Symptoms, risks, and diagnosis of pneumonia: During the winter, the prevalence of pneumonia increases. It is a type of lung infection. This causes the air sacs inside the lungs to become inflamed. Lung alveoli (air sacs) fill with fluid or pus, causing cough, fever, chills, and shortness of breath. According to the World Health Organization, pneumonia is the leading cause of child death worldwide.
Who is at greater risk?
Children and elderly people are mainly affected. Apart from this, if the immune system is low, smokers can be affected at any age. Pneumonia can occur in people taking steroids and cancer drugs. If you suffer from heart disease, AIDS, diabetes, and lung disease for a long time, there is a risk of pneumonia. Experts said that after recovering from covid or pox, patients should take special precautions regarding pneumonia.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Fever, chills, difficulty breathing, cough with or without sputum, and chest pain are the main symptoms of pneumonia. Nausea, muscle pain, headache, and extreme fatigue may also occur.
Diagnosis
Pneumonia usually requires some diagnostic tests. These include complete blood count (CBC), arterial blood gas, sputum culture, and chest x-ray reports to confirm the diagnosis.
treatment of pneumonia
Treatment for pneumonia depends on the type and severity of the infection. Treatment can be in two ways. Mildly affected patients are treated at home. For this, proper advice should be taken from the doctor. If the level of the disease is high, the treatment should be confirmed by hospitalization. Different drugs are prescribed for pneumonia depending on the stage of the disease. Among these antibiotics, antipyretics, and cough medicines are notable. In addition to proper medicine, plenty of liquid food should be taken at this time. Yogurt can be consumed in hot water, red tea, or a hot salt water mixture. Nasal or normal saline should be given. The baby should be breastfed. Pneumonia patients should be given nutritious food. A patient with pneumonia needs a lot of rest.