Who Gets Walking Pneumonia
As we discussed earlier, walking pneumonia is common in people who are routinely exposed to crowded places. Similarly, children who are in their school-going age and adults, younger than 40 years of age, are generally most likely to suffer from walking pneumonia. However, this doesnt mean that people belong to other age groups and social environment cannot get walking pneumonia.
It is also worth mentioning that to catch walking pneumonia, one generally needs to be exposed to the M. pneumoniae multiple times. Often, it is observed that the cases of pneumonia peak during late summer or fall seasons however you can contract walking pneumonia pathogen anytime during the year.
Antibiotic Resistance And Walking Pneumonia
Due to the structural composition of the strain, particularly due to the lack of a cell wall mycoplasma pneumoniae is resistant to penicillin belong to the class of beta-lactam antibiotics. So, after your doctor is certain about the diagnosis of walking pneumonia, he is unlikely to prescribe you penicillin.
However, the menace of antibiotic resistance doesnt end here but it extends to antibiotic resistance to medications which are the recommended treatment route for the condition. According to the CDC, the M. pneumoniae strains begin to exhibit resistance to macrolide in year 2000. The macrolide-resistant strains of walking pneumonia pose a challenge to health experts globally, as these strains have the ability to nullify the effect of medication that is in the fore-front of combating the infection.
This drug resistance had been identified in Europe and in the US, however, this resistance has reached alarming levels of about 90%, in some parts of Asia. According to Clinical Infectious Diseases from Oxford Journals, in China during the span of over a year, from 1st August 2008 to 30th September 2009, out of 356 adults who reported a respiratory tract infection in a clinical setting 67 strain isolates were identified as M. pneumoniae. From these isolates, over 69% strains showed resistance to macrolide. Upon further sample analysis, it was found that the strains had point mutations present in the 23S ribosomal RNA gene.
When To Call The Doctor
You should call your childs doctor if your child:
- Has trouble breathing or is breathing much faster than usual
- Has a bluish or gray color to the fingernails or lips
- Is older than 6 months and has a fever over 102°F
- Is younger than 6 months and has a temperature over 100.4°F.
- Has a fever for more than a few days after taking antibiotics
When your child should stay home and return to school or childcare
Also Check: Signs Or Symptoms Of Pneumonia
Drink Hot Peppermint Tea
Peppermint can also helpalleviate irritation and expel mucus. Research suggests that it can be an effective decongestant, anti-inflammatory, and painkiller.
If you dont already have peppermint tea, you can pick up loose or bagged teas at your local grocery or online. And if you have fresh peppermint, you can easily make your own tea.
You may wish to deeply inhale the aroma of the peppermint tea while the tea is steeping. This might help clear your nasal pathways.
It Might Feel Like A Cold
Walking pneumonia is how some people describe a mild case of pneumonia. Your doctor might call it âatypical pneumoniaâ because itâs not like more serious cases.
A lung infection is often to blame. Lots of things can cause it, including:
- Bacteria
- Inhaled food
Walking pneumonia usually is due to bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
You probably wonât have to stay in bed or in the hospital. You might even feel good enough go to work and keep up your routine, just as you might with a cold.
Ginger Or Turmeric Tea
A persistent cough can result in chest pain. Drinking warm tea made with fresh ginger or turmeric root may help reduce this pain.
The roots of both of these plants can have a natural anti-inflammatory effect in the body.
Chop up a thumb sized piece of either root and boil it in a pint or so of water. If a person prefers strong tea, they can boil it for longer or add more of the root. If the flavor is too sharp, they can try adding a spoonful of honey.
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.
How To Prevent Walking Pneumonia
Once you are infected with walking pneumonia, you should ensure that you are taking measures to not spread in to the people around you.
- For this purpose, you are supposed to cover your mouth and nose when you are coughing or sneezing so that the infected droplets do not spread through the air and infect people who are breathing in the same air.
- You should use a handkerchief or tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you feel the need to cough, sneeze or blow your nose. Your infected sputum should also be properly discarded.
- Discard the soiled tissues properly.
- Keep your hands clean from repeated washing and having a hand sanitizer handy.
- Maintain good hygiene of yourself and your surroundings.
- Keep your room ventilated so fresh air can replace contaminated air.
- Avoid being in crowded place until you begin your medication and observe symptom improvement
Risk Factors For Community
CAP is the most common type of pneumonia. It develops outside of the hospital. Each year 2 to 4 million people in the US develop CAP, and 600,000 are hospitalized. Older people, infants, and young children are at greatest risk for the disease.
