How To Clear Up Pneumonia

What Are The Causes Of Pneumonia

Pneumonia is commonly caused by an infection with a germ. The germ is usually a bacterium or a virus. There are three or four different bacteria that are the most common causes of pneumonia. There is also a well-known group of bacteria that causes pneumonia in about 3 out of 10 cases. They are called atypicals. Other germs such as fungi, yeasts, or protozoa can sometimes also cause pneumonia.

Rarely, non-infective pneumonia is caused by inhaling poisons or chemicals. Many different substances can cause this. They can be in the form of liquids, gases, small particles, dust or fumes.

You may breathe in some bacteria, viruses, or other germs. If you are normally healthy, a small number of germs usually doesn’t matter. They will be trapped in your phlegm and killed by your immune system. Sometimes the germs multiply and cause lung infections. This is more likely to happen if you are already in poor health – for example:

• If you are frail or elderly.
• If you have a chest disease.
• If you have a low immunity to infection. Low immunity can be caused by such things as alcohol dependence, AIDS, or another serious illness.

However, even healthy people sometimes develop pneumonia.

Pneumonia can sometimes develop after an operation, particularly in the region of your head or neck. Having an anaesthetic can increase the risk.

Eat More Vegetable Proteins

Animal-based proteins are hard to digest, especially when your body is fighting off an infection. When youre sick, its important to get as much protein as possible from vegetable-based sources. Spinach, broccoli, and quinoa are all protein-packed plant-based foods that also have the advantage of being high in fibre, which helps keep you regular another important thing when youre sick.

What Is The Recovery Time For Covid Pneumonia

Dr. Lee: Regardless of what causes it, regaining strength after pneumonia can take quite a long time from several weeks to many months.

During COVID pneumonia recovery, your body first has to repair the damage caused to the lungs then it has to deal with clearing leftover fluid and debris and, finally, scarring until the tissue is fully healed over all of which come with unpleasant symptoms.

For the 15% of infected individuals who develop moderate to severe COVID-19 and are admitted to the hospital for a few days and require oxygen, the average recovery time ranges between three to six weeks.

For the 5% who develop severe or critical illness, recovery can take much longer.

Everyone’s recovery is unique and depends on:

• Your overall health
• Whether you have preexisting conditions
• The severity of your infection

If you are recovering from COVID pneumonia and experiencing persistent problems, I recommend seeing your doctor for a follow-up evaluation. If your recovery is prolonged, he or she may recommend a specialized program, such as pulmonary rehabilitation, to help get you back on track.

In some cases, patients will have lingering symptoms after the initial COVID-19 infection, often called post-COVID syndrome. These “long haulers” can have variety of problems, since the virus can attack not only the lungs, but also the heart, kidneys and brain. Your doctor can also help you manage these lingering symptoms.

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Holy Basil And Black Pepper

Holy basil or tulsi is an Ayurvedic herb with antimicrobial activity. Black pepper is used to enhance the medicinal benefits found in turmeric. Both these ingredients are beneficial for your lungs and useful in the natural treatment of pneumonia.

A Lukewarm Bath Or Compress

Soaking the body in lukewarm water may help cool it down.

If it is not possible to take a bath, apply towels or washcloths to the body after dunking them in lukewarm water and wringing them out. This may help the body cool. When the towels warm up, dip them in the water again and reapply.

Chills are often a secondary symptom of a fever. The following home remedies may help ease chills:

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Word Of Advice For A Pneumonia Patient

The diet of a Pneumonia patient should be strictly monitored. It is advisable for them to consume healthy and nutritious food during the recovery period from pneumonia. Habits and practices, such as smoking tobacco and consumption of alcohol should be avoided. A good amount of rest and optimum number of sleeping hours is a mandate for pneumonia patients. These precautionary measures also help in minimizing the possibility of post recovery complications.

To sum it upâ¦..

