Common Symptoms
- Cough
- Greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus is coughed up in some Pneumonia types
- Mild or High Fever
- Shaking chills
- Shortness of breath, which may only occur when you climb stairs
Severe Symptoms
- Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets
- worse when you breathe deeply or cough
- Headaches
- Excessive sweating and clammy skin
- Loss of appetite, low energy, and fatigue
- Confusion, especially in older people
In the beginning, viral pneumonia can be mistaken for Influenza as the symptoms are similar.
Risk factors
- Smoking
- Recent viral respiratory infection, cold, flu, etc.
- Finding it difficult to swallow (due to stroke, dementia, or other neurological conditions)
- Chronic lung diseases such as COPD, bronchiectasis, or cystic fibrosis
- Serious illnesses, such as heart disease, liver cirrhosis, or diabetes
- Hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
- Impaired consciousness (loss of brain function due to dementia, stroke, or other neurologic conditions)
- Recent surgery or trauma
- Weakened immune system due to autoimmune disorders, etc.
Diagnosis
- According to WHO (World Health Organization) pneumonia in children is diagnosed based on either a cough or difficulty breathing and a rapid respiratory rate, or a decreased level of consciousness.
- In severe cases hospitalization is required where the following tests may be done:
- Pulse oximetry
- Chest radiography
- Blood tests
- Liver function tests
Treatment
- Based on type of Pneumonia
- Bacterial
- Viral
- Antibiotics are prescribed according to
- Age
- Symptoms and their severity
- Whether you need to go to the hospital
- Azithromycin, Doxycycline, and Ampicillin are prescribed according to type of Pneumonia.
- Most symptoms improve within 2-3 days.
- If symptoms don't improve, your healthcare provider will recommend further tests to determine treatment options.