What is Pneumonia | What Are the Symptoms of Pneumonia

What is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a disease that inflames the air sacs in one or even the two lungs. The air sacs may possibly fill up with fluid or pus, leading to cough with pus,fever,shivers, and trouble breathing. A number of organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi, can cause pneumonia.

What Are the Symptoms of Pneumonia?

Pneumonia symptoms can differ from mild to severe, based on the kind of pneumonia you own, ones age and health.

The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:

• Cough ( with few pneumonias you may cough up greenish or yellow mucus, or may    be bloody mucus ).
• Fever, which can be mild or high.
• Shaking chills.
• Breathing difficulties, that may only happen when you climb stairs. 
• Sharp or stabbing chest ache that evolves when you breathe deeply or cough. 
• Head ache.
• Excessive sweating and clammy skin.
• Lack of hunger, low energy, and tiredness.
• Confusion, especially in seniors. 

Symptoms can also differ, depending on whether the pneumonia is bacterial or viral.

• In bacterial pneumonia, the temperature may increase as high as 105 degrees F. This pneumonia can cause profuse sweating, and quickly increased breathing and pulse rate. Lips and nailbeds may have a bluish colour because of insufficient oxygen in the blood. A patient’s mental status may be confused or delirious.

• The primary symptoms of viral pneumonia are the similar to influenza symptoms : fever, a dry cough, head ache, muscle pain and weakness. Within 12 to 36 hours, there is raising breathlessness; the cough turns into even worse and makes a little bit of mucus. There may be a higher fever and there may be blueness of the lip area.

What are the causes of pneumonia?

Pneumonia can be categorized based on the organism which causes the infection:

Bacterial pneumonia:

The commonest cause of bacterial pneumonia is streptococcus pneumonia.

Viral pneumonia:

Respiratory viruses tend to be the reason for pneumonia. Young children and seniors are particularly at a chance of viral pneumonia. Viral pneumonia lasts for a shorter time compared to bacterial pneumonia.

Mycoplasma Pneumonia:

Mycoplasma organisms are neither viruses nor bacteria, but they have traits common to both of them. Mycoplasmas generally result in mild cases of pneumonia, most often in older children and young adults.

Fungal pneumonia:

This form of pneumonia is because of fungi from soil or bird droppings. It happens when people inhale large amounts of the organisms. They can also cause pneumonia in people with long-term diseases or weakened immune systems.

How is Pneumonia diagnosed?

A doctor will begin by asking you queries regarding when the symptoms first appeared and about the medical history. They’ll additionally give you a physical test. This will consist of listening to the lungs with a stethoscope for any abnormal sounds, like crackling.

Your doctor may also probably order a chest X-ray. Generally, pneumonia can be identified as having the physical exam and the chest X-ray.

But based on the severity of the symptoms and your risk of complications, your doctor may also ask for a number of these tests : 

Blood Test : This test can confirm an ailment , but it may not be capable to recognize what’s causing it .

Sputum Test: This test can provide a sample from the lungs that may recognize the reason for the infection.

Pulse Oximetry: An oxygen sensor placed on one of the fingers can reveal whether the lungs are moving sufficient oxygen via the bloodstream.

Urine Test: This test can recognize the bacteria Streptococcus pneumonia and Legionella pneumophila.

CT Scan: This test provides a more clear and more detailed picture of the lungs.

Fluid Sample: If your doctor suspects there is certainly fluid in the pleural space of the chest, they may take fluid using a needle placed between your ribs. This check can assist determine the reason for the infection.

Bronchoscopy: This test looks into the airways in the lungs. It does this using a camera on the end of a flexible tube that’s gently guided down the throat and into the lungs. Your doctor may test if the preliminary symptoms are serious, or if you’re hospitalized and your body is not responding properly to anti-biotics.

Treatment for Pneumonia:

Treatment will depend on the type and severity of the pneumonia.

• Bacterial kinds of pneumonia usually are treated with anti-biotics. 
• Viral kinds of pneumonia usually are treated with rest and lots of liquids. Antiviral  medications can be used in influenza. 
• Fungal kinds of pneumonia usually are treated with antifungal medications.