Older adults may also be given an antiviral medication, which may help them to recover more quickly. Viral pneumonia is contagious and can be spread in much the same way as a cold or the flu. You can take steps to decrease your risk for contracting pneumonia. The flu virus can be a direct cause of viral pneumonia. The CDC says that everyone 6 months or older should get the seasonal flu vaccine.
The only exceptions are people who have had allergic reactions to flu vaccines or eggs, and people who have had Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Read more: Vaccine timeline for adults ». Your recovery time depends on how healthy you were before you were diagnosed with viral pneumonia. A young, healthy adult will usually recover faster than other age groups. Most people recover in a week or two. Adults or seniors may take several weeks before they fully recover.
The best way to prevent pneumonia is to practice good hygiene, get the seasonal flu shot every year, and try to avoid those around you who are sick with a cold or the flu. Keep reading: 5 ways to treat a dry nose ». Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses. General symptoms include chest pain, fever, cough, and trouble breathing. Double pneumonia is a lung infection that affects both of your lungs.
Learn more about the symptoms and prognosis for double pneumonia. Pneumonia is often more severe in older adults. Prompt medical care is recommended. Learn about common symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention. Share Via. By Parmita Uniyal. ALSO READ World Pneumonia Day: All you need to know about the biggest infectious killer of adults and children Also, while bacterial pneumonia is predominantly localized to an area of the lung and are unilateral, viral pneumonia is randomly distributed in all areas of both lungs varying from small patches or ground glass opacities to extensive consolidations, adds the doctor.
Viral vs bacterial pneumonia: Difference in treatment In bacterial pneumonia the predominant drug is antibiotics which is based on the organism identified in sputum culture or lab investigations whereas in viral pneumonia, the role of antibiotics is less.
Get our Daily News Capsule Subscribe. Thank you for subscribing to our Daily News Capsule newsletter. Vaccines are also a powerful preventive measure. Get the flu vaccine annually —influenza on its own is unpleasant, but it can also lead to pneumonia. Pneumonia: Here's How to Tell the Difference. Along with a physical exam, your doctor may take a sputum culture, chest X-ray, and blood work to determine if you have a viral or bacterial form of pneumonia, Turner says.
Your diagnosis is important since it helps determine treatment. And, they can lead to unpleasant side effects possibly even more uncomfortable than your original symptoms. Finally, unnecessary use of antibiotics means that they might not be effective when you do actually need them for treatment, says Dr. Instead of antibiotics, if you have a viral form of pneumonia, your doctor will recommend either antiviral agents or over-the-counter medications to ease your symptoms, says Dr.
Tylenol can bring down your fever, for instance, while an expectorant thins out mucus so you can cough more productively. They usually get better on their own.
Other treatment may include eating well, increasing fluid intake, getting rest, oxygen therapy, pain medicine, fever control, and maybe cough-relief medicine if cough is severe. Check with your healthcare provider about getting immunizations. The flu is a common cause of pneumonia. Because of that, getting a flu shot every year can help prevent both the flu and pneumonia. There is also a pneumococcal vaccine.
It will protect you from a common form of bacterial pneumonia. Children younger than age 5 and adults ages 65 and older should get this shot.
The pneumococcal shot is also recommended for all children and adults who are at increased risk of pneumococcal disease due to other health conditions. Most people with pneumonia respond well to treatment, but pneumonia can be very serious and even deadly.
You are more likely to have complications if you are an older adult, a very young child, have a weakened immune system, or have a serious medical problem like diabetes or cirrhosis.
Complications may include:. Acute respiratory distress syndrome ARDS. This is a severe form of respiratory failure. Lung abscesses. These are pockets of pus that form inside or around the lung.
They may need to be drained with surgery. Respiratory failure. This requires the use of a breathing machine or ventilator. This is when the infection gets into the blood. It may lead to organ failure. The main types of pneumonia are bacterial, viral, and mycoplasma pneumonia. A cough that produces green, yellow, or bloody mucus is the most common symptom of pneumonia.
0コメント