What Is The Best Way To Treat Pneumonia

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.

Drink A Cup Of Turmeric Tea

A 2020 review suggests that a compound called curcumin in turmeric has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial qualities that can help your body defend itself against pneumonia.

Another review from 2018 supported curcumins activity against pain, meaning that it might provide some relief for pneumonias sometimes intense chest pain .

You can buy turmeric tea at your local grocery or online. You can also make your own tea using turmeric powder.

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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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.

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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What Food Is Good For Pneumonia

A diet rich in protein is beneficial for the people suffering from pneumonia. Foods like nuts, seeds, beans, white meat and cold water fishes like salmon and sardines have anti-inflammatory properties. They also in repairing the damaged tissues and building the new tissues in the body.

Tips For Preventing And Treating Pneumonia:

• Get plenty of rest to boost the immunity.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat plenty of vitamin A and C.
• Wash your hands frequently before eating.
• Cover your mouth while sneezing or coughing.
• Do not smoke or drink alcohol.
• Take hot showers to reduce cold, cough and congestion..
• Fry pumpkin leaf in olive oil. Let it cool and crush to make a paste. Apply it to the chest and massage for few minutes until you get relief from the pain.
• Extract juice from ginger and add a teaspoon of honey and lemon juice. Drink night time.
• Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 300 ml of warm and drink twice a day.
• Eat plenty of protein and fresh fruits and vegetables to boost immune system.
• Cut down sugar caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
• Get vaccines and flu shots to prevent illness.

We hope that this article on how to beat pneumonia naturally helped you. Have you tried any of these home remedies for relieving symptoms of pneumonia? Which ones worked best for you? Share your experience with us!

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Medical History And Physical Exam

Your doctor will ask about your signs and symptoms and when they began. Your doctor will also ask whether you have any risk factors for pneumonia. Your doctor also may ask about:

• Exposure to sick people at home, school, or work or in a hospital
• Flu or pneumonia vaccinations
• Exposure to birds and other animals
• Smoking

During your physical exam, your doctor will check your temperature and listen to your lungs with a stethoscope.

Tea Tree And Eucalyptus Oils

Tea tree oil and eucalyptus oils are antibacterial. And for that reason, they are able to help fight your sickness.

They will help kill the germs that cause pneumonia. Eucalyptus oil also relieves congestion by breaking up mucus in the lungs.

Process 1:

• Boil water and stir in 5 drops of tea tree or eucalyptus oil.
• Pour the water into a bowl.
• Drape a towel over your head, lean over the bowl, and inhale the steam.
• Do this until Stopped getting oil fragrance.
• Now blow nose gently to clear the mucus which causes the problem.
• Repeat 3 times a day.
• You can use other essential oils for pneumonia like lavender, lemon or camphor essential oil in the place of tea tree oil or eucalyptus oil.

Process 2:

• Mix 20 drops of tea tree or eucalyptus oil with 1 tablespoon of almond or coconut oil.
• Before bed, rub the mixture on the neck and chest.
• Leave on overnight, then rinse in the morning.
• Repeat nightly.
• Note: Do not change quantities.

Process 3:

• Dip a cotton cloth in carrier oil or vegetable oil.
• Place it in oven at low temperature and warm the cloth.
• Pour 20 drops of tea tree or eucalyptus oil and rub cloth gently to spread evenly.
• Lie down and place the cloth on the chest.
• Leave it on 30 minutes.
• Repeat 2-3 times a day.

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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.

Ask About Cough Medicine

You may be tempted to guzzle cough syrup. But keep in mind that coughing is your bodyâs way of trying to clear the mucus out of your lungs, and you need that to happen. So ask your doctor if you should take any cough medicine. If the hacking keeps you from getting enough rest, you may be able to take the smallest dose that lets you fall sleep. Or try a warm mixture of honey and lemon instead.

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How Is Fungal Pneumonia Treated

If the course of the pneumonia is slow and your chest X-ray looks unusual, you may have fungal pneumonia. These conditions can be diagnosed with a blood test that shows your body is making antibodies to the fungus.

More than 10 types of fungi can cause fungal pneumonia, which is more common in people with weakened immune systems.

Several antifungal drugs serve as treatment for pneumonia and can be administered either orally or intravenously.

What To Expect At Home

You will still have symptoms of pneumonia after you leave the hospital.

• Your cough will slowly get better over 7 to 14 days.
• Sleeping and eating may take up to a week to return to normal.
• Your energy level may take 2 weeks or more to return to normal.

You will need to take time off work. For a while, you might not be able to do other things that you are used to doing.

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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.

Take Steps To Help Your Body Recover

The following steps can help your body recover from pneumonia.

• Choose heart-healthy foods, because good nutrition helps your body recover.
• Drink plenty of fluids to help you stay hydrated.
• Dont drink alcohol or use illegal drugs. Alcohol and illegal drugs weaken your immune system and can raise the risk of complications from pneumonia.
• Dont smoke and avoid secondhand smoke. Breathing in smoke can worsen your pneumonia. Visit Smoking and Your Heart and Your Guide to a Healthy Heart. For free help quitting smoking, you may call the National Cancer Institutes Smoking Quitline at 1-877-44U-QUIT .
• Get plenty of sleep. Good quality sleep can help your body rest and improve the response of your immune system. For more information on sleep, visit our How Sleep Works health topic.
• Get light physical activity. Moving around can help you regain your strength and improve your recovery. However, you may still feel short of breath, and activity that is too strenuous may make you dizzy. Talk to your doctor about how much activity is right for you.
• Sit upright to help you feel more comfortable and breathe more easily.
• Take a couple of deep breaths several times a day.