Chronic Lung Disease
Chronic obstructive lung disease , which includes long-term bronchitis and emphysema, affects 15 million people in the US. This condition is a major risk factor for pneumonia. Long-term use of corticosteroid inhalers may increase the risk of pneumonia in people with COPD. People with other types of chronic lung diseases, such as bronchiectasis and interstitial lung diseases, are also at increased risk for getting pneumonia and more likely to have complications.
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi, the main air passages to the lungs. It generally follows a viral respiratory infection. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and fatigue.
People With Compromised Immune Systems
People with impaired immune systems are extremely susceptible to pneumonia. It is a common problem in people with HIV and AIDS. A wide variety of organisms, including P jiroveci, Myobacterium species, Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis, Aspergillus species, cytomegalovirus, and Toxoplasma gondii, can cause pneumonia.
In addition to AIDS, other conditions that compromise the immune system include:
- Adult and pediatric cancers, such as leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma
- Organ transplantation
- Children
Is Walking Pneumonia Contagious If So How Is It Spread And Who Is Most At Risk
Yes, walking pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae is contagious . When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets containing the bacteria become airborne and can be inhaled by others who are nearby.
The infection can be easily spread in crowded or shared living spaces such as homes, schools, dormitories and nursing homes. It tends to affect younger adults and school-aged children more than older adults.
The risk of getting more severe pneumonia is even higher among those who have existing respiratory conditions such as:
The symptoms of walking pneumonia may come on slowly, beginning one to four weeks after exposure. During the later stages of the illness, symptoms may worsen, the fever may become higher, and coughing may bring up discolored phlegm .
What Are The Symptoms Of Walking Pneumonia
Symptoms generally appear 15 to 25 days after exposure to the mycoplasma and develop slowly over a period of two to four days. Symptoms include:
- cough that may come in violent spasms but produce very little mucus
- lingering weakness that may persist after other symptoms go away
Some people with walking pneumonia may also have an ear infection, anemia, or a skin rash.
When To Contact A Medical Professional
- Cough that brings up bloody or rust-colored mucus
- Breathing symptoms that get worse
- Chest pain that gets worse when you cough or breathe in
- Fast or painful breathing
- Night sweats or unexplained weight loss
- Shortness of breath, shaking chills, or persistent fevers
- Signs of pneumonia and a weak immune system
- Worsening of symptoms after initial improvement
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.
What Are The Causes Of Walking Pneumonia
Walking pneumonia is not caused by traditional pathogens but have their genesis to protozoa, fungi, special bacteria and viruses. It is basically the microorganisms which are responsible for making the problem severe. The main causes of walking pneumonia or condition that make it worse, is an attack of these micro-organisms.
- Mycoplasma pneumonia usually causes the infection in younger age groups which also accompanies neurological and systemic symptoms.
- Legionella pneumophila can lead to high mortality rate and is known as legionellosis or Legionnaires disease.
- Francisella tularensis causes tularemia
- Coxiella burnetii is responsible for causing Q fever
- Chlamydophila psittaci causes psittacosis
- Chlamydophila pneumonia which causes mild form of pneumonia with relatively mild symptoms.
While walking pneumonia infection can occur any time, it is during the late summer time and fall that this infection becomes more prominent. During this period, the chances of spread of the infection due to walking pneumonia is also very high.
It is usually the crowded places in which people have high risk of contracting walking pneumonia infection. Major drawback of walking pneumonia is its contagious nature which has the capacity to make a person fall ill in no time. Acts of coughing, sneezing, or sharing of items of personal use can cause spread of walking pneumonia infection.
Can Pneumonia Be Prevented Or Avoided
There are many factors that can raise your risk for developing pneumonia. These include:
People who have any of the following conditions are also at increased risk:
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- asthma
- sickle cell disease
You can help prevent pneumonia by doing the following:
- Get the flu vaccine each year. People can develop bacterial pneumonia after a case of the flu. You can reduce this risk by getting the yearly flu shot.
- Get the pneumococcal vaccine. This helps prevent pneumonia caused by pneumococcal bacteria.
- Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Dont smoke. Smoking damages your lungs and makes it harder for your body to defend itself from germs and disease. If you smoke, talk to your family doctor about quitting as soon as possible.
- Practice a healthy lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables. Exercise regularly. Get plenty of sleep. These things help your immune system stay strong.
- Avoid sick people. Being around people who are sick increases your risk of catching what they have.
How Long Does Walking Pneumonia Last
It may take around a month to completely recover from walking pneumonia and that purely depends upon severity of pneumonia and personal health status. Medicines, rest and necessary measures taken during recovery period, influence the way in which you are able to heal from walking pneumonia infection. If you are already healthy, you will recuperate from walking pneumonia really well.
