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What Is Chemical Pneumonia?

Chemical pneumonia, or chemical pneumonitis, is a rare lung inflammation that, unlike normal pneumonia which is caused by bacteria or virus, is caused by inhaling poisons or toxins. Multiple substances can cause the irritation, and the illness has many different symptoms. Chemical pneumonitis is sub-categorized by acute and chronic degrees of the condition, and Mendelson's syndrome is also a variation of it. You can not catch chemical pneumonia from other victims, however, as it is not contagious.

  1. Symptoms

    • The symptoms of chemical pneumonia vary depending on the seriousness of your condition. The symptoms that you should look out for are dry coughing; wet coughing with green, yellow or clear mucus, or with blood; a burning sensation around the face or throat; nausea; difficulty or pain with breath; abdominal pain; headaches; fatigue; flu, and delirium. A doctor will also check you for a quicker pulse, excessive sweating and fever. If you recognize multiple symptoms, you should seek medical assistance.

    Acute and Chronic Chemical Pneumonia

    • The symptoms vary depending on your exposure to the chemical which has caused the inflammation. If you are an acute sufferer your symptoms could be restricted to a cough, difficulty with breathing, strange lung noises and tightness of the chest.
      If you are a chronic sufferer you are like to have a persistent, continuing cough and be out of breath, and you will be more susceptible to respiratory disease and illness.

    Causes

    • You can develop chemical pneumonia from exposure to a selection of irritant substances, including fertilizer dust, gasoline, petroleum, chlorine, pesticides, vomit, smoke and inhalant recreational drugs. Your exposure to these irritants correlates to the severity of your condition, so that if you were in a small, confined, unventilated space with one of the irritants, you would gain more severe symptoms than if you were in a larger, open space with the irritant.

    Prevention

    • You can easily protect yourself from exposure to irritant substances and therefore lessen your chances of developing chemical pneumonia. Use and store chemical substances such as bleach and other cleaning products as directed. When working with irritant substances, wear masks. Limit the amount of time you spend around the substances and always work in well-ventilated areas.

    Testing and Treatment

    • If your doctor thinks you have chemical pneumonia, you will have to take a few tests to check the severity of your condition. You will take a chest X-ray, a CT scan, a blood gas test and study of lung function. The treatment you receive will reduce symptoms such as inflammation, pain and breathing difficulties. The treatment you receive is again dependent upon the severity of your chemical pneumonia.

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