Pneumonia can occur for various reasons. For example, it often develops due to another illness or infection, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the flu , or COVID However, if bacteria, fungi, or viruses overwhelm the immune system, a more serious illness can result.
If a person develops severe chest pain or difficulty breathing, a doctor will treat it as pneumonia. The person may need to spend time in the hospital, using a respirator to help them breathe. Home remedies will not help in this case. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC note that most people will experience mild symptoms and should stay at home until they feel better.
However, if a person more severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, it is essential to seek medical attention at once. In addition, some home remedies may help a person manage the symptoms and enhance recovery. The following sections will discuss these in more detail. If the lungs are producing extra mucus as part of an immune reaction, the body will use a cough to try to expel this fluid from the lungs.
For this reason, a doctor may not recommend using a cough suppressant. A study found that herbs, including peppermint and eucalyptus, had a soothing effect on the throats of people with upper respiratory tract infections. These herbs may help break up mucus and ease the pain and inflammation caused by pneumonia. A review from notes that fenugreek seeds might help break down mucus. A tea made from ground fenugreek seeds may therefore ease a persistent cough.
Eucalyptus and tea tree oils may also help relieve coughs. People can use these in a diffuser. However, they should try limiting their exposure at first, to ensure that the use of oils does not worsen their symptoms. Mucus in the throat and chest can trigger more coughing and irritation. A warm saltwater gargle may help eliminate mucus or germs in the throat, which may provide some relief. Shortness of breath is a common symptom of respiratory infections. If a person has difficulty breathing, they need immediate medical attention.
Drinking a small amount of caffeine, such as a cup of coffee or black or green tea , may help open up the airways in the lungs. This could help a person breathe more easily. Inhaling warm, damp air may ease breathing and keep the throat from tightening.
Care following hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia. Community-acquired pneumonia pediatric. Barson WJ. Community-acquired pneumonia in children: Outpatient treatment. File TM. Treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults in the outpatient setting.
Accessed April 20, Chang CC, et al. Over-the-counter OTC medications to reduce cough as an adjunct to antibiotics for acute pneumonia in children and adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Community-acquired pneumonia in children: Clinical features and diagnosis. Olson EJ expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
May 1, Mayo Clinic; Related Chest X-ray showing pneumonia Pneumonia and your lungs Walking pneumonia. This makes your lungs more vulnerable to infection. Your lifestyle. Habits such as smoking cigarettes or abusing alcohol can increase your risk.
Smoking damages the lungs, while alcohol interferes with how your body fights infection. Your immune system. If you are hospitalized, especially in an ICU. Being in the ICU intensive care unit raises your risk of pneumonia. Your risk increases if you are using a ventilator to help you breathe. Ventilators make it hard for you to cough and can trap germs that cause infection in your lungs. If you have recently had major surgery or a serious injury.
Recovering from major surgery or injury can make it difficult for you to cough. Recovery also typically requires a lot of bed rest. Lying down on your back for an extended period of time can allow fluid or mucus to gather in your lungs.
This gives bacteria a place to grow. People who have any of the following conditions are also at increased risk: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD asthma heart disease emphysema diabetes 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. 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.
Is there a vaccine for pneumonia? Getting the pneumonia vaccine is especially important if you: Are 65 years of age or older. Have certain chronic conditions, such as asthma, lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, sickle cell disease, or cirrhosis. Have cochlear implants an electronic device that helps you hear. Pneumonia treatment Treatment for pneumonia depends on several factors. If a fungus is causing your pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal medicine.
What can I do at home to feel better? Rest will help your body fight the infection. Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids will keep you hydrated. Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. If you get better on your own, you won't need treatment. If you get worse, you and your doctor will decide what to do next.
The need for more tests often depends on how severe your symptoms are, your age, and your overall health. This is especially true for older adults and infants. One example of a test you may have is the arterial blood gas test. If you are very ill, have severe shortness of breath, or have a condition that increases your risk such as asthma or COPD , your doctor may test your mucus.
Tests include a Gram stain and a sputum culture. This test can identify some bacteria that cause pneumonia. This can help guide treatment for pneumonia. This fungus often causes pneumonia in people who have AIDS.
If you have severe pneumonia, you may need other tests , including tests to check for complications and to find out how well your immune system is working. Doctors use antibiotics to treat pneumonia caused by bacteria, the most common cause of the condition. Antibiotics have a high cure rate for pneumonia.
