How is pneumonia manifested in adults

Symptoms of pneumonia in adults

Pneumonia is an infectious disease. It remains one of the most common in the world. It is the leader among nosocomial infections leading to death. It is important to know the symptoms of pneumonia in adults in order to take timely action. Treatment of pneumonia and the prognosis of the development of the disease depends on the nature of the infection, age and general condition of the patient.

What is pneumonia and how dangerous it is

Inflammation of the lungs in an acute form is called pneumonia. It is caused by infections that can be transmitted in various ways, affecting the lung tissue. In the list of diseases that caused death, she is in fifth place, and medicine does not always help. Lethal outcome among adults from pneumonia is 10-33%. Intrahospital and atypical form of the disease takes even more lives - the risk of dying increases to 50%. In elderly people, people with weakened immunity, the prognosis of pneumonia is often disappointing.

From usual pneumonia, 1-3% of young patients who do not have diseases that die, can die. Among elderly patients, the mortality rate is up to 40-50%. Causes of death from pneumonia:

• Concomitant diseases, such as cardiac pathologies, existing respiratory diseases (such as bronchitis), diabetes mellitus, problems in the genitourinary system;
• bad habits (smoking, especially lengthy experience, drug addiction, alcoholism);
• dysfunctional living conditions;
• weakened immunity.

A special risk of inflammation of the lungs is for pregnant women. The disease itself is heavy due to dangerous pathologies. For a woman who carries a child, she is doubly dangerous - for the future mother and fetus. In early terms, pneumonia is threatened by an embryo, the tissues and organs of which are not yet formed. In the last trimester for a child, pneumonia is less dangerous than for a mother. Prevention is simple: strengthening the immune system of the mother.

The first signs of pneumonia

Symptoms of pneumonia in adults depend on the type of infection that caused the disease. There are several types of pneumonia, and each has its own clinical picture. The provoking factor for the onset of pneumonia is hypothermia affecting the upper respiratory tract. In the elderly, it often goes into a pathological form. Symptoms of pneumonia in adults are several: they are divided into varieties of insidious disease. The common form of pneumonia is viral, occurs in half the cases. Other reasons:

• bacteria;
• mycoplasma;
• fungus;
• parasites;
• chlamydia;
• streptococcus.

Atypical

A disease that occurs without symptoms characteristic of pneumonia is called atypical. The latent inflammation of the lungs is dangerous because it is delayed for its treatment, when many complications appear. Pulmonary manifestations fade into the background, the patient is more concerned about general intoxication. The X-ray does not show changes in the airway. Signs of atypical inflammation:

• dry cough;
• sore throat;
• muscle pain;
• headache;
• weakness.

Aseptic atypical pneumonia is caused by Legionella, viruses, chlamydia, mycoplasmas, therefore, it is treated with antimicrobials. After infection, the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in a period of 2 to 10 days. Changes in the lungs begin later than with a typical pneumonia. The temperature rises, the patient starts to suffocate, he does not have enough air. A large percentage of patients can be cured at home, but sometimes the ailment is difficult. The mortality from this type of disease is 3-5%, the cause is cardiopulmonary insufficiency.

Viral

This type of disease is caused by several viruses. In the first place - the flu. At the onset of pneumonia, triggered by the influenza virus, malaise is noticeable during 3-5 days. Then the condition worsens, shortness of breath starts, chest pains appear. Pneumonia is treated with rimantadine, zanamivir, oseltamivir. Viral pneumonia is caused by cytomegalovirus.

Serious complication of viral pneumonia is SARS, respiratory syndrome. It is caused by the viruses of Paramyxoviridae (they are also the cause of measles and mumps). The syndrome poses a great danger. Symptoms of pneumonia in adults with viral pneumonia are:

• very high temperature accompanied by chills;
• dry cough (unproductive);
• headache and muscle pain;
• fatigue without reason.

Bacterial

The cause of pneumonia in this case are bacteria: pneumococcus, staphylococcus, streptococcus. Bacterial pneumonia begins with a sharp temperature jump to a mark of 41 degrees. It lasts up to 3 days, and this symptom is considered a clear sign of bacterial infection. If the temperature then falls, then rises - this is a viral picture. Pneumococcal pneumonia is accompanied by the escape of "rusty" sputum, cardiac contractions become more frequent (tachycardia), breathing becomes more difficult. Treat the disease with antibiotics.

