How to identify pneumonia by the first symptoms. How to determine pneumonia at home

Diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia

Experienced pulmonologists and therapists know how to identify pneumonia in their patient. This disease is otherwise called pneumonia. Recently, inflammation is increasingly occurring in an atypical form, which makes diagnosis difficult. When examining the patient, it is necessary to exclude other pathologies of the respiratory system (bronchitis, tuberculosis, laryngitis).

1 How to identify pneumonia?

Not everyone knows how to recognize pneumonia. This disease manifests itself with nonspecific symptoms (cough, fever, sweating, chest pain, chills, sputum production), so a final diagnosis can only be made on the basis of an instrumental study. Both the patient himself and his close relatives can suspect inflammation.

This can be done based on existing risk factors. These include:

• hypothermia;
• chest injuries;
• allergic reactions;
• foci of chronic infection;
• long bed rest;
• aspiration of vomit or other liquid.

Pneumonia often develops against the background of bronchitis in the absence of proper treatment. Inflammation can be suspected if a person is on bed rest and coughs.

Pneumonia in adults - how does pneumonia manifest?

2 Determination of symptoms of the disease

An integral part of the diagnosis is taking an anamnesis. The attending physician determines the patient's main complaints. Lobar and focal pneumonia occur differently. The disease is infectious, so symptoms of intoxication of the body come to the fore. The following signs indicate the development of lobar (lobar) pneumonia:

• fever above 39ºC;
• chest pain;
• dyspnea;
• chills;
• weakness;
• productive cough producing rust-colored sputum;
• redness of the skin.

The focal form of inflammation develops more calmly. The temperature rarely exceeds 38.5ºC. The disease may be preceded by ARVI or tracheobronchitis. The sputum is mucopurulent in nature. When inhaling and coughing, such people experience severe pain. If the lesions merge with each other, the condition worsens.

An experienced doctor can distinguish lobar pneumonia from congestive pneumonia. The latter is caused by a violation of blood flow. With congestive pneumonia, body temperature rises slightly or remains within normal limits. There may be hemoptysis. Frequent signs are increasing shortness of breath and weakness. There are symptoms of the underlying disease (heart attack). It is most difficult to suspect aspiration pneumonia, since it occurs in a latent form.

What does wheezing mean? infant when breathing?

3 Physical examination data

Not everyone knows how to diagnose pneumonia. The results of physical examination and examination are of great importance. Palpation, percussion and auscultation are performed. The following changes indicate pneumonia:

• lag in the act of breathing on the affected side;
• increased vocal tremors;
• moist rales of various sizes;
• shortening of percussion sound in certain parts of the body;
• harsh or bronchial breathing;
• the presence of pathological respiratory sounds;
• weakening of breathing.

In most patients with pneumonia, wheezing is heard. They are noises produced during breathing. When inflamed, they are moist. The wheezes are small-bubble, medium-bubble and large-bubble. This depends on the caliber of the bronchi in which patency is impaired. Moist rales occur due to the accumulation of exudate.

In the early stages, pneumonia can be identified by the presence of crepitus. This is the sound that is heard during inspiration. It sounds like a crackling sound. Crepitation is a consequence of filling the alveoli with liquid contents. If pleurisy is associated with pneumonia, a pleural friction noise is heard. Normally, in a healthy person, a clear sound is detected above the lung tissue. With inflammation, foci with reduced airiness appear.

Main symptoms and treatment methods for pneumonia in children

4 Diagnosis based on X-ray results

Pneumonia can be detected through instrumental examination. The simplest way is to take an x-ray of the chest organs, including the lungs. This study allows not only to detect inflammation, but also to determine the form of pneumonia. With focal damage, the following changes are revealed:

• peribronchial or perivascular infiltration;
• darkening of a separate area of ​​the lung;
• signs of pleurisy;
• enlargement of the roots of the lung;
• changes in lung tissue.

This form of inflammation is the most difficult to recognize. At the resolution stage the picture is more blurred. Infiltration disappears. With the help of radiography, it is possible to find out whether a person has lobar (lobar) pneumonia. It is distinguished by the totality of defeat. The main symptom of this pathology is the presence of a shadow of medium intensity. An x-ray reveals a displacement of the mediastinum, changes in lung tissue and the position of the dome of the diaphragm, and heaviness of the roots. Homogeneous foci of infiltration are detected.

5 Laboratory methods

Not everyone knows how to recognize pneumonia. If pneumonia is suspected, the following must be carried out: laboratory research:

• general clinical blood and urine tests;
• biochemical research;
• polymerase chain reaction;
• sputum examination for mycobacteria;
• cytological analysis.

All pulmonologists know how to identify pneumonia. The following changes are found in the blood of patients:

• acceleration of ESR;
• increased concentrations of sialic acid and fibrinogen;
• increased leukocyte levels;
• shift the formula to the left;
• dysproteinemia.

C-reactive protein is often detected. In some cases, leukopenia is observed. To exclude tuberculosis, the Mantoux test and Diaskintest may be required. You need to know not only how to identify pneumonia, but how to identify the pathogen. They can be bacteria, viruses, fungi. This is important for subsequent treatment. For research, the easiest way is to take the patient’s sputum.

6 Carrying out differential diagnosis

Everyone should know how to determine pneumonia at home. Differential diagnosis is required. The following diseases must be excluded:

• acute bronchitis;
• tuberculosis;
• laryngitis;
• flu;
• ARVI.

First of all, the doctor must identify the main complaints. Bronchitis most often occurs with moderate fever. With it there is a strong barking cough with the separation of viscous sputum. The reason is bronchial obstruction. This is often preceded by symptoms of a viral infection (runny nose, sore throat, sore throat).

With bronchitis, the sputum is viscous and mucopurulent. With pneumonia, it is often mixed with blood. Distinctive signs of tuberculosis are severe sweating, weakness, weight loss, and hemoptysis. Increase possible lymph nodes. Laryngitis is manifested by hoarseness of voice, tickling and sore throat, dry cough, sensation of the presence of a foreign body.

A diagnosed illness requires treatment. For pneumonia, antibiotics, expectorants, and proteolytic enzymes are most often prescribed. To eliminate pulmonary inflammatory process, physical therapy and chest massage are performed. In severe cases, infusion therapy is organized. The diagnosis of pneumonia can be confirmed only with the help of instrumental research.

Pneumonia is one of the most common infectious lung diseases. Pneumonia requires timely diagnosis and properly selected treatment, so it is very important to identify the disease.

Pneumonia is a severe respiratory disease

Pneumonia can affect people of any age. But children and the elderly are at risk. The older a person is, the greater the likelihood of pneumonia and the worse the prognosis.

