Archive for the ‘Pneumonia’ Category

Symptoms Of Pneumonia

Pneumonia Symptoms:

Pneumonia is a respiratory or breathing condition wherein patients suffer from infection of lungs. This is quite a common condition that tends to affect millions of individuals in the world and bacteria, viruses as well as fungi may all result in pneumonia. Awareness about pneumonia symptoms is extremely crucial in identifying pneumonia cases and through timely intervention this condition can be successfully treated.

Pneumonia can also be community acquired where patients get infected in nursing homes or hospitals. Common pneumonia symptoms include cough and quite often with this infection the cough tends to include yellow or greenish mucus. In some cases the mucus may also be bloody. Many pneumonia patients also tend to experience mild to high fever and this may be accompanied with shaking chills. Many pneumonia patients also tend to experience shortness of breath and this often tends to occur while climbing stairs.

Other pneumonia symptoms may include loss of appetite along with fatigue and low energy levels. Older people may experience confusion and in some cases excessive sweating along with clammy skin may also be observed. Headache is also a symptom commonly observed in pneumonia cases. Coughing may be accompanied with stabbing or sharp chest pain in many cases. Quite often the health care professional will try to listen to the chest sounds using a stethoscope while identifying cases of pneumonia. In cases of pneumonia crackling sounds and other abnormal breathing sounds may be heard through the stethoscope. In some cases of pneumonia the patient may also experience vomiting along with exhaustion.

Besides pneumonia symptoms the heath care professional will also depend on chest x-rays to properly diagnose this condition. The first and most crucial symptom related with this condition is rapid pulse and shallow and painful breathing. People suffering from pneumonia often tend to experience shortness of breath along with chest pain and this should be identified in time.

Pneumonia facts:

•     Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by different types of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
•      Symptoms of pneumonia include cough with sputum production, fever, and sharp chest pain on inspiration (breathing in).
•      Pneumonia is suspected when a doctor hears abnormal sounds in the chest, and the diagnosis is confirmed by a chest X-ray.
•      Bacteria causing pneumonia can be identified by sputum culture
•      A pleural effusion is a fluid collection around the inflamed lung.
•      Bacterial and fungal (but not viral) pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States. Over a half a million of these people are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people recover, approximately 5% will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

How do people “catch pneumonia”?

Some cases of pneumonia are contracted by breathing in small droplets that contain the organisms that can cause pneumonia. These droplets get into the air when a person infected with these germs coughs or sneezes. In other cases, pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in the mouth, throat, or nose inadvertently enter the lung. During sleep, it is quite common for people to aspirate secretions from the mouth, throat, or nose. Normally, the body’s reflex response (coughing back up the secretions) and their immune system will prevent the aspirated organisms from causing pneumonia. However, if a person is in a weakened condition from another illness, a severe pneumonia can develop. People with recent viral infections, lung disease, heart disease, and swallowing problems, as well as alcoholics, drug users, and those who have suffered a stroke or seizure are at higher risk for developing pneumonia than the general population. As we age, our swallowing mechanism can become impaired as does our immune system. These factors, along with some of the negative side effects of medications, increase the risk for pneumonia in the elderly.

Once organisms enter the lungs, they usually settle in the air sacs and passages of the lung where they rapidly grow in number. This area of the lung then becomes filled with fluid and pus (the body’s inflammatory cells) as the body attempts to fight off the infection.

Symptoms of Atypical Pneumonia

General Symptoms of Atypical Pneumonias. Atypical pneumonia is most commonly caused by mycoplasma, Legionnaires’ disease, or chlamydia and usually appears in children and young adults.

The disease progresses gradually:

•     General flu-like symptoms often occur first. They may include fatigue, fever, weakness, headache, nasal discharge, sore throat, earache, and stomach and intestinal distress.
•     Vague pain under and around the breastbone may occur, but the severe chest pain associated with typical bacterial pneumonia is uncommon.
•     Patients may have a severe hacking cough, but it usually does not produce sputum.

Signs and symptoms:

People with infectious pneumonia often have a productive cough, fever accompanied by shaking chills, shortness of breath, sharp or stabbing chest pain during deep breaths, confusion, and an increased respiratory rate. In the elderly, confusion may be the most prominent symptom.The typical symptoms in children under five are fever, cough, and fast or difficult breathing.Fever, however, is not very specific, as it occurs in many other common illnesses, and may be absent in those with severe disease or malnutrition. In addition, a cough is frequently absent in children less than 2 months old.More severe symptoms may include: central cyanosis, decreased thirst, convulsions, persistent vomiting, or a decreased level of consciousness.

Symptoms frequency in pneumonia:

Some causes of pneumonia are associated with classic, but non-specific, clinical characteristics. Pneumonia caused by Legionella may occur with abdominal pain, diarrhea, or confusion,while pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with rusty colored sputum,and pneumonia caused by Klebsiella may have bloody sputum often described as “currant jelly”.

Physical examination may sometimes reveal low blood pressure, a high heart rate, or a low oxygen saturation. Examination of the chest may be normal, but may show decreased chest expansion on the affected side. Harsh breath sounds from the larger airways that are transmitted through the inflamed lung are termed bronchial breathing, and are heard on auscultation with a stethoscope. Rales (or crackles) may be heard over the affected area during inspiration. Percussion may be dulled over the affected lung, and increased, rather than decreased, vocal resonance distinguishes pneumonia from a pleural effusion. Struggling to breathe, confusion, and blue-tinged skin are signs of a medical emergency.

Common symptoms of pneumonia

If you have pneumonia, you are likely to have a cough. This may be dry, or you may produce phlegm (thick mucus) that is yellow, green, brownish or blood-stained.

Other common symptoms include:

•     difficulty breathing: your breathing may be rapid and shallow and you may feel breathless, even when you are resting
•     rapid heartbeat
•     fever
•     feeling generally unwell
•     sweating and shivering
•     loss of appetite
•     pain in your chest

Less common symptoms

Less commonly, symptoms of pneumonia can include:

•     coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
•     headaches
•     fatigue
•     nausea
•     vomiting
•     wheezing
•     pain in your joints and muscles
•     feeling confused and disorientated (particularly in elderly people)