Questions About Your Symptoms
Bacterial pneumonia, which is the most common form, tends to be more serious than other types of pneumonia, with symptoms that require medical care. The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia can develop gradually or suddenly. Fever may rise as high as a dangerous 105 degrees F, with profuse sweating and rapidly increased breathing and pulse rate. Lips and nailbeds may have a bluish color due to lack of oxygen in the blood. A patient’s mental state may be confused or delirious.
The symptoms of viral pneumonia usually develop over a period of several days. Early symptoms are similar to influenza symptoms: fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain. There may be a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips.
Symptoms may vary in certain populations. Newborns and infants may not show any signs of the infection. Or, they may vomit, have a fever and cough, or appear restless, sick, or tired and without energy. Older adults and people who have serious illnesses or weak immune systems may have fewer and milder symptoms. They may even have a lower than normal temperature. Older adults who have pneumonia sometimes have sudden changes in mental awareness. For individuals that already have a chronic lung disease, those symptoms may worsen.
When to call a doctor
Is Asthmatic Bronchitis Serious
Asthma and bronchitis have their remarkable individual effects on people. When both these overlap and act in combination, things may be more sensitive and sometimes severe for those who suffer from it.
The delicate victims should maintain suitable physical exercise, diet, residential environment, and workplace in order to keep the asthmatic bronchitis attack in control.
Things may get serious if the proper lifestyle and medicine are not followed. Kids under 2 and older people after 60s are more prone to severe asthmatic bronchitis symptoms.
What Is The Prognosis For Bacterial Pneumonia
The prognosis depends on the severity of disease and whether there are any predisposing factors. The prognosis is generally good for uncomplicated bacterial pneumonia. The prognosis for animals with predisposing factors depends on whether the risk factor can be treated or resolved. If the risk factors cannot be resolved, recurrent infections may occur. The prognosis for young or geriatric animals, patients with immunodeficiency diseases, or patients that are debilitated is guarded.
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How To Treat A Pneumonia Cough
If youre uncomfortable, you should call your doctor, whether you suspect that you have pneumonia or not. A painful cough can be a sign of a range of health issues, and its really a good idea to get it checked out if its bothering you and isnt getting better, Dr. Gates says. You should also seek help ASAP if you have a high fever and significant shortness of breath, she says.
If your doctor diagnoses you with bacterial pneumonia, theyll likely prescribe an antibiotic to treat your infectionand your cough. If its viral and caught early, they may prescribe an anti-viral medication and, if its fungal, theyll likely have you take an antifungal medication, Dr. Casciari says. Of course, those medications treat the underlying infection and, while they should help you to feel better, it may take a little time for your cough to clear up.
In the meantime, doctors say there are a few things you can do to help your cough:
Just keep this in mind, per Dr. Gates: The cough probably wont get better until the actual pneumonia is treated.
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How Can I Avoid Getting Bronchitis
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t allow others to smoke in your home.
- Stay away from or reduce your time around things that irritate your nose, throat, and lungs, such as dust or pets.
- If you catch a cold, get plenty of rest.
- Take your medicine exactly the way your doctor tells you.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Donât share food, cups, glasses, or eating utensils.
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Bacterial Infection In Babies And Children
Babies usually have very good immunity up to the age of one year because they are still full of the immune substances that have been passed to them from the mother in the womb. Also many of them are still on breast milk which is a rich source of immune substances.
If a baby gets a bacterial infection however, it can become life threatening rapidly because of the small size of the baby.
Most of the serious bacterial diseases in babies are now vaccine preventable. It is important to vaccinate your baby on time so that your baby is safe from the killer bacterial infections before the immunity starts falling at the age of one.
Bacterial infections in children are seen more after they learn how to move around and touch things. As they touch various things and then take their hands to their faces they often transfer the bacteria to their mouths and noses. And this results in infection. The easiest way to prevent this is by washing the hands and keeping them clean.
How To Tell If Bronchitis Is Turning Into Pneumonia: Facts You Need To Know
Despite being officially declared as spring, the weather is still a bit mercurial in some temperate countries, and winter conditions still persist. As a result, a number of diseases and infections that are known to be prevalent during the cold season might still be present. One of which is bronchitis. When it comes to this disease, one paranoia that you may have is wondering how to tell if bronchitis is turning into pneumonia as it is one of the complications related to it.
Another reason why you may be paranoid that your bronchitis is turning into pneumonia is that the symptoms are hard to differentiate especially if you are not too familiar with them. Medically speaking, both diseases affect areas of the lungs, but they require completely different treatments.