This disease cannot be treated on its own. But you need to know by what methods this is done. In this article we will look at all the treatment methods for pneumonia, and also talk about how to diagnose it.

Definition of the disease and its cause

Pneumonia is an inflammatory disease that affects the alveolar areas of the lungs and is accompanied by the accumulation of exudate in the alveoli.

Depending on the circumstances and location of infection of the patient, pneumonia can be of several types:

• Out-of-hospital. Infection occurs at home, at work, in transport and other similar places.
• Nosocomial. Infection occurs after a few days in the hospital. Previously, this type of pneumonia was called hospital-acquired.
• Aspiration. The patient experiences symptoms of macroaspiration during loss of consciousness, injury, and so on.
• Pneumonia in people suffering from severe immunodeficiencies.

With pneumonia, the inflammatory process develops in the alveoli and bronchi and leads to the appearance of pathological changes in them.

The causative agents of the disease are mycoplasmas, staphylococci and viruses. Symptoms of the disease depend on the type of microorganism. Read more about the spread of the disease here.

It should be remembered that pneumonia can occur not only when bacteria and viruses enter the body. It occurs in bedridden patients with impaired pulmonary circulation. To avoid this, it is necessary to turn the person over more often. In this case, bedsores will not form, which provoke infection into the blood.

The main symptoms of pneumonia:

1. Cough. It can be dry or wet (with the release of purulent or mucopurulent sputum). It is very dangerous if there are streaks of blood in the sputum. If there is blood in the sputum, it is necessary to take an X-ray of the lungs.
2. Temperature increase.
3. Pain in the chest, under the shoulder blade, occurring during breathing and coughing. This symptom may not exist.
4. Feeling of lack of air.
5. Pain in muscles and joints.

If you have at least one of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

The occurrence of the disease is influenced by weak immunity. The course of pneumonia is aggravated by such bad habits as smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.

Other reasons for the development of the disease include: surgical interventions, chronic heart and vascular diseases, endocrine disorders, poor nutrition, and poor environmental conditions.

How to diagnose

Clinical symptoms of pneumonia depend on the degree of damage to the lung tissue and the age of the person. In children and the elderly, this disease is most severe.

One of the characteristic symptoms is painful sensations when coughing. Rare coughing after some time turns into a painful cough.

There is also a sharp increase in body temperature to thirty-nine to forty degrees, accompanied by fever. Chest and abdominal pain appear when inhaling, sneezing and coughing.

Diagnosis of pneumonia in hospital

As the disease progresses, aching pain in the chest is always present, breathing becomes more frequent. The sputum contains impurities of pus. It turns yellow or brown. As the temperature rises, the skin becomes dry and begins to peel. Intoxication of the body develops, which is accompanied by rapid heartbeat and headache.

Other symptoms of pneumonia are: loss of appetite, unhealthy blush on the cheeks, stomatitis, rashes on the lips, dark urine.

When to see a doctor

The sooner treatment is started, the faster recovery and recovery from pneumonia will occur.

If the following signs appear, you should immediately call an ambulance:

1. Severe chest pain that gets worse or occurs at the same time as other heart attack symptoms.
2. There is a loss of strength and difficulty breathing.
3. Expectoration of sputum with a large amount of blood.
4. Pre-fainting state.

You should see a doctor if:

1. There is a cough with bloody, yellow or green sputum.
2. The disease is accompanied by fever and chills.
3. Breathing is rapid and accompanied by shortness of breath or wheezing.
4. Vomiting occurs.

Treatment methods

The duration of treatment for pneumonia depends on its form, severity and immune status. The average treatment time ranges from seven to ten days.

Antibacterial therapy

Antibacterial therapy is the basis of treatment for pneumonia. Basic Rules:

1. After identifying pneumonia, it is necessary to use broad-spectrum antibiotics (Suprax, Ceftriaxone). Before identifying the pathogen, such a dose of the drug is selected so that the current concentration of the active substance is always maintained in the blood.
2. If the symptoms of the disease are similar to atypical infections, then specialized antibiotics (Sumamed, Clarithromycin) are used.
3. A combination of two or three drugs: Ceftriaxone, Suprax, Sumamed or Clarithromycin. They are most often used for pneumonia in adults.
4. If the inflammatory focus occupies more than one segment, then combinations such as Ceftriaxone and Amikacin or Suprax and Augmentin are used.

It should be remembered that antibiotics are prescribed based on the course of the disease and the color of expectorated sputum.

To do this, you need to conduct a BAC analysis of sputum to identify the pathogen, and test the sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics. After this, a treatment regimen is prescribed based on the results of the analysis. At the same time, take into account the severity of the disease, effectiveness, the likelihood of complications and allergies, possible contraindications, the rate of absorption of the drug into the blood, and the time of elimination from the body.

Antiviral

Three antiviral drugs are usually prescribed to treat viral pneumonia: Ribavirin, Acyclovir, and Remantadine.

• Corticosteroid drugs.
• Cough medications (depending on type).
• Antipyretic drugs (Ibuprofen).

How to remove phlegm

Removing mucus is one of the most important parts of treating pneumonia. Sputum promotes the growth of bacteria and aggravates the course of the disease.

Ambroxol is currently used to treat pneumonia. It thins mucus and activates bronchial peristalsis. This ensures rapid removal of mucus from the bronchi and stimulates the production of surfactant, which prevents the walls of the alveoli from sticking together.

ethnoscience

Folk remedies are a good addition to the main treatment of pneumonia.

Let's consider several options:

• Pour one tablespoon of St. John's wort and three tablespoons of elecampane into two glasses of boiling water. Boil the broth over low heat for half an hour. Melt two glasses of linden honey in a water bath. Add one glass of vegetable oil to it. Then strain the decoction of St. John's wort and elecampane and add the resulting mixture of honey and oil to it. Infuse the medicine in the refrigerator for two weeks in a glass jar, then take one teaspoon five times a day. The course of treatment is two weeks.
• Finely chop two hundred and fifty grams of aloe leaves, mix with two glasses of Cahors, add three hundred and fifty grams of liquid honey. Leave for two weeks, strain and take one tablespoon three times a day.
• For dry cough, use licorice root, marshmallow, coltsfoot, oregano. A decoction is prepared from these herbs. They drink two teaspoons every three hours.
• Grind one hundred grams of raisins (through a meat grinder), add a glass of water and simmer over low heat for ten minutes. Then strain and squeeze through cheesecloth. The decoction is taken several times a day.
• Mix warm cottage cheese with honey (one tablespoon of honey per hundred grams of cottage cheese). Apply a compress to the chest, excluding the heart area.

Patient rehabilitation

Proper rehabilitation effectively prevents the occurrence of complications - post-pneumonic pneumofibrosis, cirrhosis of the lung, fibrous adhesions of the pleural layers.

