Preventing Pneumonia:

Vaccinations:

To help protect against pneumonia, people in higher risk groups should be vaccinated. The recommended vaccinations are:

• Pneumovax (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine - PPV) which protects against pneumococcal infections, and

• The flu vaccination (influenza immunization).

Healthy lifestyle:

It is impossible to avoid bacteria and germs, but living a healthy lifestyle, by eating a healthy, balanced diet and taking regular exercise, will help you to be healthy.

Some lifestyle factors can increase your risk of developing pneumonia. For example:

• Smoking,

• Alcohol abuse, and

• Intravenous drug abuse.

Quit Smoking:

Smoking damages your lungs. This means they can become infected more easily.

If you smoke, the best thing you can do to prevent pneumonia is stop.

To help you quit, call the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 022 4 332 for advice and support. For more information, visit the NHS Smokefree website (see the 'useful links' section).

Your physician or pharmacist can also give you help and advice about quitting smoking.

Good Hygiene:

You can help to stop germs spreading to other people by practising good hygiene. For example:

• When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, to catch the germs.

• Throw used tissues away immediately, in a bin or toilet. Germs can live for several hours after they leave your nose or mouth.

• Wash your hands regularly, to avoid transferring germs to anyone else or other objects.