Hence, if you are curious as to how to tell if bronchitis is turning into pneumonia, were here to help. Throughout this piece, we will explain the unique symptoms of each disease.
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Signs And Symptoms That Mean You Have Bronchitis
But a cough that wont go away even after your sore throat, fever, and other symptoms have gotten better, and thats accompanied by wheezing or shortness of breath, may indicate that youre dealing with something more serious, like bronchitis or pneumonia.
Given how many symptoms the two respiratory conditions share, its not surprising that bronchitis is often mistaken for pneumonia and vice versa. Bronchitis thats thought to have turned into pneumonia may actually have been pneumonia all along. Its also common for people to think that bronchitis can often turn into pneumonia, but in reality this is not the case for most people, explains Ralph Gonzales, MD, the associate dean for clinical innovation and chief innovation officer for the University of San Francisco Health and an internal medicine specialist. What we call bronchitis may sometimes be pneumonia, he says.
Do Viruses Live Longer In Cold Temperatures
Beuther: It turns out that the cold air actually allows the virus to survive longer. And those particles that blast out when you sneeze kind of dry up and get smaller in the cold, so they can disperse much farther. So the virus lives longer, it disperses better, its transmitted better when its cold outside.
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What Is Walking Pneumonia
Walking pneumonia is a mild case of pneumonia. It is often caused by a virus or the mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria. When you have walking pneumonia, your symptoms may not be as severe or last as long as someone who has a more serious case of pneumonia. You probably wont need bed rest or to stay in the hospital when you have walking pneumonia.
What Can I Do To Feel Better If I Have Pneumonia
- Finish all medications and therapies prescribed by your doctor. Do not stop taking antibiotics when you start feeling better. Continue taking them until no pills remain. If you dont take all your antibiotics, your pneumonia may come back.
- If over-the-counter medicines to reduce fever have been recommended , take as directed on the label. Never give aspirin to children.
- Drink plenty of fluids to help loosen phlegm.
- Quit smoking if you smoke. Dont be around others who smoke or vape. Surround yourself with as much clean, chemical-free air as possible.
- Use a humidifier, take a steamy shower or bath to make it easier for you to breathe.
- Get lots of rest. Dont rush your recovery. It can take weeks to get your full strength back.
If at any time you start to feel worse, call your doctor right away.
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Popular Drink Is ‘doubling’ Risk Of Bowel Cancer In Adults Who Have 2 A Day
A cold or the flu can’t turn into pneumonia, but pneumonia can develop as a secondary bacterial infection after you have had the flu or the common cold.
Conditions such as pneumonia, ear infections and bronchitis can all result from flu or a cold, Mana Medical Associates state.
It’s easy to mistake pneumonia for the flu or a cold and symptoms can be both mild or severe.
Here are the four signs that your cold is actually pneumonia and when you should see a GP.
Medical Attention To Prevent Pneumonia:
One cannot be too hopeful to recover fully by vaccines. But the shots will reduce the intensity of the pneumonia and help you fight through the complications.
Vaccines are mainly applicable for those who have weakened immune system due to previous infections or bad lifestyle such as chain-smokers or heavy drinkers. The other group who may need vaccines is those with less capability to fight on like older people over 65 or children below 2.
Clinics and hospitals may give you two types of shots for preventing bacterial pneumonia. Those are:
- PCV13or Prevenar 13 for adults aging over 65 and kids under 5. This vaccine may be given to those who are at great risk of bacterial pneumonia. Side effects for this vaccine may be skin redness, hard lump, allergy, swelling, irritation, etc.
- PPSV23 or Pneumovax for adults over 65 and kids over 2. Kids who have high risk of bacterial pneumonia may take this vaccine. Those who are between 19 and 64, addicted to smoking and have asthmatic symptoms may be given this vaccine shot.
Both the above vaccinations are recommended for those who had never taken any of them before. There should be at least an 8 week gap between the two vaccines starting with the PCV13 followed by the PPSV23.
One should have a thorough check-up and discussion with the doctor before administering these shots.
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Symptoms That Differentiate Pneumonia From The Common Cold2
When you are looking at the signs and symptoms of pneumonia versus a cold, it is helpful to look at duration, severity and types of symptoms. Unlike pneumonia, cold symptoms often do not require that you stay home sick, and generally, the symptoms of a cold are not severe enough to warrant a call to your doctor. If your symptoms last longer than 10 days, come on suddenly and/or grow increasingly severe, you should contact your physician as soon as possible as you may have pneumonia. After reviewing the following 12 signs and symptoms of pneumonia, it should be easier for you to differentiate it from the symptoms of a common cold.So what does pneumonia feel like?
