希拉里患上肺炎 你对它的常识又了解多少?

Recently, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made news -- not for what she said, but for her health.

最近，总统候选人希拉里·克林顿制造了新闻--不是因为她说了什么，而是因为她的健康状况。

Her political campaign announced that Clinton had pneumonia after she appeared weak at a public event in New York City.

她的竞选阵营声称，希拉里在纽约的一场公开典礼上身体很虚弱，随后就被诊断为患上了肺炎。

So, what is pneumonia? And how does it spread?

那么，肺炎是什么呢？它是这样传播的呢？

On a simple level, pneumonia is an infection of the lungs.

简单来说，肺炎就是一种肺部的感染。

It is treatable and preventable but was responsible for nearly one million deaths in 2015. It is the leading cause of death among children under five around the world.

这种疾病可治疗、可预防，但是在2015年就造成了近100万人死亡。肺炎也是世界范围内五岁以下儿童死亡的主要原因。

It is most often caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, but viruses like the flu, and even fungi also cause the disease.

肺炎通常由肺炎链球菌引起，也会由类似流感病毒的病毒引起，甚至真菌也会引发肺炎。

Once it gets in a person's lungs, the alveoli, or air sacs that take in oxygen, swell and fill up with fluid.

一旦病原体进入肺部，肺泡（类似吸入氧气的气囊）就会肿胀并充满积液。

This makes breathing difficult and painful, and can also limit the amount of oxygen a person takes into their body with each breath. It also causes fever, chills and coughing.

这会使得呼吸变得困难且痛苦，并且会限制每次呼吸时进入人体的氧气量。此外，肺炎还会引起发烧、发冷和咳嗽。

Those most at risk are the very young, the elderly (over the age of 65) and anyone with a compromised immune system.

小孩、65岁以上的老人和免疫力低下的人都非常容易患上肺炎。

Because the symptoms mimic those of the flu and the common cold, diagnosis sometimes takes a visit to a doctor, who will listen to your lungs for "crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale," according to the American Lung Association (ALA). A follow up chest X-ray may also be necessary.

根据美国肺科协会表示，以上这些症状会和流感以及普通感冒相混淆，所以要想确诊是不是肺炎需要去看医生，让医生听诊在你吸气时，肺部是否有“捻发音、啰音或者水泡音”。接下来做一个胸部X光片也很有必要。

For viral pneumonia, doctors can prescribe anti-viral medication. The disease routinely lasts 1-3 weeks in people, who are otherwise healthy.

对病毒性肺炎来说，医生可以开抗病毒药物。原本健康的人一般1到3个星期就可以康复。

For people who get bacterial pneumonia - the most common kind - treatment for mild cases can include antibiotics, rest and fluids, and fever control. The recovery time is similar to viral pneumonia.

对于得了细菌性肺炎（这一种比较常见）的人来说，轻度病例可以使用抗生素、休息、喝水疗法以及控制发烧症状来治疗。康复期和病毒性肺炎大体相同。

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, another bacterial form of the illness, also called "walking pneumonia," is generally mild, but full recovery may take an extended period of time, especially for the young, elderly and unhealthy.

支原体肺炎是细菌性肺炎中的一种，又称“能行走的肺炎”，是一种比较轻的情况，但是完全康复要花费很长时间，对小孩、老人和体弱者来说尤其如此。

Preventing pneumonia requires the same steps used to prevent colds and the flu. The ALA recommends an annual flu shot.

预防肺炎的措施基本上和预防感冒以及流感是一致的。美国肺科协会建议每年都接种流感疫苗。

In addition, "Children younger than 5, and adults 65 and older should get vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia." Wash your hands early and often, don't smoke and get plenty of rest and exercise.

此外，“5岁以下的小孩、65岁及以上的成年人应该接种链球菌性肺炎疫苗。”还有，要注意经常洗手、不吸烟、保证足够的休息和运动。

If you're the parent of young children, make sure you're up to date on all your vaccines.

如果你的孩子还小，一定不要错过接种疫苗的时间。

"There are several other vaccines that can prevent infections by bacteria and viruses that may lead to pneumonia," according to the ALA, "including pertussis, chicken pox and measles."

美国肺科协会建议道：“包括百日咳、水痘和麻疹在内的几种疫苗，可以预防由细菌和病毒引起的感染，这些感染都可能会引发肺炎。”