Treatment For Walking Pneumonia In Elderly

Who Is Most At Risk For Legionnaires Disease

Older people and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk of getting Legionnaires disease. The healthier you are, the less chance youll get Legionnaires disease .

You have an increased risk of getting Legionnaires disease if you:

• Are older than 50
• Smoke cigarettes
• Have a weakened immune system
• Have certain health conditions, such as:

• Hot water tanks and heaters
• Air conditioning units for large buildings

Legionella bacteria become airborne in tiny droplets of water rising from these water systems. When someone breathes in air that contains the bacteria, they can get Legionnaires disease.

Less often, people can contract Legionnaires disease by aspirating drinking water. This is when water goes down the wrong pipe, sending liquid down the windpipe and into your lungs instead of down your esophagus and into your stomach. Legionnaires disease cannot be spread from person to person.

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

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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

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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.

How Are They Diagnosed

Most people with walking pneumonia dont go to the doctor because their symptoms are very mild. However, doctors use the same approach to diagnose both types of pneumonia.

To start, theyll likely listen to your lungs with a stethoscope to check for signs of a problem with your airways. They may also ask about your lifestyle, including the kind of environment you work in and whether you smoke.

In some cases, your doctor might use an X-ray look at your chest. This can help them differentiate between pneumonia and other conditions, such as bronchitis. Depending on your symptoms, they may also take a blood sample, swab your throat, or take a mucus culture to determine which type of bacteria is causing your symptoms.

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE:

The symptoms of walking pneumonia are often mild enough that people dont go to the doctor. If you do, however, your doctor will follow the same process for diagnosing either walking pneumonia or pneumonia.

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Why Do I Have Bronchitis

The bronchi are the main airways in your lungs, which branch off on either side of your windpipe . They lead to smaller and smaller airways inside your lungs, known as bronchioles.

The walls of the bronchi produce mucus to trap dust and other particles that could otherwise cause irritation.

Most cases of acute bronchitis develop when an infection causes the bronchi to become irritated and inflamed, which causes them to produce more mucus than usual. Your body tries to shift this extra mucus through coughing.

Smoking is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis. Over time, tobacco smoke can cause permanent damage to the bronchi, causing them to become inflamed.

Read more about the causes of bronchitis.

How Is Walking Pneumonia Diagnosed

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, how long youve had them and if any other family members or people you regularly interact with are also ill with similar symptoms. He or she will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope to check for abnormal breath sounds. Your doctor may order chest X-rays to see if there is an infection in your lungs. Your blood or mucus might be tested to determine if your pneumonia is caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, another bacteria, virus or fungus.

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Spreading Pneumonia To Others

If your pneumonia is caused by a virus or bacteria, you may spread the infection to other people while you are contagious. How long you are contagious depends on what is causing the pneumonia and whether you get treatment. You may be contagious for several days to a week.

If you get antibiotics, you usually cannot spread the infection to others after a day of treatment.

How Is Mycoplasma Spread

Mycoplasma is spread through contact with droplets from the nose and throat of infected people especially when they cough and sneeze. Transmission is thought to require prolonged close contact with an infected person. Spread in families, schools and institutions occurs slowly. The contagious period is probably fewer than 10 days and occasionally longer.

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Symptoms Of Chest Infections

Pneumonia is more common in winter and spring. It can strike suddenly or come on slowly over a few days. The symptoms will depend on your age, the cause and severity of the infection, and any other medical problems you may have. Symptoms include:

• Fast or difficult breathing
• Coughing with brown or green-coloured phlegm
• Fever
• Blue colour around the lips
• Stomach pain
• A child may vomit, have diarrhoea and be irritable or lethargic.

Who Gets Walking Pneumonia And How Is It Spread

Anyone at any age can get walking pneumonia. Walking pneumonia from mycoplasma is most common, though, in older children and adults younger than 40.

People who live and work in crowded places, such as schools, homeless shelters, and prisons have a higher risk of contracting the disease. That’s because walking pneumonia is contagious. It’s spread when someone comes in contact with droplets from the nose and throat of someone who has it. That commonly happens when the person with walking pneumonia sneezes or coughs.

Cases of walking pneumonia are most common in the late summer and fall. But infections can occur with no particular pattern throughout the year. And, even though the disease is contagious, it spreads slowly. The contagious period in most cases lasts less than 10 days. Researchers also think it takes prolonged close contact with an infected person for someone else to develop walking pneumonia still, there are widespread outbreaks every four to eight years. When those outbreaks occur, walking pneumonia can account for as many as one out of every two cases of pneumonia.

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Walking Pneumonia: Causes And Treatment Measures

The common cold has its telltale symptoms: a stuffy nose, a scratchy throat, spells of coughing, body pain or headaches, and sore muscles. But what if all these symptoms pointed to something more serious, to say, a condition called walking pneumonia?

Walking pneumonia, a milder version of regular pneumonia, is caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Walking pneumonia is not as menacing as it sounds, though a mild form of pneumonia, it does not usually interfere with your daily activities, allowing you to continue walking and going about your normal life. In fact, many people with walking pneumonia are oblivious to it and assume they have a cold. Do you have any of these walking pneumonia symptoms?

Keep The Home Mould Free And Clean

A seniors home should be clean in all aspects. Ventilation is also very important. Ensure there is adequate fresh air circulating within the home. A senior person may require some extra help with cleaning their homes regularly due to differences in capabilities that they may be having.

