European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To Avail the results of Laboratory tests can spell doom. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue usually caused by an infection. Normally the lungs Are sterile protected by a variety of bodily defences irom invasion by in Fecilous organisms i is Only when l"05e defences Are Down lha organisms can enter the lower respiratory miracl and take hold in the lungs causing pneumonia. Popular household warnings to the contrary going out in the cold without a hot or Wilh a Wel head does nol cause pneumonia or even increase the risk of catching cold. Pneumonia May be caused by bacteria viruses fungi or bacteria like organisms called Myc plasmas. Bacterial pneumonia the mos fio Quonn Type m older people Rusulis irom organisms thai normally so in a person s Mouth and Throat but manage to escape Valura defences and invade the lungs ii is the Mam Type of pneumonia that allows an attack of the Llu. The main Procip Vialor of pneumonia deaths a vaccine has been developed to protect against 23 of the most common varieties of the bacterium streptococcus pneumonia which is responsible  bacterial pneumonia. Tha vaccine is generally Given Only once to adults Over 65 and anyone or a chronic illnesses that increase their susceptibility to pneumonia. Its Bene Lils last at least Fivey Aars and perhaps longer. Or. Donald Kaye a specialist in infectious diseases at the medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia noted that. Improper use of antibiotics can some limes result in a Type of pneumonia that is difficult to idea. For example if antibiotics Are Given to treat a viral infection like the common cold or influenza they will kill Oft the Competition or the Gram negative bacteria that resist attack by inc usual antibiotics and cause the disease. Myc plasmas Are the main cause of a Mulder form of the disease walking pneumonia that primarily afflicts Young adults and children viruses an infrequent cause of pneumonia in adults arc More often the cause of pneumonia in children both Mycol Lasnas and viruses Are spread irom person to person either through droplets in the air or contaminated hands or articles in the environment. These non bacterial pneumonia can slowly work their Way through a family Kaye said bul bacterial pneumonia is not contagious. Also acquired irom the environment is log Oneila the bacterium that causes legionnaires disease experts now believe it May be responsible for up to a Quarter of All cases of pneumonia. Ii is spread through contaminated air for example in a building s air conditioning system. Fungal pneumonia is rare except in places like Southern California whore respiratory tracts sensitized by smog May be invaded by fungi prevalent in the soil. These fungi cause a pneumonia called Valley lever. One of the most deadly Lorms of pneumonia is caused by the influenza virus itself. Ii is More Likely a afflict people Wilh heart or pulmonary disease and pregnant women. The risk of developing this deadly term of viral pneumonia or the bacterial infection pneumococcal pneumonia is the main reason Lor urging certain people to have flu Shols every year. Flu vaccine is recommended for All adults Over 65, anyone with a chronic illness like heart or lung disease or diabetes and for healthy people of All Ages who perform essential services such As firemen policemen and Hospital and nursing Home personnel. Physicians should consider the possibility of pneumonia i a Patent has a cough a fever and pain in to Chest when coughing .  breathe More rapidly than Normal. The first step in diagnosis is to Lake a Good history asking about ailments that May have immediately preceded the cough and about exposure to others Wilh similar symptoms. Next the doctor will listen to the Chest through a Stethoscope Lor sounds of lung congestion. A blood Sample should be examined Tor an increase in while cols. Which Are part of the. Body s  and for. Infectious organisms thai May have invaded the blood. The patient May also be asked to cough Doorly to produce a sputum specimen which should to stained Tor Gram negative bacteria and cultured to see if organisms grow. Finally unless ill advised for other reasons Suchias pregnancy the physician will usually take a Chest a Ray Toch can provide the clearest evidence of lung inflammation. " s�5 gulls Chinuhuk exercise researchers in the United states complain there is Little attempt in school physical education. Programs to emphasize sports that youngsters could Roty on Lor the rest of their lives. Lifestyle although heredity also plays a significant role. In addition millions of american adults suffer from Back pain often As a direct result of weak abdominal Muscles. Proper exercise could prevent the great majority of those problems fitness experts report. Behind the growing dispute Over school physical education programs lies the fact that most american children Are not physically Active. While a string of government agencies and medical organizations has urged adults to become More vigorous the message1 has not filtered through to children. In a recent Survey conducted by the Public health service Only a third of elementary school children. Received daily physical education classes. More than 80 percent of teachers said they did not have the time to lest their students Lovolo fitness. The study which surveyed More than 5,000 parents students and teachers also showed thai classes and tests focus almost exclusively of motor skills rather than fitness activities that can he used for a lifetime.  