Pneumonia: types, symptoms and treatment in adults and children, prevention of pneumonia

Even today, in the age of progressive development of medicine, pneumonia remains a dangerous disease. Due to the high probability of a sad outcome in the absence of timely therapy, you should promptly raise an alarm if there are symptoms of pneumonia in adults or children.

Ways of infection with pneumonia and risk group

Pneumonia is usually attributed to infectious diseases that affect the organs of the respiratory system, provoked by bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Among the pathogenic microorganisms that cause the disease, it is worth noting:

• enterobacteria;
• staphylococcus;
• pneumocysts;
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
• E. coli;
• hemophilic bacillus;
• legionella.

Important! In the youngest children, the development of pneumonia provokes pneumococcus. Children over 5 years old experience a similar disease as a result of exposure to mycoplasma. Students suffer from pneumonia due to chlamydia.

The appearance of a pathological process in the lungs is influenced by several factors:

• improper flu treatment;
• ARVI;
• hypothermia;
• various sinusitis or bronchitis;
• avitaminosis;
• the presence of household dust;
• lack of oxygen;
• rickets;
• stress;
• congenital heart threshold;
• cigarette smoke smokers.

There are frequent cases when pneumonia is a complication after pathologies such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, asthma.

The most susceptible to such a serious illness are people with diagnosed congestive heart failure, bronchitis of a chronic etiology or nasopharyngeal infections, congenital lung defects, and severe pathologies of the immune system. At risk are patients in whom the body experiences weakening, exhaustion, patients who for a long time adhere to bed rest, and elderly people.

It is interesting:Pseudomonas aeruginosa treatment

Among people affected by the disease, smokers and those who consume excessive amounts of alcohol stand out.

Is pneumonia contagious to those around you?

The question pneumonia is contagious or not, it is impossible to answer in a monosyllabic way. According to medical workers, absolutely healthy people cannot catch such a serious ailment from others. For those who have weakened immunity, it is simple to get a dangerous disease, just talk with a carrier of pathology. Easily susceptible to pneumonia are those who are stressed, highly agitated, or hypothermia.

It is interesting! Pneumonia is easily transmitted from household appliances. The pathogenic microorganisms that cause the disease settle on household items and are active for another 4 hours.

It is enough to touch the infected area to pick up the pathogen. The bacterium, found in favorable conditions, actively multiplies.

Types and classification

Among the forms of the disease, the following are distinguished:

• community-acquired pneumonia;
• hospital (nosocomial) form - the disease develops in a patient who has been in the hospital for more than 3 days;
• SARS is provoked by uncharacteristic microflora (mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc.);
• aspiration pneumonia - appears if the patient had to deal with lung damage caused by the contents of the oral cavity, stomach, nasopharynx, trapped in the respiratory system.

Classification of pneumonia:

Indicator	Kinds
Etiology	• viral • fungal • bacterial • mycoplasmal • mixed
According to the features of the course	• acute • sharp lingering • chronic • atypical
By localization	• left-handed • right-handed • one-sided • bilateral
By degree of course	• light • moderate severity • heavy
According to the degree of possible complications	• simple • complicated

Primary signs of the disease

Inflammation of the lungs at the initial stage is not so easy to suspect. Symptoms may not appear at all, or there are signs, but very weak. Everything is determined by what pathogen had to deal with. This explains how important it is to not disregard any changes with the body.

Coughing and chest pain are the very first messengers of a dangerous disease.

Primary symptoms:

• legs become “cottony";
• body temperature can exceed the mark of 39.0-40.0 degrees; in many cases it does not rise much, to 37.1-37.5. There is pneumonia without fever;
• it is impossible to cope with dry cough, shortness of breath;
• sometimes throws into a cold sweat.

Coughing and even normal breathing cause acute pain in the patient at the location of the respiratory system.

Symptoms and clinical presentation

Pneumonia in adults is recognized by a number of symptoms:

• body temperature is higher than it should be;
• first a dry, but then moisturizing cough. With it, sputum is plentifully secreted;
• the patient quickly gets tired, feels weak;
• fear appears due to lack of air;
• soreness in the chest.

Among the secondary signs it is worth noting:

• the appearance of headache and muscle pain;
• lips and nails become cyanotic;
• heat;
• loss of appetite.

