Over The Counter Medicine For Pneumonia

Is There A Vaccine For Pneumonia

There isnt a vaccine for all types of pneumonia, but 2 vaccines are available. These help prevent pneumonia caused by pneumococcal bacteria. The first is recommended for all children younger than 5 years of age. The second is recommended for anyone age 2 or older who is at increased risk for pneumonia. Getting the pneumonia vaccine is especially important if you:

• Are 65 years of age or older.
• Smoke.
• Have certain chronic conditions, such as asthma, lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, sickle cell disease, or cirrhosis.
• Have a weakened immune system because of HIV/AIDS, kidney failure, a damaged or removed spleen, a recent organ transplant, or receiving chemotherapy.
• Have cochlear implants .

The pneumococcal vaccines cant prevent all cases of pneumonia. But they can make it less likely that people who are at risk will experience the severe, and possibly life-threatening, complications of pneumonia.

Preventing Transmission Of Covid

At this time there is no vaccine and no medication available that can prevent COVID-19. However, there are a number of ways to protect yourself and others around you from getting COVID-19. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the community, the governments throughout the world and in the United States are recommending that people wear cloth masks or face coverings and practice social distancing. Steps to follow in preventing the spread of COVID-19 include:

• Avoid crowded public places and large or small gatherings.
• Stay at least 6 feet from other people.
• Always wear a face mask or cloth face cover when you will be around other people.
• Work from home .
• If possible, avoid public transportation and rideshares.

If you have COVID-19 or have symptoms of it, you must isolate yourself at home and avoid contact with other people, both inside and outside your home, to avoid spreading the illness. This is called home isolation. Steps to follow in home isolation for COVD-19 include:

For the most up-to-date news and information about COVID-19, you can visit the following websites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Coronavirus Disease 2019 . www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

How Is Viral Pneumonia Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will ask about your signs and symptoms and examine you. He or she will listen to your heart and lungs. Tell him or her if you have been around anyone who is sick. You may need any of the following:

• A chest x-ray may show signs of infection in your lungs.
• A mucus sample is collected and tested for the virus that caused your pneumonia. Your healthcare provider may swab your throat or the inside of your nose to get a mucus sample. He or she may ask you to cough mucus into a cup.
• Blood tests may show signs of an infection.

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Is Lung Inflammation Contagious

Yes, some causes of lung inflammation are contagious. Infectious causes of lung inflammation from bacteria or viruses are contagious. Other forms caused by autoimmune or genetic causes of lung inflammation arent contagious.

A doctor will diagnose your condition and discuss your treatment plans, including if you need to isolate from others , what medications to take, and how long your condition may last.

What Is The Outlook For Pneumonia

People who are otherwise healthy often recover quickly when given prompt and proper care. However, pneumonia is a serious condition and can be life-threatening if left untreated and especially for those individuals at increased risk for pneumonia.

Even patients who have been successfully treated and have fully recovered may face long-term health issues. Children who have recovered from pneumonia have an increased risk of chronic lung diseases. Adults may experience:

• General decline in quality of life for months or years

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What Helps What Doesn’t And What’s In The Pipeline

Most people who become ill with COVID-19 will be able to recover at home. Some of the same things you do to feel better if you have the flu getting enough rest, staying well hydrated, and taking medications to relieve fever and aches and pains also help with COVID-19.

Beyond that, the FDA has also authorized treatments that may be used for people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and other medications to curb the progression of COVID-19 in people who are not hospitalized but who are at risk for developing severe illness. Scientists continue working hard to develop other effective treatments.

How To Feel Better

Below are some ways you can feel better while your body fights off acute bronchitis:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.
• Use saline nasal spray or drops to relieve a stuffy nose.
• For young children, use a rubber suction bulb to clear mucus.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed. Remember, over-the-counter medicines may provide temporary relief of symptoms, but they will not cure your illness.

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What To Buy To Make You Feel Better

Should you take Excedrin or Advil for that headache? And does it matter whether you chew a Tums or pop a Prilosec for heartburn? If you dont already need those medications when you go into a drugstore, you might by the time you walk out after trying to figure out which drug to buy.

To take the guesswork out of shopping for over-the-counter drugs, we asked our experts to choose the best treatments for 12 common ailments, including allergies, chronic pain, gas, and nasal congestion. In some cases, we discovered, products are fairly similar, so you can just go with whatever is cheaper. But more often, choosing the right drug can be the difference between feeling better and wasting your money. The wrong one might even make you feel worse because of certain unpleasant side effects.