Grybkovoy

The most dangerous variant of pulmonary inflammation is fungal infection. It is due to the fact that fungal pneumonia is not manifested at first, and people do not know that they are sick. The disease is diagnosed late. The onset of the process of inflammation of the lung tissue is like atypical pneumonia, but with the exacerbation of symptoms, the nature of lung damage changes, cavities are formed. A frequent causative agent of such pneumonia is Candida albicans, a fungus. Initially, the patient has catarrhal symptoms: fever, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. Then, when pussy is pus, then the correct diagnosis is made.

The main symptoms of pneumonia in an adult

The cold, the flu, should not last more than 7 days, if in 4-7 days after the onset of an acute respiratory infection the condition of the patient worsened, this signal starts in the lower respiratory tract of a dangerous inflammation. Symptoms of pneumonia in adults include pallor and dyspnea. If they have a cold, they are accompanied by weakness, sweating, decreased appetite - this is typical for intoxication in the beginning of pneumonia.

Temperature with pneumonia

With atypical pneumonia, body temperature is not always greater than 3,. In the usual cases, a sharp increase to 40 degrees is typical. With pneumonia, antipyretic drugs do not work. If you can not bring down the temperature - it's a sign of pneumonia. The temperature begins to drop when antibiotics work. It is dangerous if the disease runs without temperature: the patients sometimes do not take measures until the condition worsens. How much the temperature lasts depends on the pathogen: a fungus, a bacterium or a virus.

What a cough with pneumonia

At the beginning of the disease, a cough is dry, this is called unproductive. He becomes obtrusive, constant, exhausting. Inflammation develops - this symptom also changes. The sputum departs, the color of which depends on the nature of the infection: yellow-green, purulent, "rusty." Nasal cough, which does not pass for 7-10 days, is a clear sign of the inflammatory process in the lungs.

Voice tremor

The doctor can recognize the symptoms of the disease, assessing the patient's jittery response. The patient says words where there are several "p" sounds, and the doctor puts his hands on his chest, and determines the voice trembling. With pneumonia, part of the lung, or it is whole, becomes denser. This will be noticed by the medical doctor who conducts the diagnostics, by the fact that the voice tremor is amplified.

Diagnosis of the disease

If there is a suspicion of an inflammatory process in the lungs, a comprehensive diagnosis is performed. Sometimes already at the primary admission the doctor can determine the disease by conducting an auscultation, that is, having listened to the chest with a phonendoscope. But the main method of diagnosis in an adult is an X-ray. Necessarily the patient will take blood for general and biochemical analysis. If the patient is in the hospital, examine the culture of sputum, urine, check blood for antibodies to viruses.

Types of pneumonia

The mild forms of pneumonia, found in the initial stage, are treated at home. Remember that even mild pneumonia will complicate with improper care. It is necessary to adhere to the doctor's recommendations how to treat pneumonia in the home:

• antipyretic drugs, anti-inflammatory;
• an abundant drink is prescribed;
• an important component of the treatment is a diet: the body is poisoned by toxins, light foods, more fluids are required.

How to treat pneumonia, how long the process will last depends on the severity and variety of the disease. Infection is sometimes found in the lung tissue for years, leading to a chronic illness. Fibers and connective tissues are damaged, they press on the pulmonary vesicles, which leads to hardening of the lungs, pneumosclerosis. The patient feels discomfort, constantly coughs. It is a slow, prolonged illness, which gradually leads to complications.

Conventional pneumonia is divided into mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe in severity, it depends on how the disease proceeds. Severe acute forms include pleuropneumonia, when one or more of the lungs are inflamed. There is pneumonia in the localization:

• Focal (concentrated in the focus of inflammation);
• segmental or polysegmentary, depending on whether one or more segments are located;
• share - does not exceed one share;
• total - covers all the lungs.

One-sided and two-sided

The inflammatory process is concentrated either on one side or it is bilateral. Unilateral pneumonia is divided into two types:

1. Right-sided - occurs more often, the right bronchus is wider than the left and shorter than it, the infection penetrates there freer.
2. Left-sided - develops less often, with it there are stagnant processes in the lung.

Two-sided covers both lungs: all lung tissue becomes inflamed, and the disease is provoked by bacteria (pneumococcus, hemophilic rod). Against the background of one infection, other harmful microorganisms are multiplied, mixed-infection develops. In the fight against a person enter several pathogens, to select antibacterial drugs for treatment is difficult.