- Fever, often high
- Shivering that may be accompanied by teeth-chattering chills
- Cough that is likely to be worse than the mild cough you may experience with a cold
- Mucus that may be rusty, green or blood-tinged
- Shortness of breath
- Vomiting, especially in small children
- Diarrhea
- Confusion, particularly in older people
- Sharp pain in the chest that worsens when you take a deep breath or cough
How Do I Know If My Cough Is Serious
Make an immediate call to your doctor if:Your cough is accompanied by other symptoms such as chest pain, wheezing, or shortness of breath.Youre coughing up blood or bloody-looking mucus in any quantity.Youre coughing up yellow or green mucus.You have a fever of 101 or higher.More itemsNov 16, 2012
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Can Bronchitis Turn Into Pneumonia
While bronchitis and pneumonia both have to do with chest inflammation, they are separate and different conditions that happen independent of each other meaning one doesnt necessarily cause the other, explains Fernando Holguin, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the director of the asthma clinical research program at the Center for Lungs and Breathing at the University of Colorado Hospital, both in Aurora. And you can have both bronchitis and pneumonia at the same time, Dr. Holguin says.
That said, in some cases bronchitis does turn into pneumonia. This occurs when either the infection spreads from the bronchial tubes to the lungs or a secondary infection occurs. While either scenario is rare, it tends to happen more often in people who have a weakened immune system or another condition that makes them more susceptible to infection.
Some people are at risk for bronchitis turning into pneumonia:
- Those with a weakened immune system
- Smokers
- Young children
- Pregnant women
While doctors arent sure exactly how having a viral infection may make someone more prone to developing pneumonia or another secondary infection, studies have pointed to some theories.
How To Stop A Viral Infection From Affecting Your Child
Viral infections can be prevented by building immunity. A balanced healthy diet, enough water and enough sleep can go a long way in keeping children safe from viral infections. Washing hands frequently and correctly and getting plenty of fresh air and lots of physical exercise is the best way to keep this immunity intact.
It is best to work towards building immunity and preventing viral infections so that they never turn into bacterial infections. However in case your child has an infection it is best to steer clear of self-diagnosis and treatment and reach out to the doctor to tell you whether it is a viral infection or a bacterial infection and also what you should then do.
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Could These Signs Be Caused By Something Else
Some of these signs are common and are not specific to any one disease. Non-infectious respiratory disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , heart disease causing pulmonary edema, and lung cancer can also cause some of these symptoms. Before reaching a diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia, your veterinarian will conduct a thorough physical examination and recommend a series of diagnostic tests.
What Causes Bronchitis
Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu also cause bronchitis. Sometimes though, bacteria are to blame.
In both cases, as your body fights off the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and produce more mucus. That means you have smaller openings for air to flow, which can make it harder to breathe.
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When To Seek Help
If you think youre experiencing the symptoms of pneumonia, seek immediate medical attention. Like most illnesses, treatment of pneumonia is more successful the earlier its caught.
Untreated pneumonia can escalate quickly, so dont delay. Even if you think your symptoms are relatively mild and might only be bronchitis, still get it checked out. Bronchitis might also require antibiotics if its caused by a bacterial infection.
The treatment for pneumonia depends upon the cause. Antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal drugs are all used to treat the different types of pneumonia. Your doctor may also prescribe pain medication.
Many cases of pneumonia can be treated at home with oral medications. But if your symptoms are severe or you have other health concerns, your doctor may recommend hospitalization. Your treatments in the hospital might include intravenous antibiotics, respiratory therapy, or oxygen therapy.
How Can I Tell If I Have Pneumonia Versus The Common Cold Or The Flu
Do I have a cold or could it be the flu or even pneumonia? Its tough to tell the difference but critical to know when to seek medical care
Watch for these ongoing symptoms that occur in pneumonia:
- Serious congestion or chest pain.
- Difficulty breathing.
- A fever of 102 or higher.
- Coughing that produces pus.
Pneumonia symptoms last longer than cold and flu. If your symptoms arent severe, its okay to try such home remedies as getting more rest, drinking more fluids and taking some over-the-counter medicines and see what happens. But if you dont see improvement in your symptoms after three to five days, or if you are experiencing more serious symptoms such as dizziness or severe difficulty breathing, see your healthcare provider. Dont let it go. Pneumonia-like symptoms in very young children or in adults older than 65 are a cause for concern. Also, pneumonia can cause permanent lung damage if left untreated for too long. And always seek immediate care if you experience chest pain or have breathing difficulties.
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