Keep in mind that OTC medications can interact with other products you take, including vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, other drugs, and even eye drops. For example, antacids such as Tums can make many prescription drugs less effective. Before you try a new medication, ask your pharmacist for recommendations of products to treat your symptoms, as well as drugs to avoid because of possible interactions or side effects.

If you start using a particular product and dont feel better, or if you end up using it for longer than the label advises, make an appointment with your doctor. You might have an underlying medical problem that requires a different treatment.

How Long Does It Last

It takes a certain amount of time to start to feel sick after getting exposed to a germ. This length of time is called the incubation period, and it depends on many things, especially which bug is causing the illness.

With influenza pneumonia, for example, someone may become sick as soon as 12 hours or as long as 3 days after exposure to the flu virus. But with walking pneumonia, a person may not feel it until 2 to 3 weeks after becoming infected.

Most types of pneumonia clear up within a week or two, although a cough can linger for several weeks more. In severe cases, it may take longer to completely recover.

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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

A new cause of severe pneumonia was first reported in Saudi Arabia in September 2012. Within a year, 58 cases, including 33 deaths, were reported in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates , France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom. Since 2012 there have been over 1730 cases. The World Health Organization warns this new viral illness could become a pandemic. However, person-to-person transmission has been limited to close contacts. In the United States, no cases of MERS have been reported since 2014.

How Can You Prevent Pneumonia

Experts recommend immunization for children and adults. Children get the pneumococcal vaccine as part of their routine shots. If you are 65 or older or you have a long-term health problem, it’s a good idea to get a pneumococcal vaccine. It may not keep you from getting pneumonia. But if you do get pneumonia, you probably won’t be as sick. You can also get an influenza vaccine to prevent the flu, because sometimes people get pneumonia after having the flu.

You can also lower your chances of getting pneumonia by staying away from people who have the flu, respiratory symptoms, or chickenpox. You may get pneumonia after you have one of these illnesses. Wash your hands often. This helps prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria that may cause pneumonia.

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How Soon After Treatment For Pneumonia Will I Begin To Feel Better

How soon you will feel better depends on several factors, including:

• Your age
• The cause of your pneumonia
• The severity of your pneumonia
• If you have other at-risk conditions

If you are generally healthy, most symptoms of bacterial pneumonia usually begin to improve within 24 to 48 hours after starting treatment. Symptoms of viral pneumonia usually begin to improve within a few days after starting treatment. A cough can last for several weeks. Most people report being tired for about a month after contracting pneumonia.

Treatment Of Viral Infections

There are not as many choices for treating viral pneumonia. Oseltamivir , zanamivir , and peramivir have been the recommended drugs for influenza A or B infections, but some strains of influenza A are resistant to them. Generally, the use of these drugs is only recommended if they can be started in the first 48 hours of symptoms. Taken early, these medications may be effective in reducing the severity and duration of illness. However, treatment initiated even after 48 hours may benefit children with severe disease.

Intravenous immunoglobulins may be used in immunodeficient children who develop some viral pneumonias, as they have been shown to improve outcomes.

People with viral pneumonias are at risk for what are called “superinfections,” which generally refers to a secondary bacterial infection, usually caused by S pneumoniae, S aureus, or H influenzae. Doctors most commonly recommend treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefpodoxime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, or a newer fluoroquinolone if these secondary infections occur.

People with pneumonia caused by varicella-zoster and herpes simplex viruses are usually admitted to the hospital and treated with intravenous acyclovir for 7 days.

No antiviral drugs have been proven effective yet in adults with RSV, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus, coronaviruses, or hantavirus. Treatment is largely supportive, with people receiving oxygen and ventilator therapy as needed.

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Drink A Cup Of Coffee

Drinking a cup of coffee may also help relieve shortness of breath. Caffeine may help widen the airways, and a 2021 review even suggested that consuming it could help soothe some COVID-19 symptoms and work against SARS-CoV-2.

Caffeines half-life is 3-5 hours, meaning that your body gets rid of half the caffeine content in this time. If caffeine helps to widen your airways, this is the amount of time its likely to have its most noticeable effects.

Chest pain may come on suddenly or over the course of several days. You should expect some chest pain or ache if you get pneumonia. With treatment, any chest pain typically subsides within 4 weeks.

When Should You Call Your Doctor

The faster you get treatment, the faster you will get over pneumonia. This is especially true for the very young, for people older than 65, and for anyone with other long-lasting health problems, such as asthma.