Basal

The focus of inflammation, located along the root of the lung, is difficult to diagnose. Such cases are called basal pneumonia. In the diagnosis of computed tomography. The doctor should exclude tuberculosis and lung cancer, the focus of inflammation is similar to a picture on a tumor. Tuberculin tests are carried out. If you mistakenly prescribe drugs against tuberculosis, but they do not give an effect - this is considered a diagnostic sign.

Bronchopneumonia

Bronchial pneumonia characterizes the lesion of small branches of the bronchial tree of the patient. Bronchopneumonia refers to focal. The process of recovery will take a long time. Sometimes the disease is secondary, develops against the background of bronchitis. A person tries to cure bronchitis, that is prolonged, the condition worsens, weakness appears, temperature jumps. The cough that accompanies bronchitis intensifies, unpleasant purulent sputum is separated, at times - with veins of blood.

Important symptoms of this disease: shortness of breath, increased heart rate to 110 strokes for a minute, chest pain. To the development of bronchopneumonia leads not only bronchitis, but also ARVI. Often this type of pneumonia and viruses cause this kind of pneumonia, in order to treat the disease correctly, establish a pathogen, prescribe antiviral drugs or antibacterial. How much the disease is treated depends on the type of pathogen.

Hospital

In addition to community-acquired pneumonia, which develops under normal conditions, there is a serious form of illness - hospital, it is also hospital-acquired. The diagnosis is made when the inflammation appears after two days and more after placing a person in a hospital clinic with a completely different diagnosis. This is the most ruthless species, killing 50% of patients. The disease is caused by microorganisms. Types of nosocomial pneumonia:

• associated with artificial ventilation;
• postoperative;
• Hospital-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized in serious condition.

Immunity of patients is weakened, the body struggled with another disease, was not ready to invade new microbes. To save the situation, patients are placed with droppers, use intravenous nutrition to maintain the vital forces of the body, use drugs of a new generation, potent drugs. Cure nosocomial pneumonia can not always. Treatment of pneumonia in this case is excluded.

The equity

Fracture pneumonia affects the lobe of the lung and the pleura. With this type of pneumonia, it is important to schedule injections of antibiotics, the duration of which is determined by the doctor. Applied physiotherapy, detoxification. Partial pneumonia begins suddenly and sharply. There are three forms of the disease:

• Upper-lobar - it is difficult, with neurological disorders;
• lower-lobed - gives a pseudo-picture of the "acute abdomen which confuses during diagnosis, chills and "rusty" sputum are characteristic;
• central - inflammation develops deep in the lung, symptomatology is poorly defined, difficult to define.

Croupous

Croupous pneumonia proceeds acutely. The nature of the defeat of the lungs is bilateral. If the pathology is not recognized and the treatment is not started quickly, the patient will die from cerebral hypoxia and cardiovascular insufficiency. The first day the patient has a dry cough. The next day, sputum is rusty, vomiting occurs. On the third day, it becomes worse, dyspnea appears, tachycardia develops. The patient is not able to climb to one floor. Treat croupous pneumonia in pulmonology, in a hospital or resuscitation. Pulmonary lobes of the patient are totally affected on both sides.

Video: types and symptoms of pneumonia

Pneumonia is a dangerous disease, it is important to determine it in the early stages, when the treatment is effective even with folk remedies at home. In the video offered below, experts will tell in detail about the symptoms of pneumonia, teach what to look for if pneumonia occurs without the typical symptoms. Timely detection will avoid irreversible consequences.

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Symptoms of pneumonia in adults

Do not underestimate the common cold, because an untreated infection can lead to the development of pulmonary inflammation, i.e. pneumonia. This is a more serious disease, even fatal. Having found out signs of a pneumonia at the adult, the last it is necessary to address to the doctor. This is necessary because the inflammation can have not only a pronounced, but also a hidden character. The instructions below will help to recognize what pneumonia is and what symptoms it indicates.

The first symptoms of pneumonia in an adult

Pneumonia, depending on the type of pathogen and the nature of the flow is divided into several types:

• acute or chronic;
• virus;
• fungal;
• radical;
• croup or pleuropneumonia;
• bronchopneumonia;
• aspiration;
• bilateral or one-sided.