There are four areas of rehabilitation:

1. Physiotherapeutic methods (inhalation, electrophoresis with aloe extract, UHF irradiation of the inflammation zone).
2. Physical methods (therapeutic and breathing exercises).
3. A diet with a high protein content, increasing the daily calorie intake.
4. Medication methods (taking probiotics for dysbiosis, potassium supplements for its deficiency).

The recovery period from pneumonia can take from six to eighteen months.

The rehabilitation program after pneumonia is drawn up by a doctor, taking into account the individual parameters of each patient.

conclusions

Pneumonia is a very serious disease. It is important to identify pneumonia in the initial stages in order to avoid the development of complications and achieve a speedy recovery.

It should be remembered that treatment of pneumonia should be under the supervision of a doctor. And after the therapy, rehabilitation is needed.

Pneumonia is a serious disease, fraught with many complications, and at the same time it is one of the most common, and therefore everyone should know the answer to the question of how to determine pneumonia at home. Sometimes you hear that pneumonia is not much more serious than a trivial acute respiratory infection. This opinion is not only wrong, but also dangerous. This disease is far from a joke and requires careful and long-term treatment.

Main reasons

It is quite easy to get pneumonia. According to WHO statistics, every two hundred people on the planet suffer from the disease every year, and for many it has a tragic ending: among the elderly and children under one year of age, the mortality rate from it is about twenty percent.

Experts know that this pathology of the respiratory system is one of the diseases that have an infectious etiology. The conviction of some people that it is a cold is based on the fact that the disease often occurs as a continuation of an acute respiratory viral infection.

According to research, it occurs in two main forms:

• bacterial;
• viral.

The bacterial form is usually caused by the activity of pathogenic microflora - bacteria of the genus Streptococcus pneumoniae. Typically, it is a complication of an upper respiratory tract infection. The culprit of the second option is most often the influenza A or B virus, as well as parainfluenza. In addition, it can also be caused by the chickenpox virus.

The most severe type of bacterial pathology is acute, or so-called lobar inflammation. It is its bilateral form, affecting both the right and left lungs, that is the main cause of almost all deaths in this pathology, since it often leads to the development of pulmonary and heart failure.

Therapeutic measures

The earlier treatment for pneumonia is started, the lower the risk of complications, and the sooner recovery occurs - these truisms are known even to a non-specialist. For uncomplicated forms of the disease, home treatment is allowed, but the final word in any case remains with the doctor, and if he insists on hospitalization, one should not refuse it: this can be fraught with the most serious consequences. A pulmonologist, whose specialty is respiratory diseases, usually prescribes a course of antibiotic drugs to the patient, and injectable forms in this case are preferable to oral ones.

The doctor decides which specific means to use depending on the patient’s condition and the type of infectious agent:

• for pneumococci, Benzylpenicillin, Sulfanilamide, Erythromycin, Cephalosporin, Lincomycin are prescribed;
• for staphylococci - Erythromycin, Syntomycin;
• against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, good results are obtained with the use of Tetracycline and its series, as well as Gentamicin;
• if the causative agent is a fungus (candidiasis), antifungal drugs are needed.

It should be recalled that all necessary prescriptions, as well as instructions on dosage and medication regimen, are given only by the attending physician, and the patient must obey him unquestioningly. If the therapy is not completed or is not powerful enough to completely destroy the pathological pathogen, so-called recurrent pneumonia may occur, the treatment of which, as a rule, is much more difficult.

Rehabilitation and prevention of pneumonia

Rehabilitation after such a serious illness as pneumonia is a difficult and quite lengthy process. During this period, it is necessary to fully focus on restoring strength, paying maximum attention to the doctor’s recommendations in everything related to lifestyle and daily routine.

If you work in conditions of increased dust or gas pollution, it is better to take a month’s leave after your sick leave and spend it away from the city, preferably near a pine forest, since the volatile substances (phytoncides) released by pine needles are excellent allies in the fight against infectious diseases of the respiratory system.

Is it possible to protect yourself from pneumonia? Of course, yes, if you follow certain rules:

1. Get rid of bad habits - alcohol abuse and smoking.
2. Take measures to strengthen your immune system.
3. During the period of ARVI epidemics, try to visit crowded places as rarely as possible: crowded transport, shopping and entertainment centers.
4. Normalize your daily routine, trying to rest as much as possible and walk in the fresh air.
5. Eat nutritiously and in a timely manner.
6. Play sports and exercise.

Another important rule: you should try to self-medicate as little as possible for respiratory infections, since it is not supervised by a doctor. medicines, especially antibiotics, can lead to very serious consequences.

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• Congratulations! You are completely healthy!

  Your health is fine now. Don’t forget to take good care of your body, and you won’t be afraid of any diseases.

• There is reason to think.

  The symptoms that are bothering you are quite extensive, and are observed in a large number of diseases, but we can say with confidence that something is wrong with your health. We recommend that you contact a specialist and undergo medical examination to avoid complications. We also recommend that you read the article on how to recognize pneumonia at home.

• You have pneumonia!

  In your case, there are clear symptoms of pneumonia! However, there is a possibility that it could be another disease. You need to urgently contact a qualified specialist; only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. We also recommend that you read the article about whether pneumonia can be cured without antibiotics and how to do it.

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• Sometimes
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   • Yes, I live permanently
   • Yes, I work in such conditions
   • Previously lived or worked

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   • Constantly
   • I'm not there
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   • Rarely, but it happens

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   • No, that didn't happen

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   • No, and never smoked

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   • Yes, innate
   • No, my heart is fine

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   • Yes, and the cough is severe
   • Worried, but the cough is wet

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   • Yes, I feel terrible
   • Mild fatigue, not critical
   • No, I feel great

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    • Yes, and very much so
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How to quickly detect pneumonia at home?

How to determine pneumonia at home? Pneumonia – common infection, affecting lung tissue. The inflammatory process develops in the alveoli and bronchi, leading to the appearance of pathological changes in them. Pneumonia most often occurs in children, but is often diagnosed in adults. The causative agents of the disease are mycoplasmas, staphylococci and viruses. Depending on the type of microorganisms that have entered the lung tissue, symptoms may vary.

Causes of pneumonia

Pneumonia occurs not only upon contact with pathogenic bacteria and viruses; it can also occur in bedridden patients when pulmonary circulation is impaired. Therefore, it is recommended to turn the patient over frequently. This will help avoid the formation of bedsores that cause blood infections. Treatment takes about a month and includes taking antibiotics, immunomodulators and restorative drugs, as well as physical therapy. Some folk remedies also have a good effect.

