Diabetics at increased risk for pneumonia

Increased risk of pneumonia for people with diabetes
Health experts say pneumonia is still a neglected hazard that can be fatal. In Germany alone, the infectious disease causes around 35,000 deaths each year. Diabetics are at an increased risk of developing pneumonia.

Symptoms indicate various illnesses
The treachery of pneumonia is that the first symptoms such as coughing, fever and fatigue usually more likely to be a respiratory tract infection and not necessarily a dangerous disease. But even with pneumonia, the sooner a therapy starts, the better. The question of how to recognize pneumonia can be lifesaving, as in Germany alone around 35,000 patients die each year from pneumonia. People with diabetes have an increased risk of pneumonia.

Since people with diabetes are at an increased risk of contracting pneumonia, they should, according to health experts vaccinated against a pneumococcal infection. (Image: pathdoc / fotolia.com)

People with diabetes have an increased risk of pneumonia
Since diabetics are at an increased risk of developing pneumonia, they should get vaccinated against pneumococcal infection. This has the Austrian Association for the Promotion of Vaccination (VFI) pointed out.

"People with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus generally have an increased risk of infection," said Joakim Huber of Vienna's Franziskus Spital, according to a message from the news agency APA.

The internist, who also belongs to the board of the Austrian Diabetes Society, said: "Diabetics with complications of heart and kidney are particularly at risk that a pneumococcal infection causes serious complications and in the worst case even fatal".

Preventive vaccination
To prevent pneumonia, it should, according to health experts against pneumococci, the most common causative agent of bacterial pneumonia, vaccinated.

This protective measure is also highlighted in the revised vaccination recommendations of the Standing Vaccination Commission at the Robert Koch Institute (STIKO) in Berlin.

A statement by the RKI states: "Pneumococci are the main cause of bacterial pneumonia in Europe. The STIKO estimates that more than 5,000 people in Germany die each year as a result of pneumococcal disease."

The vaccination is especially recommended for people over 60, chronically ill as well as children up to the second year of life. Basically, it is important to strengthen the immune system. For this you should, among other things, healthy - with plenty of fruit and vegetables - nourish, move regularly and stop smoking.

Affected individuals often do not know about their increased risk
According to the VFI, the Austrian vaccination plan also recommends that people with high risk be vaccinated against pneumococci. According to the APA, the association pointed to a survey that showed that people at high risk, such as people with diabetes, COPD, asthma, chronic cardiovascular disease or immunodeficiency, see little danger to themselves.

And the knowledge about the vaccination against a pneumococcal infection is low, according to the survey.

On the website "lungsentzuendung.at" information about pneumococcal pneumonia, the symptoms, the consequences of the disease and the vaccination. (Ad)