Under 65? You Could Still Be At Risk Of Pneumococcal Disease

Pneumonia remains a deadly disease in Malaysia due to its high rate of fatalities. In 2019, it was the principal cause of death among Malaysian women, and the second leading cause of Malaysian men.²

Pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common kind of bacterial pneumonia³, is an infectious and potentially serious bacterial lung disease.

Unlike common colds that are caused by viruses, pneumococcal pneumonia is a bacterial infection which has the potential to causesevere symptoms.⁴

Globally, pneumococcal disease is responsible for a majority of the serious illness recorded⁵, and has the ability to affect people of all groups.⁶ 

The bacteria responsible for this disease is Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus.⁷

Streptococcus pneumoniae can spread from the nose and throat to the upper and lower respiratory tract. Though it may be common, pneumococcal disease can sometimes result in serious health problems such as middle ear infections, blood infections, pneumonia, or bacterial meningitis.⁸

One of the main preventive measures to combat pneumococcal diseases are pneumococcal vaccinations, which can not only reduce your chances of receiving the disease, but also reduce the healthcare burden required to treat such diseases.¹

However, it’s crucial to first understand the types of pneumococcal disease that exist as well as their aftereffects.

Photo credit: Andrea Piacquadio @ Pexels

What are the types of pneumococcal disease?

There are two main types of pneumococcal disease: non-invasive pneumococcal diseases and invasive pneumococcal diseases.⁸

Non-invasive pneumococcal diseases generally occur outside the major organs or the blood, potentially leading to:

• Otitis media, which results in the inflammation of the middle ear. Symptoms usually include fluid in the middle ear, swelling of the eardrum, and earache. If the eardrum becomes perforated, fluid may drain into the ear canal.
• Acute bronchitis, an inflammation of the airways that can last up to 3 weeks and results in a cough with the production of mucus.
• Sinusitis is a common condition causing inflammation of the sinuses in a person’s skull. Its symptoms include pain, swelling, and tenderness around the cheeks, eyes, and forehead.

Photo credit: Olga Kononenko

Invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPDs) are more serious than non-invasive pneumococcal diseases. Generally, these diseases occur inside a major organ or in a person’s blood.⁸ Examples of IPDs include:

• Bacteremia – a bacterial infection of the blood causes this condition. It can be fatal and often progresses rapidly to sepsis. Symptoms include fever, chills, and reduced alertness.
• Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.⁹ Symptoms include fever, chills, clammy skin, confusion, a rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, and severe pain.
• Meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges, which are the three membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord. Its symptoms include a stiff neck, a headache, confusion, sensitivity to light, and a fever. However, the severity of the symptoms can vary, and some may not appear at all.
• Pneumonia, a serious lung disease that affects the alveoli. Symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing, a cough, a fever, and chills.
• Other infections, such as osteomyelitis – an infection that affects bones – and septic arthritis, an infection in your joints.

If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms persistently, speak to a healthcare physician today. All IPDs require medical treatment and should be attended to by medical professionals.

Who are at risk of pneumococcal disease?

Pneumococcal disease has the potential to affect anyone⁶, but people with health problems or weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the disease.¹⁰

Certain chronic conditions as well as lifestyle choices can also increase a patient's chance of infection.¹ These include:

• Chronic heart diseases, such as heart failure and cardiomyopathy
• Chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
• Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus.
• Frequent smoking.

People between the ages of 19 and 64 years old with these chronic conditions are recommended to get vaccinated against pneumococcal disease to decrease their chances of contracting the disease as well as prevent any severe symptoms that might arise from infection.¹

People with immunocompromised states are also at higher risk of contracting severe pneumococcal diseases.¹ Examples of such people include:

• Patients suffering from HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).^1,11
• Patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease or other hemoglobinopathies.^1,12

Photo credit: Ketut Subiyanto

What measures can I take to prevent pneumococcal disease?

Immunisation has been shown to reduce the prevalence of pneumococci by reducing the strains resistant to antibiotics.¹³ Just like other vaccines, pneumococcal vaccines encourage your body to produce antibodies, proteins which destroys or neutralize disease-carrying organisms or toxins. In this case, the pneumococcal vaccine creates antibodies that specifically targets pneumococcal bacteria.¹⁴

Besides getting vaccinated against pneumococcal disease, practicing good general hygiene by washing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. It is also important to maintain healthy lifestyle choices through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest in order to prevent pneumococcal disease.¹⁵

For more information on pneumococcal vaccinations, or if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, do reach out to a healthcare professional to get the medical attention and advice you need.

References:

1.       Pneumococcal Vaccination in Adults | https://tinyurl.com/54m282dd | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

2.       Statistics on Cause of Death, Malaysia, 2020 |https://tinyurl.com/67wwab2z | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

3.       Get The Facts About Pneumococcal Pneumonia | https://tinyurl.com/4uk2ur8s | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

4.       About Pneumonia | https://tinyurl.com/k5nbztj3 | Accessed 10 Jan 2022

5.       Pneumococcal Disease | https://tinyurl.com/345mpwuf | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

6.       Pneumococcal Disease: Risk Factors and Transmission, CDC | https://tinyurl.com/yc7sjnfk | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

7.       Pneumococcal Disease, CDC | https://tinyurl.com/ycyknw9t | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

8.       Pneumococcal disease: Causes, How it spreads, and Symptoms | https://tinyurl.com/27s529su | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

9.       What Is Sepsis | https://tinyurl.com/3pytratp | Accessed on 10 Jan 2022

10.    Pneumococcal Disease, Better Health Channel | https://tinyurl.com/57cxxe4p | Accessed on 11 Jan 2022

11.    Bacterial pneumonia - HIV Management Guidelines | https://tinyurl.com/2p8wembz | Accessed on 11 Jan 2022

12.    Hemoglobinopathies | https://tinyurl.com/2p8uj6m2 | Accessed on 11 Jan 2022

13.    Impact Of Existing Vaccines In Reducing Antibiotic Resistance, PNAS | https://tinyurl.com/dzebsjmw | Accessed on 11 Jan 2022

14.    Pneumococcal Vaccine Overview | https://tinyurl.com/2p8hash9 | Accessed on 11 Jan 2022

15.    How to Prevent Pneumonia | https://tinyurl.com/yc6kepy3 | Accessed on 11 Jan 2022

Disclaimer:

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.

For Pfizer terms of use click here: Terms of Use | Pfizer – Breakthroughs That Change Patients’ Lives

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