The main signs of the disease are: pain in the chest, painful cough with sputum, high fever, increased fatigue, pain in muscles and joints.

If you have at least one of these signs, it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately.

Weakened immunity contributes to the rapid development of the disease, and bad habits aggravate its course: smoking and alcoholism. Inhalation of tobacco smoke contributes to irritation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi. Other reasons for the development of pneumonia are: surgical interventions, chronic heart and vascular diseases, endocrine disorders, poor nutrition, and poor environmental conditions. Pneumonia can be bacterial, viral or atypical. It can be quite difficult to understand exactly what form of the disease a patient has. The signs of pneumonia may not be recognized and may be confused with the symptoms of a cold or acute respiratory viral infection. However, there are also specific signs of how to recognize pneumonia.

How to diagnose pneumonia?

So, let's figure out what to do if you are faced with a disease such as pneumonia, how to determine pneumonia? Clinical manifestations depend on the degree of damage to the lung tissue and the age of the patient. In children and older people, this disease is more severe. One of the characteristic signs of pneumonia is pain when coughing. Rare coughs eventually turn into a painful, debilitating cough. In addition, body temperature rises sharply to 39-40 ° C and is accompanied by fever. Chest and abdominal pain appear when inhaling, sneezing and coughing.

In the following stages of the disease, the patient experiences constant aching pain in the chest, breathing becomes more frequent. The sputum contains impurities of pus and is yellow or brown in color. As the temperature rises, the skin becomes dry and begins to peel. Intoxication develops, which manifests itself in the form of rapid heartbeat and headaches. The body begins to dehydrate.

In addition to the characteristic symptoms of pneumonia, there is a decrease in appetite, the appearance of an unhealthy blush on the cheeks, especially from the inflamed lung. Due to a severe decrease in immunity, stomatitis and rashes on the lips may appear. Urine is released in small quantities and is dark in color.

In order to avoid serious complications, it is necessary to undergo examination and begin treatment immediately. Focal forms of the disease affect individual lobes of the lung and can occur without pronounced symptoms. Under the influence of certain factors, focal inflammation can worsen and quickly take over the entire lung.

How to treat pneumonia on an outpatient basis? Correct treatment of pneumonia will require complex therapy. The course of treatment is selected individually, depending on the causative agent of the disease and the main symptoms. Usually several drugs that are compatible with each other are prescribed. Only a doctor can select them, and in some cases the course of treatment needs to be adjusted.

Why take antibiotics?

Focal pneumonia, previously considered fatal disease, with the help of modern antibiotics it is completely curable. The main task of doctors is to select an effective antibiotic. Many infectious agents become resistant to certain antibiotics over time, especially if they are taken incorrectly.

Before starting therapy, it is necessary to take sputum for analysis. Sowing on nutrient media will help identify the causative agent of infection and select an antibacterial drug.

Mild forms of pneumonia occur when mycoplasma, chlamydia and pneumococci enter the body. These pneumonias have their own characteristics, with the help of which doctors distinguish them from other forms of pneumonia. For pneumococcal infections, penicillin antibiotics are prescribed. If the disease is caused by mycoplasmas, tetracycline antibiotics, fluoroquinolones and macrolides will be effective. Macrolides and fluoroquinolones are suitable for killing chlamydia. The length of treatment depends on how quickly symptoms begin to subside. It is recommended to take antibiotics for at least a week.

How to remove phlegm?

An important part of treatment is removing mucus from the lungs. The accumulation of sputum in the lungs promotes the proliferation of bacteria and aggravates the course of the disease. Nowadays, ambroxol is most often prescribed for the treatment of pneumonia. This drug thins sputum without increasing its volume, activates bronchial peristalsis, which promotes rapid removal of sputum from the bronchi, and stimulates the production of surfactant, a substance that prevents the walls of the alveoli from sticking together. Thanks to these properties, this drug can replace most mucolytics and antitussives. It can be administered by inhalation or in the form of tablets and syrups.

Warming and physiotherapeutic methods of treatment have a good effect on pneumonia. They can be prescribed after the body temperature has dropped. At home, you can install jars and mustard plasters, carrying out these procedures alternately. Then they move on to procedures performed in the clinic. For pneumonia, UHF, electrophoresis with drugs, magnetic therapy, etc. are prescribed. During the recovery period, you can undergo paraffin therapy and mud therapy. Performance breathing exercises begin immediately after bringing body temperature back to normal.

Traditional methods of treating pneumonia

Taking antibiotics can be combined with the use of the following drugs:

1. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of St. John's wort and 3 tbsp. spoons of elecampane pour 0.5 liters. boiling water Boil the broth over low heat for 30-40 minutes. Melt 2 cups of linden honey in a water bath. Add 1 cup of vegetable oil to liquid honey. Then strain the decoction of St. John's wort and elecampane and add the resulting mixture of honey and oil to it. Infuse the medicine in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in a glass container, then take 1 teaspoon 5 times a day. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
2. Finely chop 250 g of aloe leaves and mix with 0.5 l. Cahors and 350 g of liquid honey. Leave for 2 weeks, strain and take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day.

Patient rehabilitation

respiratoria.ru>

How to identify pneumonia / How to recognize pneumonia

There is not a single person who would not suffer from pneumonia at any age. Doctors also call this disease pneumonia. Why is pneumonia so widespread? Probably because the same colds can cause pneumonia. It is believed that pneumonia is a rather complex disease that can cause many complications. Simply put, pneumonia is an inflammation of one or two lungs caused by infections, bacteria and various fungi. Let's look at how to recognize pneumonia.

How to identify pneumonia and its symptoms

1. pneumonia is determined by an increase in temperature to 39 degrees.

2. Cough and shortness of breath.

3. Sputum waste.

4. Pneumonia is recognized by the fact that a person begins to freeze.

5. When inhaling, pain is felt in the chest part of the body.

6. Pneumonia is determined by headache and, in rare cases, loss of consciousness.

7. Pneumonia is recognized by changes in skin color.

8. Lethargy.

9. A person stops eating normally.

10. At high temperatures, the skin becomes flaky and dry.

11. In very complex forms of pneumonia, pulmonary edema occurs. Which can lead to death.

How to recognize pneumonia - diagnostic methods

The main diagnostic way to determine pneumonia is an x-ray, in which the doctor can clearly diagnose pneumonia. In addition, expectorated sputum and blood tests are performed.

Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) usually occurs as a result of infection of the lungs, most often caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Before the discovery of penicillin, every third person who contracted pneumonia died. However, despite the achievements of modern medicine, it is believed that pneumonia is a dangerous and serious disease, since regularly 5% of patients die.

