bronchial asthma².

Symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, troubles sleeping because of breathing problems, and tightness or pain in the chest².

While there are no cures for asthma, those who suffer from this disease can employ natural remedies that help manage its symptoms. These include acupuncture, biofeedback or learning to control your heart rate, herbs and natural dietary supplements, plant-based diets and avoiding trigger foods that may cause food allergies³.

It’s important to get vaccinated against vaccine-preventable diseases such as pneumococcal disease, as those with asthma are more likely to get health complications⁴.

People aged 65 years or older who get pneumonia have an increased risk of hospitalisation and mortality when compared to other age groups. However, as symptoms can be atypical and quickly worsen, seeking prompt medical attention is vital².

The symptoms of pneumonia in geriatric or senior patients may differ from those in other age groups. Instead, they might find themselves feeling weak or unsteady, without a fever, or experience changes in functional status which is the ability to perform daily tasks. They might also experience confusion or delirium, urinary incontinence, and a worsening of existing health conditions².

For elderly citizens placed in nursing cares, the risk of pneumonia is associated with high rates of morbidity³. As such, immunisation against pneumococcal pneumonia is recommended for the elderly to ensure that they are protected against this disease⁴.

Globally, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death. A few common risk factors that contribute to this disease include age, obesity, cholesterol, and hypertension¹.

Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension refers to blood pressure that is consistently higher than normal². High blood pressure can be linked to high cholesterol, as the heart has to strain much harder to pump blood due to the hardening and narrowing of arteries with cholesterol plaque and calcium³.

This happens due to high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, sometimes known as “bad” cholesterol – which makes up most of your body’s cholesterol. This leads to the build up and narrowing of blood vessels, blocking blood flow to and from your heart⁴.

Looking after your heart health is important when it comes to lowering infection risks, which could include cholesterol-lowering medicine and lifestyle changes⁴. As people with cardiovascular disease also are at higher risk of contracting pneumococcal pneumonia⁵, immunisation against pneumococcal pneumonia is vital in protecting yourself¹.

Smoking is harmful and can lead to disease and disability, and not just for the smoker. Those exposed to secondhand smoke can also contract severe health issues as a result². This is because tobacco from cigarettes damages your lungs’ ability to fight off infections³.

Quitting smoking is beneficial and has immediate results by reducing the risk of developing serious conditions, even during infections⁴. One way to quit smoking is by using nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches, lozenges, gum, oral inhalers, or nasal sprays⁵.

Some smokers might opt to gradually cut down before quitting⁶, while some choose to quit smoking cold turkey, which means abstaining from a substanceor habit immediately and completely⁷. As smokers have been found to be at higher risk of getting pneumonia, they are encouraged to consider immunisation against vaccine-preventable diseases such as pneumococcal pneumonia³.