How To Treat Pneumonia Antibiotics

Can You Treat Pneumonia At Home

Yes, you can treat pneumonia at home if you meet certain criteria. It is important to understand those criteria properly, because pneumonia can potentially become a life-threatening illness.

If you are concerned about possible pneumonia, you need to talk to your doctor. You may be able to treat pneumonia at home, but you cannot diagnose pneumonia without being evaluated by your doctor. Your doctor will most likely give you antibiotics to take home. You may need to take anti-viral medication if you have pneumonia from the flu.

In this article, I will describe the criteria you need to meet in order to treat pneumonia at home. I will also tell you things you need to look out for while being treated for pneumonia at home. You will know when you need to call your doctor and when you need to call 911. I will also tell you what to expect when treating pneumonia at home.

What To Expect When Treating Pneumonia At Home

There are things that make you feel bad when treating pneumonia at home, but these dont necessarily require any change in treatment:

Complications Caused By Pneumonia

Pneumonia can sometimes have complications. They include:

• pleurisy where the pleura, the thin linings between your lungs and ribcage, become inflamed, leading to chest pain. If you have pleurisy, you are more likely to develop fluid on the lungs.
• fluid on the lungs – about 1 in 10 people with pneumonia develop fluid around the lung, called a pleural effusion which can become infected. This may require a sample of the fluid to be taken by inserting a needle between the ribs under local anaesthetic, and if infected is likely to need a longer course of antibiotics. Occasionally, a tube is inserted into the lung to remove fluid as well.
• a lung abscess a rare complication thats mostly seen in people with a serious pre-existing illness or history of alcohol misuse.
• blood poisoning, also called septicaemia – this is where infection spreads from the lungs to the blood stream. This can cause low blood pressure and a severe illness that might need intensive care treatment.
• respiratory failure this is where pneumonia causes low levels of oxygen in the blood even in people given oxygen. This might also require intensive care treatment.

The vast majority of people recover from pneumonia and return to good health. However, pneumonia can be very serious and some people with severe pneumonia dont survive, despite the best available care. Those who are elderly or have other health problems are most at risk of severe or fatal pneumonia.

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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

What Is The Principle Explanation For Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a lung illness characterised by irritation of the airspaces within the lungs, mostly on account of an an infection. Pneumonia could also be attributable to viral infections, bacterial infections, or fungi much less steadily by different causes. The most typical bacterial kind that causes pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae.

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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.

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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What Is A Walking Pneumonia

Walking pneumonia is an off-the-cuff time period for pneumonia that is not extreme sufficient to require mattress relaxation or hospitalization. Its possible youll really feel like youve got a chilly. The signs are typically so delicate that you do not really feel you should keep house from work or college, so you might be out walking round.

What Are The Treatments For Pneumonia

Treatment for pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia, which germ is causing it, and how severe it is:

• Antibiotics treat bacterial pneumonia and some types of fungal pneumonia. They do not work for viral pneumonia.
• In some cases, your provider may prescribe antiviral medicines for viral pneumonia
• Antifungal medicines treat other types of fungal pneumonia

You may need to be treated in a hospital if your symptoms are severe or if you are at risk for complications. While there, you may get additional treatments. For example, if your blood oxygen level is low, you may receive oxygen therapy.

It may take time to recover from pneumonia. Some people feel better within a week. For other people, it can take a month or more.

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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.

How To Treat Pneumonia At Home Without Antibiotics

Because of increasing awareness about the side effects of antibiotics and painkillers, people seek treatment for pneumonia at home without antibiotics

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Thyme Tea With Honey And Lemon

A great home remedy for pneumonia is thyme tea with honey and lemon as it helps to remove the infection of the lung and facilitates the withdrawal of the phlegm. Lemon is rich in vitamin C, which helps strengthen the bodys natural defense system.

Ingredients

• 10 g fresh thyme leaves
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• Pure juice of 1/2 small lemon.

Method of Preparation

Place the cinnamon, thyme, and water in a pan, cover and leave on low heat for 30 minutes. Then put out the fire and let it cook. Strain, add the honey and lemon juice and mix well, letting it heat for another 5 minutes. Take 1 spoonful of this syrup 2 times a day, morning and evening, up to 7 days.

This syrup is contraindicated in pregnancy and for children under 6 years.

How Does Pneumonia Lead To Death

The most common complication from pneumonia is a condition called pleural effusion. This is the buildup of fluid in the membranes around the lungs inside the chest cavity. It causes pain and impairs your ability to breathe. These and other complications of pneumonia can lead to a worsening of pre-existing heart and lung conditions.

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How Common Is Pneumonia With Lung Cancer

Pneumonia and lung cancer are often experienced at the same time. Research has found that roughly 50% to 70% of people with lung cancer will experience pneumonia at some point during the course of their disease. Having pneumonia while battling lung cancer also increases the risk of severe or life-threatening consequences.

