Pneumonia Center - Altoona, PAAltoona Internist Doctors for PneumoniaType of Physician: Internist What is a Internist? A certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners provide long-term, comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common illnesses and complex problems for adolescents, adults, and the elderly. General internists are trained in primary care internal medicine, which incorporates an understanding of disease prevention, wellness, substance abuse, mental health and treatment of problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs. All internists are trained in the subspecialty areas of internal medicine including emergency internal medicine and critical care. Internists consult with surgeons when surgical management is indicated, and often act as consultants to other specialists. Specialty: Internal Medicine Common Name: Internist Doctors in Altoona * Venkata Pericherla MD  Blair Medical Associates  Blair Medical Associates  Blair Medical Associates  Pleasant Valley Cardiology  Pleasant Valley Cardiology  Pawan K Gupta MD  Altoona Hospital Emergency  Manickam Sankaran MD  K Siripala And Associates  K Siripala And Associates  Jon E Popovich MD  Lakemont Medical Center  Lakemont Medical Center  Tipton Medial Diagnostic Center  Southern Cove Medical Center  Tyrone Medical Associates  Pediatrics & Beyond  Larry R Mastrine MD  Molly B Trostle DO  Robert C Lamey MD  James E Savory MD  J C Blair Memorial Hospital  Bruce L Thomas MD  Baltazar L Corcino MD  Geisinger Medical Group  Geisinger Medical Group  Guided Care PC  Guided Care PC  UPMC Bedford Internal Medicine  Windber Medical Center  Diosdado Santiago MD  John M Wisniewski MD  Medical Group of Windber Inc  Medical Group of Windber Inc  Dinesh P Mathur MD  David C Johns DO  Clearfield Professional Group Ltd  Clearfield Professional Group Ltd  Clearfield Professional Group Ltd  Clearfield Professional Group Ltd  Jyothi K Gella MD  Alleghenies Independent Physicians Inc  Phillip Turco MD  Broad Street Reg Care Ctr  Cardiovascular Care PC  Thomas R Ellenberger MD PC  Digestive Health Physicians  Stephen J Matse DO  Harry H Pote MD  William F Pruchnic MD  George Pueblitz MD  Conemaugh Medical Center Internal Medicine  Balkissoon Maharajh MD  Conemaugh Medical Center Internal Medicine  Conemaugh Medical Center Internal Medicine  Valley Orthopaedics Inc  Drs Massoud & Patel  Drs Massoud & Patel  Gastrointestinal Consultants Inc  Vijay K Malhotra MD  Gastrointestinal Consultants Inc  Gastrointestinal Consultants Inc  William D Hauger MD  Blue & Green Medical  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Centre Medical & Surgical Associates  Hall, Guillard, Guillard & Associates  Hall, Guillard, Guillard & Associates  Geisinger Medical Group  Guy H Gerhart MD  Dubois Nephrology Associates  Fugate Medical Associates  DRMC Internal Medicine  DRMC Internal Medicine  DMC Gastroenterology  Edward J McVay MD  James A Scerbo MD  Jawahar N Suvarnakar MD  Martin L Chambers MD  Hussein Aboul-Hosn MD  Paul A Koberna MD  Kenneth K Fugate MD  Punxsutawney Medical Associates  Shenggao Han MD  Roberto Turnbull MD Altoona, PennsylvaniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-08
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PneumoniaWhat is pneumonia?Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States. Over a half a million of these people are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people recover, approximately 5% will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
How do people "catch pneumonia"?Some cases of pneumonia are contracted by breathing in small droplets that contain the organisms that can cause pneumonia. These droplets get into the air when a person infected with these germs coughs or sneezes. In other cases, pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in the mouth, throat, or nose inadvertently enter the lung. During sleep, it is quite common for people to aspirate secretions from the mouth, throat, or nose. Normally, the body's reflex response (coughing back up the secretions) and their immune system will prevent the aspirated organisms from causing pneumonia. However, if a person is in a weakened condition from another illness, a severe pneumonia can develop. People with recent viral infections, lung disease, heart disease, and swallowing problems, as well as alcoholics, drug users, and those who have suffered a stroke or seizure are at higher risk for developing pneumonia than the general population. As we age, our swallowing mechanism can become impaired as does our immune system. These factors, along with some of the negative side effects of medications, increase the risk for pneumonia in the elderly. Once organisms enter the lungs, they usually settle in the air sacs and passages of the lung where they rapidly grow in number. This area of the lung then becomes fille... Recommended Reading Related to PneumoniaSwine flu (H1N1 influenza virus) facts
What is swine flu (novel H1N1 influenza A swine flu)?Swine flu (swine influenza) is a... Other Related Pneumonia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Altoona
Nearby Altoona Hospitals *Altoona Regional Health System Bon Secours Hospital Campus Altoona Regional Hospital James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Altoona Rehabilitation Hospital Nason Hospital Tyrone Hospital Miners Medical Center J C Blair Memorial Hospital Windber Medical Center Crichton Rehabilitation Center Memorial Medical Center Lee Campus Good Samaritan Medical Center Memorial Medical Center Select Specialty Hospital Johnstown UPMC Bedford Memorial Mount Nittany Medical Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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