Hence, it is apt to say that a person should take proper precautions to avoid suffering from pneumonia. All causes that play a significant role in the person catching a pneumonia virus should be immediately recognized and dealt with. Like a general fever, it is understood that even in the case of pneumonia, one should be more proactive than reactive in the avoidance, recovery and post recovery period of pneumonia.

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What Are The Best Antibiotics For Pneumonia

When a person contracts pneumonia, the air sacs in one or both lungs, called alveoli, fill with pus or fluid.

This fluid can make it difficult to breathe. While pneumonia can be mild, it can also cause severe illness, especially in young children, older adults, and those with other medical problems.

In 2019, more than 40,000 Americans died of pneumonia.

Pneumonia happnes when a virus or bacteria thats living in your bodyin your nose, sinuses, or mouth, for examplespreads into your lungs.

You may also directly breathe the virus or bacteria into your lungs, triggering pneumonia.

Pneumonia is typically caused by viruses or bacteria.

Antibiotics wont help with viral pneumonia.

Bacterial pneumonia is more common, and usually more severe, and can sometimes occur secondary to a viral infection.

If your doctor suspects that you have bacterial pneumonia, they will treat you with antibiotics.

In this article, Ill explain how pneumonia is diagnosed, and when and how its treated with antibiotics.

Ill also talk about when pneumonia requires hospitalization.

Ill also tell you when you should talk to your doctor to see if a persistent cough, shortness of breath, or other upper respiratory symptoms could be pneumonia.

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When Can I Return To Work School And Regular Activities If I Have Pneumonia

You typically can resume your normal activities if your symptoms are gone, mild or improving and you do not have new or worsening:

• Shortness of breath or tiredness
• Chest pain
• Mucus, fever or cough

If you are generally healthy, most people feel well enough to return to previous activities in about a week. However, it may take about a month to feel totally back to normal.

What Are The Symptoms Of Pneumonia

The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia include:

• Bluish color to lips and fingernails

• Confused mental state or delirium, especially in older people

• Cough that produces green, yellow, or bloody mucus

• Fever

Mycoplasma pneumonia has somewhat different symptoms, which include a severe cough that may produce mucus.

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How Is Pneumonia Treated

When you get a pneumonia diagnosis, your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment plan. Treatment for pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia you have, how sick you are feeling, your age, and whether you have other health conditions. The goals of treatment are to cure the infection and prevent complications. It is important to follow your treatment plan carefully until you are fully recovered.

Take any medications as prescribed by your doctor. If your pneumonia is caused by bacteria, you will be given an antibiotic. It is important to take all the antibiotic until it is gone, even though you will probably start to feel better in a couple of days. If you stop, you risk having the infection come back, and you increase the chances that the germs will be resistant to treatment in the future.

Typical antibiotics do not work against viruses. If you have viral pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to treat it. Sometimes, though, symptom management and rest are all that is needed.

Most people can manage their symptoms such as fever and cough at home by following these steps:

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.

How Is Pneumonia Diagnosed

Pneumonia can sometimes be hard to diagnose because the symptoms are the same as for a bad cold or flu. If you think it could be pneumonia, you should see your doctor. Your doctor may diagnose pneumonia based on your medical history and the results from a physical exam. He or she will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. Your doctor may also do some tests, such as a chest X-ray or a blood test. A chest X-ray can show your doctor if you have pneumonia and how widespread the infection is. Blood and mucus tests can help your doctor tell whether bacteria, a virus, or a fungal organism is causing your pneumonia.

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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.

Can Pneumonia Go Away On Its Own

Mild pneumonia may be healed by the bodys defense system. However severe cases of pneumonia require medical attention especially viral pneumonia.

• Pneumonia may be usually treated at home by drinking sufficient fluids and having sufficient rest.
• Doctors may prescribe antibiotics or antiviral drugs for the treatment. Painkillers, such as paracetamol may be prescribed to relieve pain and reduce fever.

Usually, the symptoms disappear as per the below trend if proper care is taken:

• Within one week patients may recover from high temperatures.
• Within four weeks patients may recover from body pains including chest pain. Mucus production may be substantially reduced
• Within six weeks patient may recover from cough and may be able to breathe better
• Within three months most of the symptoms may be resolved however in a few patients tiredness would continue due to age or pre-existing diseases such as diabetes.
• Within six months most people recover and are able to continue with their daily work.