Ways of contracting pneumonia

In some cases, pneumonia is transmitted by airborne droplets. A person with pneumonia sneezes; its secretions, containing microorganisms and bacteria, cause inflammatory processes when they enter the lungs of a healthy person. In other cases, pneumonia becomes a consequence increased activity bacteria present in the human throat and nose. With a decrease in immune defense, the human body cannot resist these viruses; they begin to multiply instantly, penetrate the lungs and cause inflammation. This can happen due to viral infections or hypothermia.

How to recognize pneumonia at home?

Symptoms of pneumonia are recognized depending on the type. The course and duration of the disease also differ. The first signs of pneumonia are often similar to the signs of acute respiratory viral infection, which negatively affects the timely detection of the disease and its treatment. In adults, symptoms of pneumonia may be more severe than in children.

You can recognize pneumonia by 5 symptoms:

• cough;
• temperature in the range of 37-39.5;
• sputum production and shortness of breath;
• chills;
• decreased appetite.

The appearance of cough occurs in many diseases. It is necessary to carefully monitor your breathing; with pneumonia, it will be difficult, and when you try to take a deep breath, a coughing attack will begin. Just like a cough, temperature is an indicator of many diseases, but in case of pneumonia, it cannot be brought down by antipyretics. The disease may be accompanied by fever, loss of consciousness, and headache. How to recognize pneumonia in children and infants - with pneumonia, characteristic symptoms may not be observed, with the exception of fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. As soon as you notice symptoms of pneumonia in yourself or your loved ones, do not hesitate, start treatment immediately.

Prevention of pneumonia

Take care of yourself, do not let external and internal negative factors affect your body. Play sports to prevent pneumonia and lead an active lifestyle, forget about bad habits, eat right and do exercises in the morning, harden your body. Then no viral infection will disturb your immunity. May God grant you health and long life!

AstroMeridian.ru>

How to treat pneumonia?

Answers:

Julia

Hello. Sorry, but I didn’t understand whether you consulted a doctor or diagnosed yourself. Pneumonia, or as it is also called pneumonia, is an infection of one or both lungs, which is usually caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses. The symptoms of pneumonia are quite varied. In recent years, asymptomatic pneumonia has become increasingly common; during illness, a person does not have a fever, cough, or sputum. Such pneumonia begins to be treated late, so it is dangerous due to a large number of complications. The main symptoms of pneumonia include the following: fever, ranging from 37 to 39.5 degrees, shortness of breath and sputum production, chills, cough. Sometimes there is bloody discharge that comes out in the form of streaks of blood structured in the sputum. Another fairly characteristic symptom is chest pain when trying to take a deep breath, usually painful sensations develop in the place where the main focus of inflammation is located. Pain sensations appear especially often in the pleural form of pneumonia. For proper treatment, you need to consult a doctor urgently; only a pulmonologist can prescribe you competent treatment and monitor the dynamics (development) of the disease or even hospitalize you. Very often, antibiotics of the second and third generations are used in therapy - cephalosporin, amoxicillin, clavulanate, levofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole. For slowly developing pneumonia, it is recommended to use sulfur-containing antibiotics. When treating pneumonia caused by adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, antibiotics often do not provide the desired therapeutic effect. In such cases, antiviral drugs must be added to them. For fungal forms of inflammation of the respiratory system (histoplasmosis, blastimycosis, aspergillosis and cryptococcosis), it is necessary to use drugs that act locally on each type of fungus. In addition, during treatment it is necessary to comply with special diet(you can get acquainted with it here. In addition, during treatment it is necessary to follow a special diet. Therefore, I hope you will act wisely and, in a positive mood, contact your therapist, without delaying treatment, so that there are no complications later. Sincerely, Yulia.

Alexander Ionov

urgently see a doctor

Helen

If it is impossible to “clear your throat,” use cough and expectorant medications at the pharmacy.
These are drugs such as bromhexine, ambroxol, ambrobene, broncholitin, ACC, etc.
At home, drinking an alkaline drink will help you cough up. Fill a glass with lukewarm water, not hot so as not to irritate your throat. 1/4 cup there. spoons of soda. This will help. And tomorrow go to the pharmacy for medicine, because too much soda is bad for the stomach. You can use a glass of milk instead of water - very good. Herbal decoctions - thyme, linden, sage. Drink plenty of fluids - tea with raspberry jam, lemon, honey.
In addition, rubbing and wrapping the back and front of the chest will help.
Massage with anyone massage products. Just to achieve a warm effect when rubbing, which will help maintain the wrapping after the massage. The best thing badger fat, different balms, but improvised means will do. You can rub the front of the chest yourself - the sternum, areas under the collarbones, neck, shoulders, ribs. And your back, as far as you can reach on your own. Movement is good for you, it also has a drainage effect and removes mucus from the bronchi. You have a cold. Get treatment, get better, good health!

(And pneumonia is treated only in a hospital. Antibiotic therapy is prescribed, treatment aimed at improving the drainage function of the bronchi - coughing, expectoration medications, restorative therapy, physical therapy after recovery. The criterion for pneumonia is a high, persistent temperature.)

Traditional treatment for cough and bronchitis at home.

1. Chamomile flowers -30 g, black elderberry flowers -30 g, linden blossom -25 g, peppermint leaves -25 g. Brew 1 tablespoon of the mixture in 1 cup of boiling water, strain. The infusion from this collection is taken hot, 2-3 glasses per day. To calm a paroxysmal cough, do steam inhalations from an infusion of pine buds and consume this infusion 1/4 cup 3 times a day.

2. Coltsfoot (leaves) -5 g, black elderberry (flowers) -5 g, knotweed (grass) -5 g. Brew this mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain, drink 3 times a day for bronchitis, pneumonia.

3. Raspberry fruits - 2 parts, coltsfoot leaves - 2 parts, oregano grass - 1 part. Brew two tablespoons of the mixture with two glasses of boiling water, boil, strain through cheesecloth and drink the broth hot

4. Willow bark 1 part, anise fruits - 1 part, mother-and-ma Czechs - 1 part, linden flowers 1 part, fruits part. Brew a tablespoon of the mixture with two glasses of boiling water, boil for 5 minutes, strain through cheesecloth and drink the broth hot 3 times a day as tea. Has a softening and diaphoretic effect.

5. Willow bark - 2 parts, coltsfoot leaves - 2 parts, oregano grass - 1 part. Brew two tablespoons of the mixture with two glasses of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain through cheesecloth and drink the broth hot, half a glass or 1 glass 3 times a day. Has a strong diaphoretic effect.

6. Chamomile (flowers) 1 part, oregano (herb) -1 part. Brew two teaspoons of the mixture in a glass of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, strain, cool, take 1 glass in the morning and evening as a carminative.