Your doctor will choose your antibiotic based on a number of things, including your age, your symptoms and how severe they are, and whether you need to go to the hospital. The number of days you take antibiotics depends on your general health, how serious your pneumonia is, and the type of antibiotic you are taking.
Most people see some improvement in symptoms in 2 to 3 days. Unless you get worse during this time, your doctor usually will not change your treatment for at least 3 days. Getting started on antibiotics soon after getting pneumonia may help recovery.
If there is no improvement or if your symptoms get worse, you may need a culture and a sensitivity test. These tests help identify the organism that is causing your symptoms. These tests also help your doctor find out whether the bacteria is resistant to the antibiotic. If you do not need to go to the hospital for pneumonia, it is not usually necessary to identify the organism causing the pneumonia before starting treatment.
If you do go to the hospital, you will probably have some testing to identify the bacteria. Pneumonia also can be caused by viruses, such as those that cause the flu and chickenpox varicella. Antibiotics do not work to treat pneumonia caused by a virus. In most cases pneumonia is a short-term, treatable illness.
But frequent bouts of pneumonia can be a serious complication of a long-term chronic illness, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. If you have a severe long-term illness, it may be hard to treat your pneumonia, or you may choose not to treat it.
You and your doctor should discuss this. This discussion may include information about how to create an advance directive. Children get the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV as a routine vaccination. Two different pneumococcal shots are recommended for people ages 65 and older. Some people who have long-term chronic conditions also need the pneumococcal vaccine.
The pneumococcal vaccine may not prevent pneumonia. But it can prevent some of the serious complications of pneumonia, such as infection in the bloodstream bacteremia or throughout the body septicemia , in younger adults and those older than age 55 who have a healthy immune system. Home treatment is important for recovery from pneumonia. The following measures can help you recover and avoid complications:.
Your doctor may want to see you after a week of treatment to make sure you are getting better. Be sure to contact your doctor if you do not feel better, your cough gets worse, you have shortness of breath or a fever, you feel weak, or you feel faint when you stand up. Be careful with cough and cold medicines. They may not be safe for young children or for people who have certain health problems, so check the label first. If you do use these medicines, always follow the directions about how much to use based on age and weight.
Always check to see if any over-the-counter cough or cold medicines you are taking contain acetaminophen. If they do, make sure the acetaminophen you are taking in your cold medicine plus any other acetaminophen you may be taking is not higher than the daily recommended dose.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how much you can take every day. Doctors use antibiotics to treat pneumonia that is caused by bacteria. Although experts differ on their recommendations, the first antibiotic used is usually one that kills a wide range of bacteria broad-spectrum antibiotic.
There are many types of antibiotics. Your doctor will decide which antibiotic will work best for you. In most cases, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics without first identifying the exact organism causing the illness. If you don't get better with your first antibiotic, your doctor may add a second antibiotic to cover other bacteria that are not being treated with the first one. Or you may have more testing to identify the specific organism that is causing the pneumonia.
More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to certain antibiotics, making them less effective. An example of this is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , which is resistant to many types of penicillin.
To help fight antibiotic resistance, ask your doctor how to take your antibiotics correctly , such as always finishing your prescription. In most cases of pneumonia in young, otherwise healthy people with strong immune systems , treatment can be done at home. Antibiotics, rest, fluids, and home care are all that you need in order to recover. But people who are having trouble breathing or have other lung problems may need more treatment. Sometimes you may need oxygen or medicines you breathe using an inhaler or nebulizer to help shortness of breath and wheezing symptoms.
If home treatment does not help, if symptoms get worse, or if signs of complications of pneumonia develop, you may have to go to the hospital. Hospital treatment for pneumonia may include:. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: E. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
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What causes pneumonia? Germs called bacteria or viruses usually cause pneumonia. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of pneumonia may include: Cough. You will likely cough up mucus sputum from your lungs. Mucus may be rusty or green or tinged with blood. Fever, chills, and sweating.
Fast breathing and feeling short of breath. Chest pain that often feels worse when you cough or breathe in. Fast heartbeat. Feeling very tired or very weak. When you have less severe symptoms, your doctor may call this "walking pneumonia. How is pneumonia diagnosed?
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