911 or other emergency services immediately if you:

• Have chest pain that is crushing or squeezing, is increasing in intensity, or occurs with any other symptoms of a heart attack.
• Have such bad trouble breathing that you are worried you will not have the strength or ability to keep breathing.
• Cough up large amounts of blood.
• Feel that you may faint when you sit up or stand.

if you have:

• A cough that produces blood-tinged or rust-coloured mucus from the lungs.
• A fever with shaking chills.
• Difficult, shallow, fast breathing with shortness of breath or wheezing.

• Frequently brings up yellow or green mucus from the lungs and lasts longer than 2 days. Do not confuse mucus from your lungs with mucus running down the back of your throat from your nasal passages . Post-nasal drainage is not a worry.
• Occurs with a fever of 38.3°C or higher and brings up yellow or green mucus from the lungs .
• Causes you to vomit a lot.
• Continues longer than 4 weeks.

Also call your doctor if you have new chest pain that gets worse with deep breathing and if you have other symptoms of pneumonia, such as shortness of breath, cough, and fever.

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Is Hydroxychloroquine Safe And Effective For Treating Covid

Hydroxychloroquine is primarily used to treat malaria and several inflammatory diseases, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is inexpensive and readily available.

Early reports from China and France were promising, suggesting that patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19 improved more quickly when given hydroxychloroquine.

However, in an article published in December 2020 in JAMA, researchers reported that hydroxychloroquine did not result in any clinical benefits for adults hospitalized with respiratory illness from COVID-19, compared with placebo. The NIH treatment guidelines recommend against the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients.

What Can I Do At Home To Feel Better

In addition to taking any antibiotics and/or medicine your doctor prescribes, you should also:

• Get lots of rest. Rest will help your body fight the infection.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids will keep you hydrated. They can help loosen the mucus in your lungs. Try water, warm tea, and clear soups.
• Stop smoking if you smoke and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoke can make your symptoms worse. Smoking also increases your risk of developing pneumonia and other lung problems in the future. You should also avoid lit fireplaces or other areas where the air may not be clean.
• Stay home from school or work until your symptoms go away. This usually means waiting until your fever breaks and you arent coughing up mucus. Ask your doctor when its okay for you to return to school or work.
• Use a cool-mist humidifier or take a warm bath. This will help clear your lungs and make it easier for you to breathe.

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Types Of Walking Pneumonia

Walking pneumonia is one of more than 30 different types of pneumonia. It can be divided into a few different subtypes, including:

Mycoplasma pneumonia

This type of pneumonia tends to be mild, and most people recover without treatment. Its caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are about of M. pneumoniae infections each year in the United States.

Chlamydial pneumonia

This type of walking pneumonia is caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria. While it can cause a serious infection, most people experience only mild illness or no symptoms whatsoever. Its common among school-age children and young adults.

Legionella pneumonia

Legionnaires disease is one of the most serious types of walking pneumonia, as it can lead to both respiratory failure and death. Its caused by Legionella, a type of bacteria found in freshwater that can contaminate water systems in buildings. People can get this disease if they inhale airborne droplets of water that contain the bacteria.

Walking pneumonia symptoms are typically mild and look like the common cold. People may start noticing signs of walking pneumonia between 1 and 4 weeks of being exposed to the pathogen that caused the disease.

Symptoms of walking pneumonia can include:

• vomiting
• loss of appetite

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.

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Take Something For The Aches

If aches or fever are wearing you down, a pain reliever might help, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Be sure you follow the instructions on the label for how much to take and how often. Speaking of taking medicine: If your doctor gives you an antibiotic, take every dose of it, even if you start to feel good again before you use it up. When you quit too soon, the pneumonia could come back.

Occupational And Regional Pneumonias

Exposure to chemicals can also cause inflammation and pneumonia. Where you work and live can put you at higher risk for exposure to pneumonia-causing organisms.

• Workers exposed to cattle, pigs, sheep, and horses are at risk for pneumonia caused by anthrax, brucella, and Coxiella burnetii .

Inhalation or respiratory anthrax is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by inhaling the spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Although the spores are dormant when breathed in, they germinate when exposed to a warm, moist environment, such as the lungs. Not all particles are small enough to pass into the alveoli, or air sacs, but those that do begin to multiply and may spread to the lymphatic system. When the spores germinate, several toxins are released. Particles illustrated are not to scale.

• Agricultural and construction workers in the Southwest are at risk for coccidioidomycosis . The disease is caused by the spores of the fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidiodes posadasii.
• Those working in Ohio and the Mississippi Valley are at risk for histoplasmosis, a lung disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. This fungus grows well in areas enriched with bird or bat droppings.

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