There are several types of pneumonia, but they have common symptoms:

1. Persistent cough. First dry, and with the development of the disease wet with pus and mucous sputum yellow-green hue.
2. The duration of the cold is more than a week. Viral disease not only does not pass, but is characterized by deterioration.
3. Repeated increase in body temperature after period of improvement.
4. Absence of a positive effect of antipyretic drugs.
5. Painful sensations when coughing in the chest and back, shortness of breath, pale skin.
6. General malaise, excessive sweating, lack of appetite.

Bronchopneumonia

A distinctive feature of bronchopneumonia is its foci, i.e. the disease affects many small areas of the pulmonary lobules. More often it occurs as a result of complications of bronchitis, when the virus descends lower in the respiratory system. A large number of lesions makes it difficult to diagnose and treat such a form of pneumonia, therefore it is characterized by frequent relapses. Signs of focal pneumonia in adult women and men look like this:

• chills, intense fever;
• cough dry, with abundant phlegm or even with bloody discharge;
• quickening of breathing;
• internal rales;
• increase in temperature up to 39 ° С;
• lack of appetite;
• pale skin;
• sleep disorders;
• cramps of the lower part of the legs;
• lack of air;
• pain with deep breath and cough.

Hidden pneumonia

Pneumonia of the lungs may not manifest symptoms. This is a particularly severe, latent form of infection caused by chlamydia or mycoplasmas, i.e. Atypical for common inflammation it is difficult to determine, because the nature of the course of the disease is often asymptomatic and sluggish, but doctors can notice signs of atypical pneumonia in adult:

• intermittent breathing with whistles;
• the appearance of sweat on the forehead, even with minor loads;
• the blush on the cheeks stains;
• dyspnea;
• a constant thirst;
• increased heart rate;
• difficult breathing;
• general malaise;
• one half of the chest remains immobile during breathing.

Two-sided

What is the risk of bilateral pneumonia? The lesions are extensive and located in both lungs, which causes oxygen starvation of the body, because healthy departments can not cope. In addition, the following signs of viral pneumonia are noted:

• heat;
• weakness of the body, low appetite;
• lack of air;
• blanching of the skin;
• blue lips and fingertips;
• impaired consciousness;
• dry or wet cough;
• hard breath.

Grybkovoy

Another dangerous form of pneumonia is fungal. With her, too, there are difficulties in diagnosis, because the clinical picture is poorly due to the specificity of the fungus - the causative agent of the disease. This leads to the fact that the potential patient does not even know about his disease. A person can get infected while in a room where there is damp and there is mold.

First there are signs characteristic of usual pneumonia in the form of dyspnea, heavy breathing, malaise and high fever. Then they are joined by a cough with purulent discharge as a result of rupture of inflammations formed by microorganisms. Complications of pneumonia of the fungal form are more often presented in the form of pleurisy due to the ingress of pus into the pleural cavity.

Pleuropneumonia

This form of infectious disease is also called croupous. Pleuropneumonia often affects up to 2-3 lobes of the lung and necessarily draws into its process the membrane - the pleura. The following are the first symptoms of infection:

• the temperature rises to 40 ° C;
• there is a strong chill and a headache;
• when breathing, there is pain in the chest;
• breathing becomes superficial because of pain.

With the development of the eye the patient's eyes become shiny, the lips acquire a bright cherry color, a blush appears on the side of the pneumonia. Herpes sores can form on the neck. After the appearance of a cough, rusty sputum begins to disappear the next day, sometimes vomiting occurs. After another day, there is such shortness of breath that the patient is unable to rise even to the floor.

Aspiration

This kind of pneumonia develops when fluids get into the lungs, vomit or food. As you can see in the photo, the foreign body is determined by x-ray. The following features are distinguished by the aspiration form:

• cough with discharge of unpleasant smelling mucus with impurities of pus and blood;
• feverish condition;
• pain in the chest;
• constant shortness of breath;
• blue skin;
• increased sweating;
• difficulty in swallowing.

The main symptoms of pneumonia

Pneumonia is an insidious disease that can go on without pronounced symptoms. The danger is that a person connects the ailment with overstrain at work or with other factors, and therefore does not hurry to see a doctor. For this reason, complications often occur or the disease becomes chronic, which complicates both diagnosis and treatment.

