What you need to know about pneumonia?

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on Oct 14, 2022

What is Pneumonia?

So what exactly is pneumonia? Basically pneumonia is a severe infection in one or in both of the lungs, which is mainly caused by the bacteria or virus. And pneumonia is a contagious infection as it can spread from person to person through airborne droplets from a sneeze and cough.

What are the types of pneumonia?

The types of pneumonia differ due to the cause of the pneumonia infection. The main common pneumonia types are:

• Bacterial pneumonia
• Viral pneumonia
• Fungal pneumonia
• Aspiration pneumonia

Despite the pneumonia types, the symptoms of all of these types will be the same.

What are the symptoms?

Common pneumonia symptoms include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Sweating
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heartbeat
• Cough with green, yellow, or bloody phlegm
• Confusion

How are pneumonia infections diagnosed?

To diagnose pneumonia, your doctor will do a physical exam, and will ask about your symptoms. Then your doctor would listen to your lungs through a stethoscope. After that, depending on the acuteness of your symptoms, your doctors may order certain tests. The tests include:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan
• Fluid sample
• Bronchoscopy
• Blood culture
• Sputum culture
• Pulse oximetry

What is the treatment?

Generally, the treatment will depend on the acuteness and the type of the pneumonia infection. However, the doctors usually treat bacterial pneumonia with antibiotics. To treat fungal pneumonia doctors recommend taking antifungal medicines, and antiviral medications are used to treat viral pneumonia.

Also, you need to understand that the response rate of the treatment depends on the individuals, and the type or severity of the infection. Some people may get completely cured within a few weeks, and some may take even months.