Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs may fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing.
PREVENTIONS
Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, needlessly affects millions of people worldwide each year. Pneumonia can often be prevented and can usually be treated. Lower your risk of pneumonia with vaccines and other healthy living [practices.
Wash your hands regularly, especially after you go to the bathroom and before you eat.
Eat right, with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Exercise.
Get enough sleep.
Quit smoking.
Stay away from sick people, if possible.
Symptoms
Cough, which may produce greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus
Fever, sweating and shaking chills
Shortness of breath
Rapid, shallow breathing
Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough
Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue
Nausea and vomiting, especially in small children
Confusion, especially in older people
Mr. Alcot is a 68 year old man who developed a harsh, productive cough four days prior to being seen by a physician. The sputum is thick and yellow with streaks of blood. He developed a fever, shaking, chills and malaise along with the cough. One day ago he developed pain in his right chest that intensifies with inspiration. The patient lost 15 lbs. over the past few months but claims he did not lose his appetite. "I just thought I had the flu." Past history reveals that he had a chronic smoker's cough for "10 or 15 years" which he describes as being mild, non-productive and occurring most often in the early morning. He smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day for the past 50 years. The patient is a retired truck driver who has been treated for mild hypertension, bronchitis, appendicitis (as a young adult), hemorrhoids and a fractured femur and splenic injury (motorcycle accident).
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CURES
Control your fever with aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen), or acetaminophen. ...
Drink plenty of fluids to help loosen secretions and bring up phlegm
Mild pneumonia can usually be treated at home with rest, antibiotics (if it's likely be caused by a bacterial infection) and by drinking plenty of fluids. More severe cases may need hospital treatment
Do not take cough medicines without first talking to your doctor
The main treatment for pneumonia is antibiotics, along with rest and drinking plenty of water. If you have chest pain, you can take pain killers such as paracetamol. Treatment depends on how severe your pneumonia is. Treatment with antibiotics should be started as soon as possible after diagnosis.
If your pneumonia is so severe that you are treated in the hospital, you may be given intravenous fluids and antibiotics, as well as oxygen therapy, and possibly other breathing treatments.
CAUSES
Bacterial pneumonia
The most common cause of bacterial pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Other causes include:
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi cause it. The infection causes inflammation in the air sacs in your lungs, which are called alveoli. The alveoli fill with fluid or pus, making it difficult to breathe.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Haemophilus influenzae
Legionella pneumophila
Viruses, bacteria, and fungi can all cause pneumonia. In the United States, common causes of viral pneumonia are influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). A common cause of bacterial pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus).
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