Without temperature

The latent form of pneumonia in an adult without a cough and other characteristic symptoms is one of the most dangerous. The patient does not notice signs, and therefore delays with the necessary treatment. Symptoms of pneumonia in an adult without fever are presented in the following list:

• constant weakness and tendency to sleep;
• tired look with a painful blush;
• hard, wheezing;
• the appearance of dyspnea with light loads;
• violation of the heart rate, increased heart rate;
• increased sweating, especially at night;
• lack of normal appetite.

Chronic pneumonia

Any untreated disease flows into a chronic form. This also applies to pneumonia. When there is at least one focus of inflammation in the lungs, it can cause chronic pneumonia. Such a process is dangerous because it can lead to cardiovascular failure. Characteristic chronic signs of pneumonia in adults are as follows:

• hard breath;
• cough with phlegm, sometimes including pus;
• rapid pulse;
• dyspnea;
• general malaise of the body;
• lack of appetite;
• weight loss;
• during periods of relapse - cough, fever.

Video about the symptoms and treatment of pneumonia

Having found out at itself signs of a pneumonia, it is necessary to address immediately to the doctor. Only he will be able to determine the form, the nature of the course of the disease and will prescribe the right therapy. To know what changes in the body indicate pneumonia, look at the video below, from which you will understand both the symptoms and the treatment of pneumonia.

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Signs of pneumonia in adults without fever. Symptoms of pneumonia without fever

Pneumonia is a serious infectious disease. Under normal conditions, it can have a fairly pronounced clinical course, but certain factors can strongly lubricate the main manifestations of the disease.

Pneumonia in adults: symptoms, signs, causes in normal conditions

This disease occurs due to the development of microflora in the lung tissue and its gradual destruction. The beginning of such a pathological process is capable of getting into the body of a wide variety of infections.

Another factor contributing to the development of pneumonia, is a local or general decrease in immunity.

Among the main symptoms of this disease, it is necessary to note primarily a rise in temperature body, a strong cough, the occurrence of dyspnea with the least physical exertion, poor general state of health.

Pneumonia in adults: symptoms, causes, types in unusual conditions

There are two main reasons why the clinical manifestations of the inflammatory process in the lungs will differ from the classics. Among them it is necessary to note the following:

• decreased immunity;
• uncontrolled use of antibacterial agents.

Both of these causes can significantly change the clinical picture of pneumonia.

Incorrect use of antibiotics

To date, the uncontrolled use of antimicrobials has become a real problem for society. The fact is that this circumstance gradually leads to the formation of resistance to an antibacterial agent in infection. As a result, the antimicrobial drug simply ceases to have a sufficient effect on pathogenic bacteria.

In addition, the independent reception of such drugs can significantly reduce the severity of the main clinical manifestations of the disease. For example, pneumonia occurs in children and adults. Without a temperature reaching high enough values, few will immediately become worried and make a decision to consult a doctor. As a result, the disease will proceed in a latent form, and the patient will not receive rational treatment. This will lead to the gradual involvement in the pathological process of new and new areas of lung tissue. As a result, the patient will have other, more health-threatening clinical manifestations. The main signs of pneumonia in adults without temperature are the increase in dyspnea, the appearance of blood veins in escaping coughing sputum, as well as pain in the chest, arising from involvement in the pathological process pleura.

Now doctors are trying to limit the independent reception of antibacterial drugs by patients. One of the main ways was the issuance of such drugs only by prescription.

On the decrease of immunity

The clinical picture of inflammation of the lungs can vary greatly not only under the influence of antibacterial agents, but also in the conditions of reducing the protective properties of the body. As a result, typical first signs of pneumonia in adults may not be present. As a result, the patient does not immediately notice a serious problem. Signs of pneumonia in adults without a temperature in such conditions are expressed in the appearance of a painful blush on the side of the lesion of the lung tissue. Especially high diagnostic value this symptom has in the case of isolated lesions of one lung.

The increase in temperature in this case is not observed for the reason that the defenses of the body are depleted. At the same time, hyperthermia is the most important factor of defense. The fact is that in conditions of elevated temperature, pathogenic bacteria are much more difficult to grow and multiply. As a result, they are gradually destroyed by white blood cells.

