Deaths from pneumonia have been on the rise as the graying of Japan's population progresses. Utmost care is necessary to prevent old people from succumbing to pneumonia. In 2011, some 125,000 people died of pneumonia. Of these, 97 percent were 65 or older. Pneumonia may be described as the biggest enemy of senior citizens. One of every 10 Japanese eventually dies of pneumonia.
Aged people are likely to become victims of pneumonia because their immunity has weakened and often their nutrition is not good. Many older patients being treated for heart disease and cancer end up dying of pneumonia.
Symptoms of pneumonia are similar to those of an ordinary cold. It must not be forgotten that what looks like cold symptoms among older people may be symptomatic of pneumonia. The symptoms include fever, chest pains and breathing difficulty.