Being a mild illness, walking pneumonia can last up to three weeks, which can be managed well with proper medications and diagnosis procedures.
Respiratory And Circulatory Failure
Pneumonia can cause respiratory failure by triggering acute respiratory distress syndrome , which results from a combination of infection and inflammatory response. The lungs quickly fill with fluid and become stiff. This stiffness, combined with severe difficulties extracting oxygen due to the alveolar fluid, may require long periods of mechanical ventilation for survival. Other causes of circulatory failure are hypoxemia, inflammation, and increased coagulability.
is a potential complication of pneumonia but usually occurs in people with poor immunity or hyposplenism. The organisms most commonly involved are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Other causes of the symptoms should be considered such as a myocardial infarction or a pulmonary embolism.
Good Hygiene And Preventing Transmission
The best way to prevent serious respiratory infections such as pneumonia is to avoid sick people and to practice good hygiene.
Colds and flu are spread primarily from infected people who cough or sneeze. People commonly transmit a cold when they shake hands. Washing hands frequently can prevent the spread of viral respiratory illnesses. Always wash your hands before eating and after going outside. Using ordinary soap is sufficient. Alcohol-based gels are also effective for everyday use, and may even kill cold viruses. If extreme hygiene is required, use alcohol-based rinses.
Antibacterial soaps add little protection, particularly against viruses. Wiping surfaces with a solution that contains 1 part bleach to 10 parts water is very effective at killing viruses.
Inflammation In The Lungs
Pneumonia is inflammation of the air sacs in the lungs that is most often caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, or other organisms. Occasionally, inhaled chemicals other non-infectious factors can cause lung inflammation . Age groups at the extremes, that is the very young and old, are more vulnerable to pneumonia. Healthy adults can usually fight off pneumonia caused by infections. However, it is easier for bacteria to grow in the lungs of people who are sick and have a weakened immune system, like those who are recovering from influenza or an upper respiratory illness. Pneumonia is the 6th leading cause of death for Americans age 65 years and older. Worldwide, pneumonia is a leading cause of death in children under age 5 years.
When air is inhaled through the nose or mouth, it travels down the trachea to the left bronchus and right bronchus, where it first enters the lungs. From the bronchus, air goes through the smaller bronchi, into the even smaller bronchioles, and lastly into the alveoli.
Antibiotics For Walking Pneumonia
Walking pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics like clarithromycin, erythromycin, and azithromycin. In general, the antibiotics are not necessary as the symptoms are mild and go away without any medical intervention.
Walking pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics like clarithromycin, erythromycin, and azithromycin. In general, the antibiotics are not necessary as the symptoms are mild and go away without any medical intervention.
Walking pneumonia, a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract shows symptoms that are similar to those linked with seasonal flu or common cold. In most cases, home remedies like taking sufficient rest and increasing fluid intake, can help to overcome this type of pneumonia. However, in few instances, antibiotics may be recommended to treat this lung infection.
What Stands Out About Yale Medicines Approach To Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a common infection in both children and adults and can often be easily treated. However, if specialized care is required, Yale Medicine physicians practice at both Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Childrens Hospital.
Furthermore, our researchers are involved in developing ways to more quickly and accurately diagnose lung infections through the Yale Center for Pulmonary Infection Research and Treatment . We dont tend to think of pneumonia as a chronic condition. But some patients end up with longer-term problems, says Dr. Dela Cruz, director of the CPIRT. The center focuses on finding new potential treatment options and running clinical trials to better understand the disease.
Diagnosis Of Walking Pneumonia
This might come as a surprise to you that more often than not walking pneumonia goes undiagnosed and untreated. As the symptoms experienced are so mild in nature, one cant usually tell if they suffer from a condition which requires a visit to the doctor.
You can casually walk in and out of a walking pneumonia this easily. But, this doesnt mean that you should ignore any symptoms as trivial and decide to not pay a visit to your doctor. That would just be wrong, you shouldnt be doing it.
Once you begin to notice the symptoms of walking pneumonia, you have met with your doctor to be certain about the nature of your disease. It is quite possible that, your symptoms may deceive you into thinking that it is walking pneumonia, while in reality it is a severe form of pneumonia or some other condition, you werent considering initially.
As you visit your doctor, to give you an accurate diagnosis, your doctor will perform a physical examination on you and take your medical history. Dont hide anything from them. I repeat. DO NOT
Initially, the doctor will examine your chest, breathing rate and observe you for the presence of congestion or wheezing with a stethoscope. Following this chest examination, if your doctor identifies a problem, he will take a chest X-ray which will further make a pneumonia diagnosis easier.
At other times, your doctor may run a culture test on the mucus sample taken from the nose or throat, that can further help confirm a diagnosis.