Any mildew, mould, or musty smell needs remedying after careful examination. Stay alert for any changes that could come suddenly. Also, look out for the onset of confusion and fatigue in an elderly person. If an older person gets sick, get them medical care as early as possible and follow up so that you can confirm that the recovery is normal.

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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.

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.

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Complications Of Pneumonia In Elderly Adults

Older adults are at risk for complications of pneumonia, including:

• Bacteremia, a potentially fatal infection that enters the bloodstream from the lungs and can spread to other organs
• Pleurisy, an inflammation of the membrane that covers the lungs . Pleurisy may require surgery or drainage of the infected fluid in the lungs
• Lung abscess, a pus-filled cavity that can develop in the infected lung area
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome , which occurs when pneumonia severely injures the lungs, leading to respiratory failure. ARDS may require the use of a mechanical ventilator to help with breathing

How Is Walking Pneumonia Treated

Walking pneumonia is usually mild, does not require hospitalization and is treated with antibiotics . Several types of antibiotics are effective. Antibiotics that are used to treat walking pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae include:

• Macrolide antibiotics: Macrolide drugs are the preferred treatment for children and adults. Macrolides include azithromycin and clarithromycin . Over the past decade, some strains of Mycoplasma pneumoniae have become resistant to macrolide antibiotics, possibly due to the widespread use of azithromycin to treat various illnesses.
• Fluoroquinolones: These drugs include ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin . Fluoroquinolones are not recommended for young children.
• Tetracyclines: This group includes doxycycline and tetracycline. They are suitable for adults and older children.

Often, over-the-counter medications can also be taken to help relieve symptoms of nasal congestion, cough and loosen mucus buildup in the chest. If you have a fever:

• Drink more fluids

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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.

How Do You Get Pneumonia

You may get pneumonia:

• After you breathe infected air particles into your lungs.
• After you breathe certain bacteria from your nose and throat into your lungs.
• During or after a viral upper respiratory infection, such as a cold or influenza .
• As a complication of a viral illness, such as measles or chickenpox.
• If you breathe large amounts of food, gastric juices from the stomach, or vomit into the lungs . This can happen when you have had a medical condition that affects your ability to swallow, such as a seizure or a stroke.

A healthy person’s nose and throat often contain bacteria or viruses that cause pneumonia. Pneumonia can develop when these organisms spread to your lungs while your lungs are more likely to be infected. Examples of times when this can happen are during or soon after a cold or if you have a long-term illness, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease .

You can get pneumonia in your daily life, such as at school or work or when you are in a hospital or nursing home . Treatment may differ in healthcare-associated pneumonia, because bacteria causing the infection in hospitals may be different from those causing it in the community. This topic focuses on community-associated pneumonia.

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What Should I Tell My Health Care Provider Before I Take This Medicine

They need to know if you have any of these conditions:

• liver disease
• long exposure to sunlight like working outdoors
• stomach problems like colitis
• an unusual or allergic reaction to doxycycline, tetracycline antibiotics, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
• pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• breast-feeding

Can Pneumonia Be Treated At Home

Your loved one may receive treatment for pneumonia at home or at a hospital, depending on the severity of the disease, their age, and overall health condition.

Your senior relative may need to be hospitalized if they have other respiratory or heart conditions. They may also need to be treated at a hospital if they need help breathing or if they have severe symptoms, including:

• Confusion
• Low blood pressure
• A very low or very fast heart rate

If your loved one is recovering from pneumonia after a hospital stay and needs help with daily activities, consider a short-term stay at an assisted living community. Respite care allows you and your loved one peace of mind that someone is available 24 hours a day for assistance and immediate response if theres an emergency.

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How To Diagnose Pneumonia In The Elderly

There are tests that can be done to tell if an elderly person has pneumonia. The doctor can simply listen to the individual’s lungs for rattling sounds and rales that are typical of pneumonia and lung inflammation. A chest x-ray or CT scan will show areas of pneumonia, called consolidation. A pulse oximetry test checks for the level of oxygen in the system, which tends to be lower if the person has pneumonia. In some cases, the mucus or blood can be cultured to identify the specific organism that is causing the pneumonia.

Whats The Treatment Like For Pneumonia In Older Adults

Some cases of pneumonia in older adults can be treated at home. However, depending on your symptoms and overall health, its also possible that you may be hospitalized.

Antibiotics are used to treat pneumonia thats caused by bacteria. The types of antibiotics used can depend on the type of bacteria causing the infection and on the infections severity. They may be given orally or .

Some examples of antibiotics used for pneumonia can include one or a combination of the following:

• macrolides
• beta-lactams

Viruses cant be treated with antibiotics.

Treatment of viral pneumonia focuses on supportive care, such as easing symptoms, maintaining hydration, and monitoring vital signs. In some cases, antiviral drugs may be used.

In the case of the flu, an antiviral, such as Tamiflu, may be prescribed.

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What Is Pneumonia Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention

Pneumonia is a lower respiratory lung infection that causes inflammation in one or both lungs.

Air sacs in your lungs called alveoli can then fill up with fluid or pus, causing flu-like symptoms that can persist for weeks or cause rapid deterioration of breathing leading to hospitalization. Pneumonia doesn’t respond to over-the-counter cold and sinus medicines.

Pneumonia comes in different forms and is caused primarily by bacteria or viruses, which are contagious, and less commonly by fungi or parasites.

The type of germ contributes to how serious the illness can become and how its treated. The severity of an infection depends on many factors, including your age and overall health, as well as where you may have acquired the illness.