Additional signs

Symptoms of pneumonia without temperature in adults are quite diverse. First of all, we are talking about the appearance of a painful blush. This symptom is especially well distinguished if the patient has unilateral pneumonia without temperature. Signs of bilateral pneumonia are noticeable worse, as the blush will be located on both cheeks.

In addition, a patient with pneumonia, which is not treated rationally, has a pale complexion. When breathing, there may be a lag in the excursion of the half of the chest in which the inflammatory process is taking place. Naturally, such signs of pneumonia in adults without a temperature are well detected only in cases with one-sided pathology. Thus the second cheek can be paler than usual.

There are a few other signs that pneumonia develops in children and adults. Without a temperature, people often do not pay attention to the soreness in the chest, which increases with every breath. This approach is dangerous in that you can skip a serious pathology. So, when there are painful sensations in the chest, intensifying during inspiration, it is better to consult a specialist so that he excludes the inflammatory process in the lung tissue.

When should shortness of breath make you think?

Symptoms of pneumonia without temperature in adults, as you can already see, are quite diverse. One of the manifestations of the disease is shortness of breath. Normally, it can occur in any person after certain physical exertion. In the event that dyspnea appears at rest, one of the reasons may be an inflammatory process that occurs in the lung tissue. In this case, despite the lack of motor activity, without rational antibacterial therapy, dyspnea gradually only increases.

However, this symptom does not always indicate that pneumonia develops without temperature. Signs of the same type can also occur in cardiac pathology, when the patient gradually develops stagnant phenomena. Identify the exact cause of dyspnea with this help radiography chest organs.

It must also be remembered that young patients should pay special attention to dyspnea at rest, since in the overwhelming majority of cases they have no expressed cardiac pathology.

What should I do first?

In the event that there are typical first signs of pneumonia in adults, you should immediately turn to a specialist - doctors, therapist or pulmonologist. They will conduct a general examination, including auscultation of the lungs. Based on the results of the primary diagnostic measures, the doctor will decide whether it is necessary to perform an X-ray examination of the chest organs. If the doctor suspects something and sends the patient to such a survey, then in no case should you refuse. After radiography, the doctor will be able to accurately establish the diagnosis and prescribe rational treatment.

What is the danger of pneumonia without temperature?

This disease, if it occurs without hyperthermia, is very insidious. The fact is that, in itself, even under the condition of timely rational treatment, pneumonia is very, very dangerous. If, with inflammation of the lung tissue, antibiotic therapy is not performed, then there is a real danger that the disease will lead to the most disastrous consequences. But not only this should frighten pneumonia without temperature. Such a disease is also dangerous because the patient, most likely, has weakened immunity, or he recently took certain antibacterial drugs. In both cases, one usually has to use one of the most modern antimicrobial agents. In a situation with reduced immunity, it is a matter of the fact that the body itself does not have the strength to resist infection. In the second situation, the resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to one or another form of antibiotics has already been developed.

How to reduce the risk of pneumonia?

First of all, you must avoid serious hypothermia. The fact is that with a significant decrease in temperature in this or that area of ​​the human body, the level of local immunity decreases. As a result, pathogenic microorganisms have an excellent opportunity to multiply unhindered, hitting more and more sections of lung tissue.

In addition, it is very important to take antibacterial drugs strictly according to the recommendations of doctors. At the same time, it is necessary to stop using them when the signs of an infectious disease cease to make themselves felt, but only after the completion of a full course of treatment. Otherwise, a number of pathogens will persist. The next time the use of this same antibiotic will have a much more modest success, and will have to change the drug.

Another important point is the support of immunity. In order for it to be normal, it is necessary to maintain a normal level of physical activity, to eat properly and in sufficient quantities, to give the proper time to sleep and ordinary rest.

About laboratory research

They are carried out in the event that there are signs of pneumonia in adults. Without temperature or with hyperthermia, this disease occurs - laboratory tests are necessary. First of all, we are talking, of course, about a general analysis of blood. This study allows you to assess how pronounced the infectious process is in the lung tissue. In this case, doctors are most interested in the number of leukocytes, as well as the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation. The fact that the process has an infectious etiology will be said to increase the level of white blood cells (more than 9 * 109 / L). The fact that there is inflammation in the body will be indicated by an increased level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Often, the doctor does not assign a usual general blood test, but a study with a formula that allows the doctor to determine which type of microorganisms triggered the development of pathology. With an increased level of neutrophils, we can talk about bacterial pneumonia, and with an increase in the number of lymphocytes - about the viral etiology of this disease.