Signs of pneumonia in children:

• dry cough, in fits, gradually moistened;
• the child suffers from shortness of breath;
• a transparent substance is abundantly released from the nose, gradually changing to a yellow-greenish mass;
• the skin is pale, can slightly give a blue;
• the baby does not sleep well at night.

The intensity of the manifestations and the severity of the disease are directly determined by the age of the child: the younger he is, the more serious the illness, and the chances of complications increase.

Diagnostic measures

The correct diagnosis helps not only to establish the pathological process with high reliability, but also to clarify additional details that help determine the correct therapy.

Important! It is impossible to diagnose pneumonia on your own while at home! Any delay in taking the necessary measures can cost the patient his life.

Diagnostics includes the following activities:

• initial visual examination by a doctor, the result of which is an initial assessment of the condition. Respiratory organs are monitored with a stethoscope;
• necessarily a doctor measures body temperature;
• chest x-ray;
• blood test (both general and biochemical);
• taking sputum for analysis;
• ultrasound examination of the pleural region.

In some cases, one can not do without additional research: specialists conduct computed tomography of the sternum, bronchoscopy, and examine pleural fluid to make sure that there is no oncology or tuberculosis.

Treatment of pneumonia

The treatment of pneumonia is an integrated event. The main goal is to get rid of pathogenic microflora. Outpatient and inpatient therapy is allowed, this is determined by the severity of the disease.

In adults

In the adult population, therapy is structured according to a certain scheme. The doctor prescribes drugs that can expand the bronchi. In addition, you need to drink antipyretic, antihistamines.

Antibiotics should be taken, and it is better to start as soon as possible in order to avoid unwanted complications. The patient must observe bed rest and is in a room that is well ventilated.

The appointment of a course of physiotherapy is not ruled out. It is also required to follow a diet and drink plenty of fluids.

If the lungs are affected extensively and the patient has difficulty breathing, then oxygen masks will come to the rescue.

This treatment regimen is considered standard.

In children

Children under the age of 2 are treated exclusively in a hospital. They, like adults, are prescribed a course of antibiotics.

Important! The course must be completed completely, even if the child becomes noticeably better, antibiotics should not be stopped.

A sick child must observe bed rest. In addition, the doctor may prescribe inhalations with the medicine and herbs.

If necessary, antihistamines are prescribed that can suppress inflammation, and play the role of prevention against allergies to antibiotics.

Give the child to drink constantly. During the treatment period, dairy products should not be used in the diet, since lactose increases the production of mucus.

Is it possible to cure pneumonia at home

It is forbidden to engage in the treatment of pneumonia on their own, at home, without a preliminary examination of a doctor. Only under the supervision of a doctor.

Curing pneumonia while at home is possible only if the following requirements are met:

• the patient will be constantly at rest, both physical and emotional;
• the room should not be hot, preferably a little cool. The room is systematically ventilated;
• no cigarettes and alcohol;
• when lying, the back should be at an angle of 30 degrees. This position helps sputum discharge and helps to avoid stagnation;
• nutrition should be planned correctly so that the body can easily absorb foods and develop more strength to withstand pathology;
• strictly adhere to the medication prescribed by the doctor;
• it is forbidden to interrupt antibiotics until the course is over. Otherwise, the chances of developing complications are great;
• monitor oral hygiene; timely take all the tests prescribed by the doctor and take x-rays.

If there are any changes in the patient’s well-being, it is necessary to immediately inform the attending physician about this.

Complications and consequences

It will be possible to avoid complications if the patient immediately, after detecting alarming symptoms, consulted a doctor and strictly adhered to the prescribed treatment therapy.

Complications arise not only due to the disease itself, but are also a consequence of taking medication.

Among the most common complications are:

• acute respiratory failure;
• the pulmonary membrane, the so-called pleurisy, becomes inflamed;
• lung abscess - the organ is filled with pus;
• development of pulmonary edema;
• sepsis is the spread of blood infection throughout the body as a whole.

Preventive measures

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the main preventive measure. It includes proper nutrition, taking vitamins in the winter, getting rid of harmful addictions (alcohol, smoking), getting rid of chronic ailments. Try to avoid hypothermia.

When the flu rages and SARS, it is better to get sick at home, and not "on their feet." Otherwise, a complication may develop - pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a dangerous disease characterized by specific symptoms. With delay or independent treatment, there is a high probability of not only getting serious complications, but also losing your life. Traditional medicine can only be an addition to the main treatment.