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oscar winning actress Diane Keaton died at the age of 79 due to pneumonia infection last weekend, his family said Wednesday.
The Hollywood star, who battled skin cancer for decades, experienced a “sudden” decline in health.
Age is a major risk factor for pneumonia. People over the age of 50 are more likely to experience severe cases Lung infections, caused by viruses and bacteriaMost deaths occur in people over the age of 65, according to American Lung Association,
More than 40,000 Americans die More than 1.4 million adults suffer from respiratory illness each year and seek hospital care. For the last ten years, pneumonia has been one of the Top 10 causes of death in America,
“When you have something like pneumonia and it settles down, it can take over a person very quickly, and I think that makes it on the top 10 list because the people it really impacts are older people,” said Dr. Troy Madsen, an emergency room physician at University of Utah Health Care. Explained,

As we age, our immune system weakens and becomes less able to fight off invading bacteria and viruses.
Medical conditions can put people at risk for serious infection, such as a weakened immune system due to a recent respiratory illness or cancer-related chemotherapy.
Children under five years of age, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed, are more likely to get sick and suffer worse symptoms. Nearly half of pneumonia deaths between 1999 and 2023 were among young children, According to Harvard researchers,
But anyone can get pneumonia Any time. Most people experience cough, fatigue, fever, chills, chest pain and shortness of breath. But, more serious symptoms include confusion, vomiting, and nausea.
Even a minor cough, mild fever, and difficult breathing in an older adult may be a sign of something more dangerous.

“They’re not getting air into their lungs, they’re not getting oxygen into their body. And then that infection, like infection anywhere, can affect the whole body, where it lowers blood pressure, increases heart rate,” Madsen said. “The blood pressure cannot maintain itself and this whole cycle eventually leads to death.”
Although most bacterial pneumonia cases can be treated with antibiotics, viral cases cannot. These infections often resolve on their own.
There are steps people can take to protect themselves.
RSV and Tdap vaccines can help reduce the risk, although not everyone can get them. RSV shots are recommended for infants, young children, people over the age of 60 who have an increased risk of infection, and everyone over the age of 75. Tdap vaccine is recommended for children over 7 years of age and all adults.
All adults over the age of 65 who have not previously received pneumococcal conjugate vaccine should receive one dose. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases,
People can also reduce their risk by cleaning their spaces frequently, washing hands frequently, and using air filters. and no smoking,