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For Shortness Of Breath

With pneumonia, your breathing may suddenly become rapid and shallow, or this symptom could develop gradually over the course of a few days.

You may even experience breathlessness while youre resting. Your doctor may prescribe medication or inhalers to help. Even as you try the suggestions below, make sure you keep up with your physicians instructions and dosages.

If the following suggestions dont help and your breath becomes even shorter, seek immediate medical care.

Be Aware Of Your General Health

• Since pneumonia often follows respiratory infections, be aware of any symptoms that linger more than a few days.
• Good health habitsa healthy diet, rest, regular exercise, etc.help you from getting sick from viruses and respiratory illnesses. They also help promote fast recovery when you do get a cold, the flu or other respiratory illness.

If you have children, talk to their doctor about:

• Hib vaccine, which prevents pneumonia in children from Haemophilus influenza type b
• A drug called Synagis , which is given to some children younger than 24 months to prevent pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus .

If you have cancer or HIV, talk to your doctor about additional ways to prevent pneumonia and other infections.

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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 Is Viral Pneumonia Treated

Viral pneumonias are more likely to be treated at home, and not at the hospital.

Viral pneumonia caused by the flu can be treated with an antiviral medication called Tamiflu , but for many other viral pneumonias, your doctor can only treat the symptoms. This means drinking lots of fluids, eating well, resting, taking medication for pain or fever, and treating breathing difficulties.

Viral pneumonia may take one to three weeks to clear completely.

Mycoplasmal pneumonia is caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which was originally thought to be a virus or a fungus, but has since been classified as a bacteria. Also called atypical pneumonia, it’s a mild and common type that’s most likely to affect children and young adults.

This type of pneumonia can be treated with several types of antibiotics, and usually doesn’t require hospitalization.

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Relief For Your Symptoms

Pneumonia wonât go away overnight. You might need anywhere from a week to a month to get better. Depending on the kind of pneumonia you have, your doctor may prescribe a drug that fights bacteria or a drug that fights viruses to help you get better. While youâre waiting for that to work, there are a bunch of ways you can ease the coughing, aches, and fever.

Warning About Cough Medicine

If you’ve seen your healthcare provider, they’ve likely recommended a cough medicine to be used while you’re sleeping. Even though cough medicine can help minimize the coughing, it’s not wise to rely on it full-time.

Some home remedies for alleviating cough include:

• Gargling saltwater: Many times the mucus sitting in the throat will tickle the throat and cause you to cough more. By gargling warm salt water, this mucus breaks up, slightly helps with dehydration, and may get rid of some germs along the way.
• Using honey: Sweetening your tea with some honey may not be a bad ideait may even help your recovery. In fact, adding honey to the peppermint tea recommended above could provide a double whammy. It is believed peppermint can provide pain relief in your throat by numbing nerve endings. At the same time, early research is showing honey has the potential to be a natural antimicrobial treatment. While more research is done on both peppermint and honey, the early results sound promising for those suffering from a cough.

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Garlic Onion Lemon Honey Coconut Oil And Lavender Oil

Garlic kills the viruses, parasites, and bacteria that cause pneumonia. It has allicin, an antiviral and antibacterial agent, which helps to strengthen your immune system to fight against the illness. In addition, it can also reduce phlegm in your lungs. You can eat raw garlic, use it to season the food, or follow the ways below.

Here are 7 useful ways on how to get rid of pneumonia naturally and fast at home.

Way 1: Garlic juice, lemon juice, and honey

Ingredients:

• Honey 1 teaspoon

Directions:

• Firstly, you crush a garlic clove by using a press to take 1 teaspoon of its juice.
• Then, you mix this juice with lemon juice and honey.
• Now, you consume 1 teaspoon of the mixture to relieve pneumonia and its pain.
• You should have this mixture for about 3 times per day on the daily basis.

Way 2: Garlic

• At first, you crush these garlic cloves to take a paste.
• Then, you massage this paste into your chest for about 5 minutes.
• It clears your respiratory tract.
• You should repeat this way daily.

Way 3: Garlic cloves and lavender oil

Ingredients:

• Firstly, you grind these garlic cloves by using a blender to make a thin paste.
• Then, you add lavender oil into it and blend them again.
• Next, you massage this paste into your chest for about 5 minutes.
• Now, you let it absorb into your skin.
• You should repeat this way for about 5 times per day on the daily basis.

What To Look For

It is critical to know how the lungs sound to decide which treatment route to go. If the lungs sound raspy and rough, then natural treatment can be very effective. If you hear wet abscess sounds, the animal needs antibiotics. And if you hear consolidated lungs, its too late for anything. Consolidated lungs are lungs with permanently damaged areas that are compacted and can no longer inflate. Usually the worst animal is the first to catch the farmers attention.

Oftentimes the sickest calf in the group will already have serious lung damage . A consolidated lung means that air entering the lungs through the windpipe never gets effectively absorbed because the areas of diseased lung tissue are no longer functional. By listening with the stethoscope, a vet can alert the farmer as to how much permanently damaged tissue there is. These calves, if they survive, usually show respiratory problems in a couple of years when heavy in calf in the hot summer days. Aggressive antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy is their only hopebut the permanently damaged tissue will still be useless later on. Animals simply dont function well with less than 100 percent lung capacity .

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