Pneumonia

Pneumonia General Information

Pneumonia is one of the many diseases that, if left untreated, can lead to the death of the patient. Generally, the disease is characterized by an inflammation of the patient’s lungs caused by certain factors such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. This kind of medical condition is more severe in adult patients, or patients who suffer from chronic illnesses or immune system deficiencies. It can also affect young and healthy persons. In all over the world, it is considered the major cause of death in children. There are many types of Pneumonia differing in severity from mild to life threatening ones. In most cases the disease can cause a high variety of signs and symptoms that can include chest pain, fever, chills, shortness of the breath and cough. These symptoms can appear gradually or in a sudden manner, especially in more severe cases. The disease usually develops after the patient had a cold or flu, but it can also be associated with other kinds of conditions or it can develop on its own. Usually, to treat the disease doctors apply antibiotics, especially for the bacterial form of Pneumonia, but when the disease is caused by a virus it can resist medication causing serious complications. There are certain risk factors that can cause the appearance of the disease and can include: if the patient suffered from certain severe conditions such as cardiovascular disease, emphysema and diseases that have been treated with immunosuppressant medication; smoking and alcohol over use, because it interferes with the patient’s normal gag reflex.

Pneumonia Symptoms

This kind of condition is very hard to diagnose because it is very similar with other less severe diseases such as cold or flu, also causing similar signs and symptoms that can include cough and fever. Many patients confuse Pneumonia with other diseases; for this reason, they do not seek professional help in due time. When they do, it may be too late, as some of them cannot avoid experiencing the life-threatening symptoms of this disease (including death). The signs and symptoms of Pneumonia can differ depending on the main cause of the disease or on the type of organism that caused the infection (especially bacteria, because many types of bacteria lead to the appearance of this kind of lung affection). When it is caused by a bacterium, the disease appears suddenly and on its own, but there are also cases in which it followed certain respiratory infections.

The most common signs and symptoms caused by these organisms include shaking chills, high fever, sweating, chest pain, sweating, cough and shortness of the breath. More than half of the cases are caused by viruses. It usually develops starting with a dry cough, fever, muscle pain or fatigue and can severely progress causing breathless sensations and cough that produces phlegm. When a patient is suffering from the viral form of the disease, he also has an increased risk of developing the bacterial form of the disease. Mycoplasma is a little organism that can cause similar signs and symptoms to those caused by the bacterial and viral forms of Pneumonia. Clinical cases of fungal infections are less common that the other forms.

Pneumonia Treatment

The treatment for Pneumonia differs depending on the underlying cause of the disease, but it can also differ depending on the severity of the signs and symptoms that the patient presents. For the bacterial form of the disease, the first and main treatment option is a trial with antibiotics. It is very important that the patient finishes the treatment even if he starts to feel better after the trial begins, because most patients halt the treatment within two or three days after the beginning and the disease recurs causing serious complications. By continuing the treatment it can also help strain the bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic therapy. For the viral form of the disease, antibiotics are not always effective and that is why many doctors chose to apply a treatment trial with antiviral medications to increase the improvement and speed the healing. Usually, it is recommended to apply the same treatment as it is applied in flu, especially plenty of fluids and bed rest.

When Pneumonia is caused by the mycoplasma organism the first treatment option is based on antibiotics. There are many cases in which after the infection has been treated the patient still can experience symptoms of fatigue or cough. Most patients are not diagnosed with this form of disease and they continue living without treating it. If Pneumonia is caused by a fungus the first treatment option is with antifungal medication. In combination with these treatments, there are doctors who can also prescribe over the counter medications to relieve signs and symptoms of fever, or to treat the patient’s aches and pain. There are cases in which the patient suffers from a severe form of the disease and he must immediately be hospitalized and treated with intravenous medication and put on oxygen. Usually, after two or three days of receiving intravenous antibiotics and oxygen, the patient can feel better and continue the oral treatment at home.

It is very important to continue the treatment and to do the following tests after the disease cleared to prevent recurring. In most cases, the severity of Pneumonia depends on the medical status of the patient and the type and extent of the disease the patient presents. If the patient is healthy, the disease can be successfully treated, but if the patient presents heart failure or lung aliments, particularly from smoking, the disease is harder to cure. The most common medicines that can be used to treat this kind of disease can include Tetracycline, Fluoroquinolone, Cephalosporin, Penicillin and Vancomycin. If Pneumonia is not treated properly or if it is not treated at all, it can cause severe complications that can include bacteria into the patient’s bloodstream causing death, fluid accumulation and infection around the patient’s lungs, causing a condition called pleural effusion and lung abscess that forms in the area affected by the disease. The abscess is usually removed surgically and to help the patient breathe, doctors use a mechanical respirator. After these procedures, the patient is obviously feeling better.