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How is pneumonia manifested in adults and children?

• In adults
• Children
• Complications

Anyone can get pneumonia.

This disease is usually a complication of respiratory infection, especially the flu, but there are more than 30 different causes of the disease.

Elderly people, children and people with chronic diseases, including bronchial asthma, have a high risk of developing pneumonia.

Most of the time, filters in the nose and airways screen out germs from the air. This saves the lungs from infection.

But microbes sometimes find a way to penetrate the lungs and cause infections.

This is more likely to happen when:

• The immune system weakened.
• Disease-causing microorganisms are present in large quantities.
• The body can not filter out germs from the air that a person breathes.

When the microbes that cause pneumonia reach the lungs, airy lung vesicles (alveoli) become inflamed and filled with fluid. This causes symptoms of pneumonia, such as coughing, fever, chills and breathing problems.

Inflammation of the lungs is contagious?

• People can get infected from each other by microbes that cause pneumonia. These microorganisms are present in the most crowded places and the environment.
• Children who go to school or kindergarten can easily "catch" viruses from each other, which makes them more prone to viral pneumonia.
• Viral pneumonia is more contagious than bacterial or fungal. This is because viruses are more often transmitted from person to person.
• Some types of pneumonia are contagious only under certain conditions. For example, Legionnaires' disease, which is caused by Legionella bacteria, can be contagious only for people exposed to polluted air conditioning.
• The chance of developing a disease in a person with microbes that cause pneumonia in the body depends on his age, health and lifestyle.

How is pneumonia manifested in adults

Symptoms of pneumonia can range from mild to severe.

The most common symptoms of pneumonia are:

• Cough (with greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus).
• A fever that can be mild or severe.
• Chills.
• Shortness of breath, which can occur when the patient climbs the stairs.

Additional symptoms include:

• The feeling of tingling or pain in the chest, which increases if you breathe deeply or cough.
• Headache.
• Excessive sweating and stickiness of the skin.
• Loss of appetite and fatigue.

The signs of pneumonia may vary depending on what kind of pneumonia - bacterial or viral.

• With bacterial pneumonia, the temperature can rise to 39-40 degrees.
• This type of pneumonia causes profuse sweating, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate.
• Lips and nails can have a bluish color due to a lack of oxygen in the blood.
• The mental state of the patient worsens, confusion may arise.

The initial symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as the symptoms of influenza:

• Fever.
• Dry cough.
• Headache.
• Pain in the muscles and weakness.
• During the period from 12 to 36 hours, shortness of breath increases, cough becomes worse and with it a small amount of mucus is expectorated.
• High temperature and blue lips are also manifestations of viral pneumonia.

How is pneumonia in children?

• Pneumonia accounts for 13% of all infectious diseases in children under the age of 2 years.
• In newborns with pneumonia, there is usually a poor appetite and irritability, as well as a rapid respiration, retraction (retraction of intercostal spaces) and hypoxemia (decrease in oxygen level in the blood).
• Infections such as Group B Streptococcus, Listeria, or Gram-negative rods (eg E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia) are common causes of bacterial pneumonia. Group B streptococci are most often transmitted to the fetus in the womb.
• Cough is the most common symptom of pneumonia in young children, along with apnea and hypoxemia. This can be accompanied by fever, irritability and loss of appetite.
• Pneumococcus is today the most common bacterial pathogen in children aged 1-3 months.
• Adolescents experience symptoms similar to those of young children. To this may be added headache, chest pain and abdominal pain. Vomiting, diarrhea, pharyngitis and acute ear pain (otitis) are also common in this age group.
• Mycoplasma pneumonia is the most common cause of pneumonia in older children and adolescents.

What are the risk factors that increase the chances of developing pneumonia?

• Smoking cigarettes.
• Postponed viral respiratory infection, cold, laryngitis, influenza, etc.
• Difficult swallowing (as a result of stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease or other neurological condition).
• Chronic lung diseases, such as bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Other serious diseases, such as heart disease, liver cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus.
• Life in a home for the elderly.
• Impaired consciousness (loss of brain function due to dementia, stroke, or other neurological conditions).
• Recent surgery or injury.
• Weakened immune system due to illness, some medicines and autoimmune diseases.