designed to strengthen the. Heart and lungs was almost always near the Bottom of the fist of priorities. Right now there is no decent Way to judge the lit Noss of our nations children because we Don t know what the tests measure said or. Carl Casperson. In exercise physiologist at the Federal centers for disease control we need to know How to motivate children to participate. We need to know what truly is the relationship Between fitness and health and we need to Send out Clear messages to schools. At the moment we Are nol doing Well in those areas at All.". Casperson and others Are trying to devise a test that would produce an accurate measure of physical fitness while also encouraging people to continue to exercise. This is a vital area bul the answers just Are not All Clear he said. Ii a kid gels a bad score on a. Test and that makes him or her Stop participating in sports you May have just done about As much As you can to harm. The child s lure health on the other hand. Many people agree that Competition is not a dirty  the key measure of physical fitness and much of what children learn about exercise in the nation s schools comes from the tests distributed each  the president s Council on physical fitness and sports. Created in the 1950s, the president s Council has been the chief guardian 61 the fitness of american youth for  have changed significantly Over the years. Today More Are designed specifically 10 measure strength and endurance rather than stressing competitive athletics. But the lest s award Structure where Only those students who rank in the lop 15 percent on All tests receive honors has coma under heavy criticism in the past few years. Many researchers in the held say the competitive nature of the lest sends children the wrong message about illness at the most vital moment of their development. ,. We Are doing no service to the nation s youth by implying that physical activity should be reserved Lor the Best athletes said it. Ralph Paffi Bergor professor of epidemiology at Stanford University school of Medicine. Paffenberger has for years researched the relationship Between physical activity and health. It is absolutely essential to gel children to understand that physical activity is synonymous Wilh health he said Competition is line but health is not a competitive venture. We need to make this a Way of tile for children of All abilities.". The president s Council sees the situation from a slightly different perspective. It distributes testing kits that encourage to development of cardiovascular. Endurance muscular strength and flexibility to 1 10,000 Public and private schools each year. But it also says that the award Structure helps Spur children and Leach them important goals they will need As adults. We pick number ones twos and threes in  said or. Ash Hayes executive director of he president s Council we believe As do most -. " americans that we need to encourage people through Competition and individual achievement. The first purpose in me is Lor each of us to do our very Best. To find out what that is you have to Challenge yourself against others. You can t just do it by  Hayes said he fell strongly Thalah discipline and. Qualities that can be translated irom competitive athletics to adult life responding to the concern voiced by Many that awards could Hurt the Eholt to get of a children to. ". Participate in sports the Council the s Tail will add an award to students who finish in the lop half of All the test items. Another controversial Issue in school physical. Education programs involves the use of body composition testing which measures the distribution of Muscles and Faltys measure gives a much More accurate estimate of whether a person is overweight than does using a scale. Because muscle weighs More than lat Many of those who Are most fit gymnasts and swimmers or example May seem overweight by standing on a scale but because they have such a Low percentage of body fat they Are actually in excellent shape. While the american Alliance Lor health physical education recreation arid dance which represents Many of the nation s physical education teachers advocates body composition testing As a Standard. Measure of fitness the president s Council has so far not added body composition to its tests. Tuesday. November 15, 1988 the stars and stripes Psge 17