How Do U Take A Look At For Pneumonia

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What Are The Causes Of Pneumonia

Pneumonia is commonly caused by an infection with a germ. The germ is usually a bacterium or a virus. There are three or four different bacteria that are the most common causes of pneumonia. There is also a well-known group of bacteria that causes pneumonia in about 3 out of 10 cases. They are called atypicals. Other germs such as fungi, yeasts, or protozoa can sometimes also cause pneumonia.

Rarely, non-infective pneumonia is caused by inhaling poisons or chemicals. Many different substances can cause this. They can be in the form of liquids, gases, small particles, dust or fumes.

You may breathe in some bacteria, viruses, or other germs. If you are normally healthy, a small number of germs usually doesn’t matter. They will be trapped in your phlegm and killed by your immune system. Sometimes the germs multiply and cause lung infections. This is more likely to happen if you are already in poor health – for example:

• If you are frail or elderly.
• If you have a chest disease.
• If you have a low immunity to infection. Low immunity can be caused by such things as alcohol dependence, AIDS, or another serious illness.

However, even healthy people sometimes develop pneumonia.

Pneumonia can sometimes develop after an operation, particularly in the region of your head or neck. Having an anaesthetic can increase the risk.

How Are You Aware You Probably Have Viral Or Bacterial Pneumonia

Viral and bacterial pneumonia signs are fairly comparableIf in case you have pneumoniaboth bacterial or viralyou will usually have a cough that brings up sputum, fever, shortness of breath, and chest ache while you cough or take a deep breath, says Kimberly Brown, MD, MPH, an emergency medication physician in Memphis, Tennessee.

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When Should You See A Doctor

If you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease you should ask your doctor for advice. They may have given you recommendations about increasing your inhaler medication or taking a ‘rescue pack’ of antibiotics and steroid tablets at the first sign of an infection. If not, speak with them for advice if you develop symptoms of a chest infection.

There are a number of symptoms that mean you should see a GP even if you do not have any other lung problems. They include:

• If a fever, wheezing or headache becomes worse or severe.
• If you develop fast breathing, shortness of breath, or chest pains.
• If you cough up blood or if your phlegm becomes dark or rusty-coloured.
• If you become drowsy or confused.
• If a cough lasts for longer than 3-4 weeks.
• If you have repeated bouts of acute bronchitis.
• If any other symptom develops that you are concerned about.

Things That You Can Do To Help Your Child At Home Are

• Control the fever with the proper medicine and right strength for the age of your child. Fevers lower than 101° F do not need to be treated unless the child is uncomfortable .
• Give your child plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
• See that your child gets lots of rest.
• Do not give over-the-counter cough medicines or other OTC medicines without asking the health provider first. The child needs to cough and bring up the phlegm. Coughing is the bodys way of clearing the infection from the lungs.
• Avoid exposing your child to tobacco smoke or other irritants in the air.

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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.

Pneumonia Can Be Severe And Life

• Summary

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with pneumonia, you may be wondering if this lung infection can be fatal. Can you die from pneumonia? The sad answer is yes, you can.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that fills them with fluid. If the air sacs in the lungs fill up with fluids, its harder for them to do their job of transferring oxygen into the blood and getting rid of carbon dioxide thats built up in the body.

RuslanDashinsky / Getty

Pneumonia may develop after you come down with a virus like a cold or flu, or it can happen without any previous illness. The key symptoms of pneumonia include:

• Difficulty breathing
• A cough that brings up mucus or pus
• Fever and chills

Pneumonia is a very common infection. It can impact anyone and can vary from mild to severe. For some people, it can also be quite seriouseven deadly. In the United States, pneumonia is responsible for about 1 million hospitalizations a year, and 50,000 deaths. It kills more children under 5 than any other infection.

This article will cover who is at high risk of serious complications from pneumonia, different types of pneumonia, how pneumonia can become deadly, and how to avoid getting pneumonia.

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Case Study : Dragged In By A Spouse

A 45-year-old male presented with strained breathing. He would lean forward in his chair and off to one side. He had congestion, green-colored sputum, fatigue, wheezing, fever, and chills. His symptoms started with a head cold 2 weeks prior then his ear became clogged. Muscle aches in his thighs made it difficult to sleep and caused him to moan. Although he felt too tired to even check his emails, hed been jogging daily. His wife did the warming socks procedure for him and started him on vitamin C, vitamin A, and zinc. She also told him to take an herbal immune-boosting formula , which he was still taking when he came to my office.

On physical exam, his lungs sounded suspicious for pneumonia, with lots of crackles. He was sent for a stat X-ray and given 2 local options where they could cash-pay. We also drew some blood for lab tests.