7. Pine buds -1 part, plantain (leaves) -1 part, coltsfoot (leaves) -1 part. Leave two teaspoons of the mixture in a glass of cold water for 2 hours, boil for 5 minutes, strain, take 1 glass during the day in three doses. Used for bronchial asthma, whooping cough, tracheobronchitis.

Neuro

Antibiotics, physiotherapy, warm plenty of fluids, expectorants such as Lazolvan and others, vitamin complex.

Anastasia Martynova

Pneumonia of the lungs. Folk remedy - linden honey, aloe, olive oil, birch buds, linden flowers:

linden honey 1 kg, aloe leaves 200 gr. , olive oil 200 gr. , birch buds 150 gr. , linden flowers 50 gr. . Brew birch buds and linden blossom separately in 0.5 liters of water, boil for 1-2 minutes and strain. Pour the broth into a mixture of honey with finely chopped aloe leaves and add olive oil. Take according to Art. spoon 3 times a day; Shake before use.

Remedy from honey and aloe for pneumonia:

300 gr. honey, 1/2 cup water and a leaf of finely chopped aloe, cook over low heat for 2 hours, cool, stir. Take according to Art. spoon 3 times a day.

Garlic oil - treatment of pneumonia:

Finely grate the garlic along with salt and mix with fresh butter (5 large cloves of garlic per 100 grams of butter). Spread garlic butter on bread or add to food.

Treatment regimen for pneumonia. Vodka with garlic. :

take 10 heads of garlic, finely chop, pour in 1 liter of vodka, leave for 8 days in a warm place. Take 1/2 teaspoon 3 times a day.

Siberian source. Treatment course for pneumonia. :

8-10 gr. crushed roots of Siberian istod in a glass of water. Infuse and drink throughout the day.

Methods for treating pneumonia - lungwort and beer:

2 tbsp. spoons of crushed lungwort leaves per 1 liter of beer. Add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey and boil it all down to half the original volume. Take 1-2 teaspoons 3 times a day before meals with water.

Treatment of pneumonia at home. Herbal infusions. :

Lungwort grass, great plantain, medicinal sage, centaury, common wormwood - equally. One tbsp. spoon of the mixture per glass of boiling water. Add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey, cook, strain and add to the original volume (1 glass). Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day before meals.

Knotweed grass, coltsfoot leaves, elderberry flowers - 1 teaspoon each. Brew the mixture with a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Drink 1/2 glass 4 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Knotweed herb, anise fruits, dill fruits, pine buds, thyme herb, licorice root (crushed) - equally. Pour 4 teaspoons of the mixture into 1.5 cups of cold water, leave for 2 hours, bring to a boil, boil for 2-3 minutes. , cool, strain. Drink 1/2 glass 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Effective treatment of pneumonia. Lemons, eggs, honey, cognac. :

take 10 lemons, 6 eggs (fresh), 300 gr. honey and 1/2 cup cognac. Place the eggs in a jar and add freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cover the jar with gauze and refrigerate until dissolved. eggshells(6-8 days). Remove mold periodically. Heat the honey until it flows, cool and add a mixture of eggs and lemon juice, then pour in the cognac. Take a dessert spoon 3 times a day immediately after meals.

How to cure pneumonia with honey and birch buds:

for small-focal bilateral pneumonia: take 750 g. honey and half a 100-gram glass of birch buds (sold at the pharmacy). Place honey in a water bath. When the honey boils, add the buds, boil for 5-7 minutes, then put them on a sieve (remove the buds). Dilute with water, drink once a day at night. Stir 1 teaspoon of honey in as much hot water as the patient drinks.

A folk method for treating pneumonia is an egg-oil-honey-alcohol mixture with juices:

1 glass carrot juice

1 glass beet juice

1 glass of honey

1 glass of alcohol

1 cup unsalted butter

3 chicken eggs without shell

mix everything and put in a dark place for 11 days. Drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Honey-mustard cake for inflammation of the lungs:

1 tbsp. spoon of dry mustard powder

1 tbsp. spoon of flour

1 tbsp. spoon of honey

1 tbsp. grows a spoon

MUZ Central District Hospital Borisoglebsky

In your case, there is no pneumonia without fever. hot milk with honey, you can drink bromhexine. but it's better to see a therapist

Dr.Mary

15 years is a young age at which advanced pneumonia can lead to tuberculosis. Contact your doctor. Let him observe you and prescribe individual treatment.
This is a fact that will not help you here.
I just want to see your tests!!!

Butt-head

You need to go to the doctor, inflammation is dangerous, make sure you don’t end up with asthma!

“Lincomycin capsules 250 mg” once helped me.

Lyusya Mashnina

abrobena removes sputum well pine buds thyme

How to treat pneumonia at home

How is pneumonia treated at home and what is the disease? Pneumonia is popularly called pneumonia. This is an infectious disease of the respiratory tract, which is caused by staphylococci, streptococci and Haemophilus influenzae. Most often, pneumonia occurs with weak immunity and in the off-season.

Mild forms of pneumonia can be cured at home, but you still need to follow your doctor's recommendations. But you should know that in severe cases of the disease complications may appear.

How does infection occur?

The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. Pathogenic microorganisms enter the body if they come into contact with a sick person. They enter the lungs with the air flow, and from them into the blood. If a person already has a cold, has diabetes, drinks alcohol or smokes, then he is more likely to get pneumonia. In rare cases, the disease can be triggered by stagnation of fluid, which is formed due to prolonged stay in a horizontal position.

Symptoms of pneumonia:

1. Shortness of breath, difficulty taking a breath.
2. Chest and back pain.
3. General weakness.
4. Increased sweating at night.
5. Confusion.
6. Cough.
7. Headache.
8. Pain in joints and muscles.
9. Fever.

Symptoms may appear to a greater or lesser extent, so it is necessary to consult a doctor to confirm or refute the assumption of the disease.

Incubation period

The duration of the incubation period ranges from 1-3 days to 1-2 weeks. It all depends on what pathogen it is caused by.

Infection can occur if:

1. There are immune disorders, for example, AIDS.
2. When heterogeneous particles enter the human respiratory tract.
3. Caused by chlamydia, etc.
4. In-hospital.
5. With artificial ventilation of the lungs.
6. During organ transplantation.
7. For people living in shelters.
8. For those who undergo blood purification.
9. In case of improper treatment of wounds at home.

The severity of the disease is determined only by the attending physician when examining the lung tissue and the general condition of the respiratory tract.

Causes:

1. General hypothermia of the body.
2. Viruses.
3. Concomitant diseases.
4. Alcohol.
5. Smoking.
6. Elderly age.
7. Deterioration of immunity.

