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| about periodontal disease |
| In this column, we will reply to questions about periodontal disease, monthly. We hope you can learn correctly what periodontal disease in connection with your health is, and refer to it for your life. |
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| The 6th The basic knowledge
of gum disease |
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Q3:Does
periodontal disease affect pneumonia and
bronchitis?
A3:
Lung and trachea are protected from bacterial
infection by body's physiological reaction
such as swallowing, coughing, breathing,
etc. However, these physiological reactions
may fail as age advances and aged people
may be susceptible to mis-aspiration of
own saliva and contents of gastrointestinal
tract. Since swallow and cough reactions
fail, the trachea and lung become receptive
to oral bacterial infection.
Relationship of periodontal diseases to
bacterial pneumonia.
A study was conducted focusing on the
fact that not only aged people but patients
with a previous history of cerebral stroke
has high mortality rate from pneumonia(Dr.
Sasaki, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University).
When there is damage in basal ganglia
of the section where stroke often occurs,
dopamine production from that area decreases.
As the result, substance P, which is released
from vagus nerve to pharynx and organs,
will be decreased. Consequently, swallowing
and coughing reaction become weakened
and lead to mis-aspiration of oral bacteria
and development of pneumonia.
Many of the periodontal bacteria may be
a cause of pneumonia and rate of pneumonia
infection becomes high by mis-aspiration
of saliva involving bacteria while body's
defensive function is lowered with advanced
age, dementia, condition requiring nursing
care, cerebrovascular disorder, after
surgery, etc.
Nonetheless, taking medicine containing
capsaicin or including red pepper in diet
is effective in recovering body's reflex
function.
*What is mis-aspiration?
: Involuntary suck in oral or stomach
contents into respiratory tract or lung.
*What is tussive
reaction (cough reaction)? : Usually,
ciliary movement removes foreign substances
and secretions on respiratory tract. Coughing
then eliminates substances that could
not be removed. This physiological reaction
is called tussive reaction (cough reaction).
*What is vagus nerve?
: Mixed nerve distributed in organs of
jaw, chest, and stomach. They act on pharynx,
trachea, and lung to function properly.
Photograph offer: Okayama University
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