In severe cases, the patient may require hospital admission and treatment

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Tips For Regaining Your Strength After Severe Pneumonia

• Get plenty of rest
• Slowly start moving around once you’re ready but don’t overdo it
• Complete any treatments prescribed by your doctor
• Eat a nutritious diet
• Quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke
• Limit exposure to throat irritants, including pollution and alcohol
• Perform deep breathing exercises
• Consult with your doctor before returning to exercise

Aim to slowly work back into your usual routine and be sure to take note of any signs that the infection may be coming back.

“Pneumonia can be incredibly taxing and there’s no one-size-fits-all to recovery. Some people feel better in about six weeks, but it can take several months for others to feel better after severe pneumonia,” adds Dr. Lee. “Most importantly, be patient with your body.”

If your recovery is prolonged, a specialized program focused on pulmonary rehabilitation may help get you back on track.

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.

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Home Remedies For Easing Pneumonia Symptoms

If you are sneezing, wheezing, coughing and running a high fever, then it is quite likely that you have come down with pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a respiratory condition that is characterized by the inflammation in lungs due to bacterial, viral or fungal infection. This infection is contagious and can be critical to the point of being life threatening at times.

Considering that pneumonia is the inflammatory disorder of the lungs which is caused due to the infection of the airways, you cannot use home remedies to treat it. Home remedies, though, when coupled with the doctor-approved treatment plan, can be quite effective in managing the symptoms of pneumonia.

Note:

Contents

How To Recover From Pneumonia

This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support , Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support , Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee in 2006.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 52 testimonials and 92% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 445,548 times.

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How Can I Manage My Symptoms

• Rest as needed. Rest often while you recover. Slowly start to do more each day.
• Drink liquids as directed. Ask how much liquid to drink each day and which liquids are best for you. Liquids help thin your mucus, which may make it easier for you to cough it up.
• Do not smoke. Avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking increases your risk for pneumonia. Smoking also makes it harder for you to get better after you have had pneumonia. Ask your healthcare provider for information if you currently smoke and need help to quit. E-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco still contain nicotine. Talk to your healthcare provider before you use these products.
• Use a cool mist humidifier to increase air moisture in your home. This may make it easier for you to breathe and help decrease your cough.
• Keep your head elevated. You may be able to breathe better if you lie down with the head of your bed up.

Apply A Lukewarm Compress Or Take A Lukewarm Bath

Submerging your body in a lukewarm bath might help you bring down your body temperature.

You can also use a lukewarm compress to help cool your body from the outside inward if a bath is not convenient. Although it may be tempting to use a cold compress, the sudden temperature shift can cause chills. A lukewarm compress provides a more gradual, comfortable temperature change.

Chills may come on before or during a fever. They typically subside after your fever breaks. This may last up to a week, depending on when you begin treatment for pneumonia.

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Avoid Exposure To People Who Are Ill

Most respiratory infections are spread through tiny particles in the air or on the surfaces we touch. Avoiding contact with people that you know are sick is an important step in preventing respiratory infections and possible pneumonia.

If youre in a crowded area or cant avoid being near people who are sick, be sure to:

• wash your hands frequently
• encourage others to cover their cough or sneeze
• avoid sharing personal items

What Can I Do To Prevent Bacterial Pneumonia

• Prevent the spread of germs. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use gel hand cleanser when there is no soap and water available. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth unless you have washed your hands first. Cover your mouth when you cough. Cough into a tissue or your shirtsleeve so you do not spread germs from your hands. If you are sick, stay away from others as much as possible.
• Limit alcohol. Women should limit alcohol to 1 drink a day. Men should limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day. A drink of alcohol is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of liquor.
• Ask about vaccines. You may need a vaccine to help prevent pneumonia. Get an influenza vaccine every year as soon as it becomes available.

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