Treatment of pneumonia:

1. Taking antibiotics.
2. Medicines against phlegm.
3. Antipyretic.
4. Immunomodulatory drugs.
5. Maybe surgical intervention.

Anyone can get pneumonia, regardless of their age and living conditions. But some people are more likely to become infected. This category includes older people who need to monitor their health more closely.

As a rule, it is better to treat pneumonia in a hospital setting. If this is not possible, then bed rest should be observed at home. Meals must be complete and the premises must always be ventilated and clean. You cannot physically and mentally strain yourself, you must not tire yourself and under no circumstances endure the disease on your feet. Even after pneumonia is cured, you need to wait 10-15 weeks for the body to recover, only then can you play sports and lead an active lifestyle again.

Pneumonia causes a decrease in appetite, but you need to eat at least in small portions so that the body does not become exhausted. It is necessary to drink enough water, because the disease comes out after profuse sweating.

If respiratory failure occurs, oxygen inhalation should be performed.

If treatment is carried out at home, it is necessary to monitor the intake of medications. Some of them are administered intramuscularly, and some can be taken orally, it all depends on the severity of the disease.

Pneumonia is treated for 6-11 days; if there is no improvement in health, the antibiotic is changed to a more effective one.

The disease provokes intoxication of the body, so it is necessary to take medications that remove toxins from the body. To cure pneumonia, you should eat well and take more vitamins to boost your immunity.

In case of fever and fever, which can last more than one week after the onset of inflammation, it is necessary to use antipyretic medications.

At severe cough expectorant syrups are prescribed. Treatment includes the use of antihistamines to prevent allergic reactions.

It is necessary to carry out procedures until x-rays show complete recovery.

What is the danger of pneumonia and prognosis for the course of the disease?

The disease can become more complicated and affect other organ systems. The disease can cause inflammation of the pleura. It can be purulent and is characterized by shortness of breath and attacks of severe suffocation.

Destruction of the lungs occurs due to decreased immunity during a long course of the disease. This purulent inflammation lung tissue can lead to gangrene. Pneumonia can cause myocarditis, pulmonary or heart failure, toxic shock and other.

It all depends on the patient’s age and stage of the disease. In the normal course of the disease, it is possible full recovery lung tissue.

Can diet be used to treat an illness?

The main feature of the menu for pneumonia is that food should be easily digestible. This is explained by the highest energy costs of the immune system.

Under no circumstances should you force yourself to eat food if you have a complete lack of appetite. Eat fruits that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. You can eat chicken broths and vegetable soups. At all stages of healing, you should drink a lot of water to “dilute” toxins in the blood and remove them from the body. Tea with raspberries, water with soda diluted in it are useful.

Despite the fact that doctors treat the disease in a hospital setting, competent treatment of the disease can be carried out at home. But bed rest alone is not enough; you must follow all the doctor’s instructions. Pneumonia is not something to joke about, which is why doctors send patients to pulmonology hospitals.

Traditional medicine in the fight against disease

Healing pneumonia with folk remedies can occur when the doctor has determined the course of treatment and the type of disease.

Folk remedies are auxiliary to drug treatment prescribed by a doctor.

Under no circumstances should you undertake treatment at home without the advice of a doctor. On his part, regular monitoring of the patient’s health status is necessary.

Treatment with folk remedies:

1. Garlic is a good remedy in the fight against pneumonia. Take 250 g, make a paste out of it, place it in a container and seal it with a lid to let it stand for 20 minutes. Then open it, take 100 g of the juiciest mass of garlic and pour a liter of Cahors into it. Leave the mixture for 14 days, then pass through cheesecloth and transfer to a glass container. This way it can retain its properties for a long time in the refrigerator. The mixture should be rubbed on the chest.
2. Take a huge onion, squeeze the juice out of it, add honey in equal proportions. You need to drink the medicine 3 times a day, 1 tsp. 20 minutes before eating.
3. Chop the onion and boil it in 300 g of milk, cover the boiled milk in the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit for 3 hours. Next, strain the mixture and pour the liquid into a glass container, so it will be preserved longer (store only in the refrigerator). Consume 1 tbsp after 3 hours. l.
4. Garlic is an effective remedy in the fight against various ailments, but children refuse to eat it. How to be? Take 1 tsp. no slide herbal collection from marshmallow root, pine buds, anise fruit, sage leaves and licorice root (they are freely available and can be bought at any pharmacy), pour 300 ml of liquid, let it brew for 15 minutes and strain the infusion through cheesecloth. Take 300 g of infusion once every 2-2.5 hours.
5. 5 tsp. herbal mixture containing coffin root, thyme, fennel, pine buds, anise, licorice root, pour a glass of water at room temperature, let the tincture stand for a couple of hours and boil. Cool, strain through cheesecloth, drink several times a day.
6. Mustard plasters for pneumonia are an effective remedy. Along with ordinary mustard plasters, those sold in pharmacies, it is allowed to use similar ones, but made from garlic. Chop the garlic. Place gauze soaked in sunflower oil on your chest and back and place garlic pulp on them. The procedure time is 10 minutes, so as not to burn the skin.
7. Inhalations will also help with pneumonia, for example, using fir oil (5 drops per large container of water).
8. Massage of the back and chest using essential oils or crushed garlic is very useful.

Prevention methods are no different from similar measures for any colds. It is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly with soap before eating and after coming from outside. It is necessary to constantly maintain immunity, take vitamin complexes, do wellness treatments, walk in the fresh air, but do not get too cold.

You should try to quit smoking, because it increases the risk of getting sick many, many times over. In spring and autumn, doctors advise wearing medical gauze bandages to protect yourself from infection with the flu, which lowers a person’s immunity.

respiratoria.ru>

Pneumonia symptoms and signs | How to determine pneumonia

Pneumonia in most cases refers to infectious diseases and is caused by various pathogens (pneumococci, staphylococci, streptococci, mycoplasma, legionella, chlamydia, anaerobic microorganisms, klebsiella, E. coli, viruses, etc.). The characteristic symptoms of the disease make it possible to successfully diagnose and treat this disease. Although in recent decades, thanks to the successes antibacterial therapy mortality from pneumonia has decreased significantly.

The high prevalence of the disease, the severity of development and severity of symptoms in the initial period of the disease, and the possibility of serious complications make pneumonia a frequent reason for seeking emergency care. There are lobar (lobar) and focal (bronchopneumonia) inflammations. Every person who values ​​owl health should know how to determine pneumonia.

Symptoms and signs of different forms of pneumonia

Symptoms of lobar pneumonia

1. Clinical picture lobar pneumonia characterized by an acute onset with a sharp rise in temperature to 39-40 ° C, combined with chills and sweating.

