Khaleda Zia Remains Critical in Hospital: What is Ailing Former Bangladesh Prime Minister?

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia continues to be critically ill as she has been hospitalised in Dhaka since last month. The 80-year-old chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has been under intensive care at Evercare Hospital after developing a severe chest infection that affected her heart and lungs. However, some news reports say Zia is now “more stable,” with no deterioration in her condition, quoting her personal doctor, AZM Zahid Hossain, through state-run BSS news agency. On December 11, she was placed on “ventilator support to give rest to her lungs and other vital organs.” Begum Zia, as she is popularly known, became the first female Prime Minister of Bangladesh when the BNP won the election in 1991. She returned

to power in 2001 and remained in power till 2006.

What happened to Khaleda Zia?

According to her doctors, Zia has a permanent pacemaker and previously underwent stenting for her heart. Local media have reported that Zia has "heart problems, liver and kidney issues, diabetes, lung problems, arthritis, and eye-related illnesses".

What is a chest infection?

A chest infection happens in the lower respiratory tract - including the lungs or airways, caused by viruses or bacteria. The most common types are bronchitis, which affects the larger airways, and pneumonia, which affects the lungs' air sacs. According to doctors, the infection causes an inflammation of the airways. When your airways, which include the trachea and bronchi, get irritated, they swell up and fill with mucus, causing you to cough. Your cough can last for days to a couple of weeks. When your airways get irritated, your immune system causes them to swell up and fill with mucus. You cough to try to clear the mucus out. As long as there’s mucus or inflammation in your airways, you’ll keep coughing. Viruses are the most common cause of acute bronchitis. Smoke and other irritants can cause acute and chronic bronchitis.

How does a chest infection affect?

According to experts, while anyone can get a chest infection, you are at a higher risk if you:

• Smoke or be around someone who does
• Have asthma, or other breathing conditions
• Have chronic acid reflux or GERD
• Have an autoimmune disorder or other illness that causes inflammation
• They are mostly around smoke, chemicals, or toxins in the air.

How does a chest infection affect your heart?

Doctors say a chest infection can affect the heart by causing inflammation and a higher workload, which leads to a faster heart rate, blood clots, and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Infections also directly damage the heart muscle, causing conditions like myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle, irregular heart rhythms or arrhythmias, or worsening heart failure, particularly in those with pre-existing heart conditions. A severe lung infection can make breathing difficult, forcing the heart to work harder to pump enough oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.

What are the signs and symptoms to watch out for?

It is important to seek medical attention if you experience any unusual symptoms while ill with a chest infection, as they could indicate a serious heart-related problem:

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Chest pain or tightness
• Headache
• Breathlessness
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat