Can You Feel Pneumonia In Your Back

Lung Changes That Show On An X

Sometimes doctors might find some unusual changes on your chest x-ray. Your doctor might have arranged an x-ray for other reasons and you might not have any symptoms.

Changes on a chest x-ray dont always mean that you have lung cancer. There can be other causes, such as an infection. But your doctor might arrange other tests to look further at the changes.

When Should I See My Doctor

Pneumonia can be life-threatening if left untreated, especially for certain at-risk people. You should call your doctor if you have a cough that wont go away, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a fever. You should also call your doctor if you suddenly begin to feel worse after having a cold or the flu.

Feeling Lung Pain On One Side

Sometimes you may feel lung pain on only one side of your body.

If you are feeling lung pain on your right side, the underlying cause could be:

• Muscle strain
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Pneumothorax

If youre feeling pain on just the left side of your body, you could be experiencing one of the conditions that commonly affects the right lung.

However, its important to note that heart conditions, like heart attack and stroke, are more likely to cause pain on the left side of your body.

This is due to the hearts location, which lies slightly to the left and behind your breastbone.

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Things That You Can Do To Help Your Child At Home Are

• Control the fever with the proper medicine and right strength for the age of your child. Fevers lower than 101° F do not need to be treated unless the child is uncomfortable .
• Give your child plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
• See that your child gets lots of rest.
• Do not give over-the-counter cough medicines or other OTC medicines without asking the health provider first. The child needs to cough and bring up the phlegm. Coughing is the bodys way of clearing the infection from the lungs.
• Avoid exposing your child to tobacco smoke or other irritants in the air.

How To Regain Strength After Pneumonia

If you have pneumonia, the first priority is clearing the infection causing it.

This means following your doctorâs treatment plan very closely. Yes, getting plenty of rest. And, yes, taking every single pill in the bottle of antibiotics your doctor prescribed you if your pneumonia is bacterial in nature.

But, even after your primary symptoms fade away, you may be left feeling lousy, with low energy and/or dealing with a cough that just wonât quit. In some cases, you may feel weak for months.

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Why Does It Take So Long To Recover From Pneumonia

You cant see the damage pneumonia causes, but you certainly feel it.

The air sacs in your lungs become inflamed during pneumonia, leading to soreness and pain. If the infection and inflammation progress, your lungs may fill with fluid and dead lung tissue, leading to the green, yellow or even bloody mucus you cough up. This fluid may also affect how well oxygen is able to transfer into your bloodstream, leading to difficulty breathing.

Once the infection is cleared with treatment, your body still has to deal with removing all of the fluid, damage and debris left behind in your lungs. This can take a few weeks, resulting in a lingering cough and reduced lung capacity, explains Dr. Lee. During this time, you may find physical exertion more tiring than usual.

A more severe case of pneumonia can cause even more damage to your lungs, which can be significant and even permanent in some cases.

After severe pneumonia, lung capacity is reduced and muscles may be weak from being so ill. Significant weight loss can further contribute to weakness and other health conditions may be aggravated due to the stress placed on the body during illness. These are all things your body will need time to recover from, says Dr. Lee.

In fact, it may take another several months for you to fully heal and regain strength.

When To Contact A Medical Professional

• You have sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening, or pressure in your chest.
• Pain spreads to your jaw, left arm, or between your shoulder blades.
• You have nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or shortness of breath.
• You know you have angina and your chest discomfort is suddenly more intense, brought on by lighter activity, or lasts longer than usual.
• Your angina symptoms occur while you are at rest.
• You have sudden, sharp chest pain with shortness of breath, especially after a long trip, a stretch of bedrest , or other lack of movement, especially if one leg is swollen or more swollen than the other .
• You have been diagnosed with a serious condition, such as heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

Your risk of having a heart attack is greater if:

• You have a family history of heart disease.
• You smoke, use cocaine, or are overweight.
• You have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
• You already have heart disease.

• You have a fever or a cough that produces yellow-green phlegm.
• You have chest pain that is severe and does not go away.
• You are having problems swallowing.
• Chest pain lasts longer than 3 to 5 days.

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How Common Is Pneumonia

Approximately 1 million adults in the United States are hospitalized each year for pneumonia and 50,000 die from the disease. It is the second most common reason for being admitted to the hospital — childbirth is number one. Pneumonia is the most common reason children are admitted to the hospital in the United States. Seniors who are hospitalized for pneumonia face a higher risk of death compared to any of the top 10 other reasons for hospitalization.

What Increases Your Risk Factors For Walking Pneumonia

Like pneumonia, the risk for developing walking pneumonia is higher if you are:

• over age of 65 years old
• 2 years old or younger
• immunocompromised

• blood culture

Since walking pneumonia tends to be mild, some people with the illness choose not to get a formal diagnosis. But other serious diseases can cause symptoms that look like walking pneumonia. If symptoms continue to worsen after a few days, consider checking in with a healthcare professional for a diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment for walking pneumonia depends on whats causing the disease. Walking pneumonia from bacteria can be treated with antibiotics. A healthcare professional may use antiviral medications to treat cases caused by viruses.

For very mild cases of walking pneumonia, treatment may simply involve managing symptoms at home and resting.

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The Good And Bad Of Blood Clots

Although they sound frightening, blood clots are part of the normal functioning of our bodies. Our blood clots to help prevent too much blood from being released after we receive a cut. After an injury occurs to blood vessels , the platelets in your blood get to work. These tiny parts of blood start sticking to the walls of the blood vessel and to each other. This process then forms a seal to stop the blood from continuing to pour out.

Your body then uses specific proteins to help the clot from spreading farther than it needs to. The damaged tissue will begin to heal, and the clot dissolves back into your bloodstream. However, its possible for a clot to fail to disperse and continue to grow, which can lead to some extreme health concerns.

Blood clots can develop in any blood vessel in your body. If a clot breaks free and starts to travel through your body, it can get to vital organs, such as the lungs, brain, or heart. When this occurs, a heart attack or stroke can happen. Blood clots can also cause a pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and kidney failure, which are all medical emergencies.

For these reasons and more, its important to be aware of any potential symptoms that could be a sign of a blood clot so you can seek medical attention as soon as possible.

How Is Pneumonia Spread From Person To Person

Pneumonia is spread when droplets of fluid containing the pneumonia bacteria or virus are launched in the air when someone coughs or sneezes and then inhaled by others. You can also get pneumonia from touching an object previously touched by the person with pneumonia or touching a tissue used by the infected person and then touching your mouth or nose.

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What Are The Symptoms Acute Bronchitis

The following are the most common symptoms of acute bronchitis. However, each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

• Back and muscle pain
• Watery eyes
• Wheezing

The symptoms of acute bronchitis may look like other conditions or medical problems. Talk with a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

Did This Years Flu Shot Cause Persistent Arm Pain

How can you keep from getting the flu? The answer from the CDC has long been get your flu shot. When people ask about side effects they are told reactions are rare and mild, disappearing within a day or two.

Starting last year, however, we began receiving complaints from readers who experienced long-lasting severe arm pain after getting their annual influenza vaccine. One nurse sent this message:

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More Severe Cases May Also Cause:

• quick breathing
• rapid heartbeat
• nausea and vomiting

Some people get a sharp pain in their chest when they breathe in and out. This may be because the thin lining between the lung and ribcage, called the pleura, is infected and inflamed. This inflammation, called pleurisy, stops your lungs moving smoothly as you breathe.

The symptoms of pneumonia are often very similar to those of other chest infections, such as bronchitis, COPD flare-ups or bronchiectasis flare-ups. To get a proper diagnosis youll need to visit your GP.

If you feel unwell with these symptoms, see your GP or call 111. If you have chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, quick breathing, shivers or confusion, get urgent advice from your GP or call 999. Take extra care if youre over 65.

Telltale Signs Of Walking Pneumonia

Even if you feel well enough to go to work or school, signs of walking pneumonia shouldnt be ignored. Unlike a cold or other upper respiratory virus, most cases of atypical pneumonia among adults are caused by a common bacterium called Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In many cases, Mycoplasma causes a chest cold that can evolve into pneumonia.

Walking pneumonia symptoms typically come on slowly and include sore throat, headache, malaise and low-grade fever which tend to be less severe than they are with pneumonia. In fact, symptoms of walking pneumonia may be so mild that they dont affect your ability to carry out your day-to-day routine.

A wet or dry cough usually follows these early symptoms. Some people may also experience chest pain caused by inflammation in the lining of the lungs, which gets worse when they take a deep breath.

There are several possible reasons why people may develop a chronic cough but if you have walking pneumonia, you may find yourself coughing so much that your chest becomes sore. And unlike a cold that resolves in a matter of days, the nagging cough associated with walking pneumonia could persist for weeks. Over time, symptoms could get worse. You might develop a higher fever. Your dry cough could also become wet, causing you to cough up discolored phlegm.

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How To Regain Your Strength After Pneumonia

While recovering from mild pneumonia, be sure to:

• Eat a well-balanced diet
• Slowly work back into your exercise routine

“Physical activity can help your lungs regain strength but go slow. Start with light exercise and stop if your cough worsens or you have trouble breathing. If a light workout feels okay, you can put a little more effort into your next workout,” says Dr. Lee.

However, Dr. Lee’s advice for someone recovering from severe pneumonia looks quite different.

“The first thing to realize is that your body may be extremely weak after being discharged from the hospital, so you’ll need to take extra care leaning on your support network, if possible,” says Dr. Lee.

Causes Of Walking Pneumonia

Walking pneumonia can be caused by viruses or bacteria. According to the American Lung Association, most cases are caused by M. pneumoniae, a common type of bacteria that usually affects children and adults under the age of 40. M. pneumoniae infections tend to peak in summer and early fall but can happen throughout the year.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae can also cause walking pneumonia. Infections from this type of bacteria are common in all four seasons. It often spreads in crowded environments, like college dorms and long-term care facilities.

Adults and children can also contract walking pneumonia from viruses. Respiratory syncytial virus is a frequent cause of walking pneumonia in young kids, while adults tend to get the viral form of the disease from the influenza virus.

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When Should You See A Doctor

If you suspect you have the symptoms of pneumonia, you should seek immediate medical assistance, especially if you have chest pain after pneumonia. You need to understand that pneumonia is a serious illness and can cause serious complications when left untreated for long enough. It can have life-threatening complications in people older than 65 years. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have the following symptoms:

• Cough with phlegm and high fever
• Shortness of breathing o other breathing difficulties
• Severe chest pain
• Feeling confused, tired and irritated

Bronchitis & Pneumonia Explained

Cold and flu season is here, and dodging these illnesses at school or the office can be a challenge when they are going around. While most people recover from colds and the flu quickly, either of these can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia.

Bronchitis and pneumonia share many of the same symptoms of cold and flu. By determining the difference between bronchitis and pneumonia, you can seek the proper treatment and be back on the road to recovery much more quickly.

Both bronchitis and pneumonia affect the airways, resulting in coughing and discomfort. Their biggest difference is how! In short, bronchitis is an inflammation of the airways while pneumonia is an infection of the lungs.

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Viral Vs Bacterial Pneumonia Symptoms

Although viral and bacterial pneumonia symptoms can be very similar, there are some key differences between the two. The section below outlines some examples.

• Lungs affected: Bacterial pneumonia tends to affect one particular part, or lobe, of a lung, whereas viral pneumonia typically affects both lungs.
• Symptom onset: The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia can develop either suddenly or gradually, whereas symptoms of viral pneumonia typically develop over several days.
• Symptoms: People with bacterial pneumonia usually experience a higher temperature and a wet cough, whereas people with viral pneumonia

Returning To Everyday Activities

Regardless of whether you could treat your pneumonia at home or you were hospitalized for pneumonia, the best thing you can do is take care of yourself as you recover. Here are some recovery tips:

• Stay home:Be sure you stay home until your fever breaks and your coughing is at least minimal. Staying home and resting not only improves your recovery, it also protects anyone you come into contact with from getting sick.
• Get plenty of rest:Take naps when you need to, and hang low while recovering.
• Drink plenty of fluids:This will help keep your body hydrated as it works to flush out your illness.
• Complete prescription medication: Make sure to complete the full course of any antibiotics, even if youre feeling better.
• Pace yourself:Ease into your typical everyday life.

Pneumonia is a serious infection capable of damaging your lungs. While many people seem to recover from pneumonia fully, its possible your lungs will not be able to return to the same level of activity as before.

This possibility is just one reason why its important to slowly ramp up your activity level as you heal, and practice any breathing techniques your healthcare provider may recommend.

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When Back Pain Requires Immediate Care

A condition called malignant spinal cord compression may develop in some people who have lung cancer that spreads to the spine. These symptoms include worsening back pain, weakness in the legs, and sometimes loss of urinary or bowel control. This is a medical emergency, and immediate treatment is needed to prevent complications such as paralysis.

Who Is Most At Risk For Getting Pneumonia

People who have an increased risk of pneumonia include:

• People over the age of 65 and infants under age 2. The weakening immune system of older people makes them less able to fight off illnesses. Similarly, the immune system of infants is still developing and not at full-strength, making them more susceptible to infection.
• People with a health-caused weakened immune system. Examples include:
• People who are receiving chemotherapy
• Transplanted organ recipients
• People with autoimmune disease and who are taking medications that suppress the immune system.

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