! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
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Treatments, therapies and supportive options
0Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
No linked treatment or supportive options are listed yet.
Introduction / full article
Aspiration Pneumonia
ID 26
Aspiration Pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia arises when foreign material is inhaled into the lung, causing infection and inflammation. Often, the inhaled material is food, liquid, vomit or fluid from the mouth.
Normally, involuntary defense mechanisms such as coughing will clear these substances from the airway before they enter the lung. However, if these mechanisms are impaired, or a large amount of foreign material is inhaled, this does not happen.
Those with diminished or no control over their ability to swallow, such as those who are intoxicated, unconscious or have suffered a stroke, are at significantly increased risk for aspiration pneumonia.
