Pneumonia is a common disease caused by bacteria or viruses. When it happens, air sacs in the lungs are inflamed. When it happens, pus can fill the air sacs and it will be much more difficult for people to breathe. It means that pneumonia could cause weakness and lack of productivity. Many healthy people are able to recover easily from pneumonia. However, the condition can be harmful very young children or old people. In fact, pneumonia is a frequent causes of death among very old people. Symptoms of pneumonia are similar to flu.
We should know that symptoms of pneumonia may develop really quickly. If our immune system may be weak and this could cause germs to escalate much more easily. Common symptoms of pneumonia include dry cough, fever, wheezing, chest pain and nausea. We may also vomit and have shaking chills. If we have pneumonia, it should be properly treated. We should immediately sought after medical attention. Signs that indicate serious case of pneumonia include blood in the sputum, very high fever, bluish skin tone and very labored breathing pattern.
Patients should know about proper treatment for pneumonia. In many cases, doctors should prescribe specific medicine when we have been diagnosed with pneumonia. There are different ways to diagnose our condition. As an example, doctors may ask us to take chest X-ray. This will allow doctors to identify the spread of pneumonia. Treatment depends on the type of pneumonia and the degree of spread. We should know that viral pneumonia lasts longer than bacterial pneumonia. Medicines and antibiotics can’t kill virus.
In this case, the doctor may presribe antiviral drugs to properly treat our condition. It may take about two weeks for symptoms of viral pneumonia to clear. On the other hand, bacterial pneumonia can be treated more easily. With proper dosage of antibiotics, we will start to feel better. It is important for us to follow what doctors are telling to us. We should know that pneumonia may return when our body is weakened much more. With regular treatments, we should be able to feel better. We should drink enough fluids to make sure that we are able to fight infection.
It is important to keep ourselves proper;y hydrated. People with pneumonia should drink at least 2 liters of water each day. Other than pure water, it is also a good idea to drink hot broth, herbal teas and lemon drinks. Freshly squeezed fruit juice could also help to improve our condition. Soft drinks, alcohol and coffee should be avoided whenever possible. These types of drinks could overload our body with substances that make our condition gets worse. Supplements also play a significant part in treating pneumonia effectively.
Steam inhalation could relieve coughing and congestions. We could do this by covering our head with towel and breathe in steaming water. Lavender, tea tree and eucalyptus oils could be mixed with hot water to make the treatment more effective.