How is pneumonia manifested in the complication of the disease?

If a patient has flu-like symptoms that persist or worsen despite treatment, talk with your doctor. In order to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor can prescribe a chest X-ray, and also take a sample of sputum and write a direction for a blood test. Be-treatment of inflammation of the lung can lead to very serious consequences.

• So, viral pneumonia can quickly progress to respiratory failure.
• The most common complications of pneumonia include pleurisy and bacteria in the blood. With pleurisy, fluid accumulates in the layers of tissue between the lungs and the wall of the chest. This can make breathing difficult. For the treatment of pleurisy, surgical intervention may be required.
• Bacteria in the bloodstream appear when the pneumonia infection in the lungs spreads into the blood. This increases the risk that the infection will spread to other organs. Bacteria in the bloodstream are treated with antibiotics. People who have heart or lung problems, smokers and elderly people over 65 are more likely to experience complications from pneumonia.

How can I prevent pneumonia?

• Do an inoculation against the flu every year. People often get bacterial pneumonia, which develops after the flu. Vaccination against influenza does not protect against all strains of influenza, only from 3 -4 strains, which doctors consider the most dangerous or common in the coming year.
• Do not forget about hygiene. Man's hands come into contact with many microbes throughout the day. Microorganisms can be on the door handles, computer keyboard, etc. That's why the hands need wash frequently (with warm water and soap, 20 seconds minimum), especially after going to the toilet and before eating. If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-containing hand sanitizer can be used.
• Do not smoke. Smoking damages the lungs and weakens the body. In general, the prognosis for pneumonia is good. Long-term change in lung function is rare, even in children with pneumonia, which has been complicated by empyema or lung abscess.

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Symptoms of pneumonia in an adult

Pneumonia (pneumonia) is a very serious disease, ignoring its signs in any case impossible, because the consequences can be unpredictable. Doctors still can not accurately answer the question of why infection in some people stops in the upper respiratory tract, while in others it moves deeper and attacks the lungs. But one expert can state with full confidence - pneumonia develops only when the immunity is already weakened by some other disease.

Symptoms of pneumonia in an adult appear somewhat differently than in a child. In general, they depend on the severity of the disease and on the type of infectious agent that caused them.

Causes and Symptoms of Pneumonia

In an adult, pneumococcus is the most common disease. Having penetrated into the bronchi and the alveoli, they generate an inflammatory process there. When the fluid component enters the alveoli from the walls of the vessels, the respiratory difficulty appears in the diseased person. Against this background, the body develops oxygen starvation, because the affected part of the lung becomes dysfunctional. To strengthen the influx to the tissues of the blood, the heart begins to actively contract. All these processes lead to the appearance of the first symptoms of pneumonia in an adult: a sharp rise in temperature, chest pain, a cough with a separation of reddish sputum.

In the case when the inflammatory process is caused by other infectious agents: mycoplasma, legionella, chlamydia - the symptomatology will be similar, but this inflammation proceeds somewhat easier. So, the symptoms of pneumonia in an adult in the case when it is stimulated by mycoplasmas, will manifest chills, sore throat, runny nose (optional), fever, dyspnea, resulting in pain in breasts. If the development of the disease occurred as a result of the effects of chlamydia, the first signs of a disease will be similar to those that occur with colds: dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, temperature increase. If the pathogen is Legionella, the symptoms, other than those listed above, will be supplemented by loss of appetite, diarrhea.

Common Symptoms of Pneumonia

Regardless of the type of pathogen, the first signs of the disease are most often the same. This is an obsessive dry cough, over time moisturizing, an increase in temperature (it can vary between 37-40 degrees). In severe pneumonia, the skin becomes a pronounced bluish tinge, breathing becomes quicker.

Such symptoms are completely nonspecific, so even doctors sometimes confuse the disease with ARVI. And only when the temperature reaches high values, dyspnea appears, leukocytosis is noted, pneumonia is diagnosed. To confirm suspicions, carry out radiography.

How to treat pneumonia in adults

Ill be hospitalized. He is assigned bed rest, frequent intake of warm liquids, high-calorie meals. The main method of treatment - antibacterial therapy (the drug is selected for each patient individually, depending on many features). If necessary, it can be supplemented by the use of immunostimulants, expectorants, antihistamines, etc. In the case of delayed treatment, complications of pneumonia in adults can lead to death.

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