What is Pneumonia: Pneumonia an infection of the lungs that can cause mild to astringent illness in all ages of people. Depending on the cause, it can often be treated with medicine or obviated (prevented) with vaccines. However, it’s a still leading infectious cause of death in younger children.
Most infections are caused by either bacteria or viruses. It can additionally be caused by fungi, concretely in people whose immune systems are not working properly.
Is Pneumonia Contagious?
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue, caused by bacteria, virus, or fungus. Pneumonia may be contagious if caused by an infectious microbe. But if caused by chemical fumes or other poisons, then it’s not contagious. The variants of pneumonia stem from their cause.
Causes of Pneumonia
Bacteria, of viruses, a fungus, parasites or other organisms can cause pneumonia.
Pneumonia is usually caused by pneumococcal infection, a bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Other types of bacteria, including Haemophilus influenza and Staphylococcus aureus, can also cause pneumonia, as well as viruses and, also fungi.
Pneumonia can be a mild illness, or it can be a very severe serious problem or anything in
between. The most prevalent signs and symptoms are:
Pyrexia(fever), sweating and shivering
Arduousness breathing(difficulty breathing)
Feeling general tiredness
loss of appetite
Pneumonia may difficult to diagnose because it has many symptoms with other conditions, such as common cold, asthma, and bronchitis.
To make a diagnosis, your physicians may ask you:
whether you feel breathless or breathing faster than usual
how long you’ve had a cough, and whether coughing up mucus and what color it is
if the pain in the chest is worse when breathe in or out
Your physicians may also check your temperature and listen to your chest and back with a stethoscope.
They may also listen to the chest by tapping it.
If have mild pneumonia, you probably need not have a chest X-ray or any other tests.
if your symptoms haven’t improved within 48 hours of starting treatment. You may need a chest X-ray, a sputum (mucus) test or blood tests.
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- Pneumonia treatment depends on what caused the infection and range from outpatient treatment to surgery.
- While there is no sure way to obviate(prevent) pneumonia, there are a number of steps to reduce your jeopardy for getting the infection.
- There are proven methods for treating the sundry(various) types of pneumonia, once it’s congruously(properly) diagnosed.
- Because pneumonia comes in different ways, treatment plans vary widely.
- Some people may need only bed rest, while others may require hospitalization.
- Your physician will outline a plan that’s categorical(specific) to your condition, considering the type of pneumonia you have, the astringency of your condition, your age, and your overall health.
- From there, you’ll ken whether you can be treated at home or at the hospital and whether you require antibiotics or not.
- Typically, with bacterial and fungal pneumonia, the physician will treat the infection. For viral types of pneumonia, physicians will treat the symptoms.
- Early antibiotic treatment is prosperous for most bacterial infections.
Home Remedies for Pneumonia
There are no proven alternative treatments to dispense germs that cause pneumonia.
However, there may be some home remedies that avail(help) with symptoms and some that may prevent from getting sicker.
- Getting rest
- Quit smoking
- Eating a salubrious(healthy) diet
- Avoid alcohol
- Vitamin C and warm fluids ( tea or chicken soup) may additionally avail(help) by keeping mucus in the lungs loose.
Prevention (Pneumonia Vaccine)
- Pneumonia can develop after the flu, getting the seasonal flu shot can help to prevent it.
- The pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine is recommended to prevent pneumonia.
- There two pneumonia vaccines:Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23, Pneumovax) and Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13, Prevnar 13).
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends PCV13 for younger children than five, adults 65 years or older, and people six years or older with certain preexisting conditions or other risk factors.
- PPSV is recommended by CDC for adults 65 or older, and people two through 64 years old who are in the high-risk group.
- Anyone who smokes should additionally immunize against pneumonia.