2. At the same time, the symptoms of pneumonia are accompanied by headache, significant weakness, and lethargy.

3. With severe hyperthermia and intoxication, cerebral symptoms may be observed - severe headache, vomiting, stupor of the patient or confusion, and even meningeal symptoms.

4. Pain occurs very early in the chest on the side of inflammation. Often with pneumonia, the pleural reaction is so severe that chest pain is the main complaint and requires emergency care.

5. A distinctive feature of pleural pain in pneumonia is its connection with breathing and coughing: a sharp increase in inhalation and coughing. In the first days, a cough may appear with the release of sputum rusty from the admixture of red blood cells, and sometimes mild hemoptysis.

During examination, one often notices the forced position of the patient: more often he lies on the side of inflammation. The face is usually hyperemic, sometimes a feverish blush is more pronounced on the cheek, corresponding to the side of the lesion. A characteristic symptom of pneumonia is shortness of breath up to 30-40 breaths per minute, combined with cyanosis of the lips and swelling of the wings of the nose. Often in the early period of the disease, blistering rashes on the lips (herpes labialis) appear. Examination of the chest usually reveals a delay in breathing on the affected side. Due to severe pleural pain, the patient seems to spare the side of inflammation. Over the zone of inflammation, upon percussion of the lungs, a shortening of the percussion sound is determined, breathing acquires a bronchial hue, and fine-bubbly moist crepitating rales appear early. Characterized by tachycardia up to 100 beats per minute and a slight decrease in blood pressure. A pronounced pleural reaction is sometimes combined with reflex pain in the corresponding half of the abdomen, pain on palpation in its upper parts. Icterus of the skin and mucous membranes may appear due to the destruction of red blood cells in the affected lobe of the lung and, possibly, the formation of focal necrosis in the liver.

How to determine focal pneumonia?

With focal pneumonia, which often occurs in patients with chronic inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and bronchi or with heart failure and other serious diseases, the symptoms are usually less pronounced: fever up to 38-38.5 ° C, dry cough or with mucous discharge purulent sputum, pain may appear when coughing and deep breathing, symptoms of inflammation of the lung tissue are objectively revealed, expressed to varying degrees depending on the extent and location (deep or superficial) of the inflammation, most often a focus of crepitant wheezing is detected.

How to identify symptoms of pneumonia in older people?

The prognosis is especially unfavorable when acute vascular insufficiency is combined with increasing cardiac weakness, leading to pulmonary edema. In the origin of pulmonary edema during pneumonia, in addition to heart failure, toxic damage to the pulmonary capillaries with increased vascular permeability is important.

1. The threat of developing pulmonary edema is indicated by the appearance of dry and especially moist rales over a healthy lung against the background of increased shortness of breath and deterioration of the patient’s condition.

2. The development of pneumonia in elderly people with concomitant diseases of the cardiovascular system, emphysema, pneumosclerosis often requires emergency care, but recognition of pneumonia in early dates The illness in these patients is often complicated due to the absence of an acute onset, a mild pleural reaction with chest pain when breathing, and a slight increase in temperature.

3. The thought of pneumonia in the elderly and weakened patients should arise in cases where, without visible reasons The patient’s activity decreases significantly, weakness increases, he stops moving, lies down all the time, becomes indifferent, often drowsy, and refuses to eat.

4. A careful examination sometimes reveals a one-sided flush of the cheek, a dry tongue, and always significant shortness of breath and tachycardia.

5. Auscultation of the lungs usually reveals a focus of sonorous moist rales.

Manifestations of pneumonia in people with alcohol addiction

The acute form of pneumonia is very dangerous in patients suffering from chronic alcoholism and generally abusing alcohol. Usually their pneumonia is severe, with severe intoxication and is often complicated by the development of alcoholic psychosis - “delirium tremens”. Psychosis is accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations, mental and motor excitement, misbehavior, disorientation in time and space. Often patients try to escape and even throw themselves out of the window and do not allow themselves to be examined or given injections. Meanwhile, very often pneumonia in patients in a state of “delirium tremens” is complicated by the development of severe shock.

Signs and symptoms of complications of pneumonia

Signs of pneumonia, life-threatening both in the case of lobar and focal forms, may be due to the development of complications - septic shock, pulmonary edema, psychosis. Typically, shock and pulmonary edema are observed when pneumonia develops in elderly, weakened patients with severe concomitant cardiac pathology and often circulatory failure. A harbinger of shock due to pneumonia should be considered the appearance of persistent tachycardia, especially over 120 beats per minute with low pulse filling. The development of shock is accompanied by a significant deterioration in the condition, the appearance of severe weakness, and sometimes a decrease in temperature. The skin takes on a gray tint, facial features become sharper, cyanosis increases, shortness of breath increases significantly, the pulse becomes frequent and small, blood pressure drops below 90/60 mmHg. Art., urination stops.

How to identify pulmonary complications of pneumonia?

Pulmonary complications of pneumonia (exudative pleurisy, abscess formation, and especially breakthrough of the abscess into the pleural cavity with the development of pyopneumothorax) also require emergency care for the patient. Exudative pleurisy manifested by a lag of the lower chest on the affected side when breathing, severe dullness and weakening of breathing on the affected side. You should think about abscess formation when intoxication increases, profuse night sweats appear, and the temperature becomes hectic in nature with daily variations of up to 2 °C or more.

A breakthrough of an abscess into the bronchus during pneumonia and the discharge of a large amount of purulent, foul-smelling sputum make the diagnosis of a lung abscess obvious. A sharp deterioration in the condition, increased pain in the side when breathing, a significant, rapid increase in shortness of breath, tachycardia, and a drop in blood pressure may indicate a breakthrough of the abscess into the pleural cavity and the complication of pneumonia by the development of pyopneumothorax. The condition of patients with pyopneumothorax is always severe. Usually, due to pain, they are forced to take a semi-sitting position. Breathing, coughing and movement sharply increase the pain. Shortness of breath is characteristic (over 40 per 1 min). Breathing over the sore side is weakened. Percussion reveals a box sound over the upper and dullness over the lower parts of the lung. Pulse is frequent and small. BP is low. Such a menacing picture of pleural shock requires emergency assistance.

Diagnostic symptoms and signs of pneumonia

Usually, pneumonia is successfully recognized on the basis of the characteristic clinical picture of the disease - a combination of pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations and an x-ray picture. Symptoms of pneumonia that allow diagnosis at the prehospital stage:

1. Pulmonary symptoms– shortness of breath, cough, sputum production (mucous, mucopurulent, etc.), pain when breathing, local clinical signs (dullness of percussion sound, bronchial breathing, crepitating rales, pleural friction noise).

2. Extrapulmonary symptoms of pneumonia - fever, chills and sweating, myalgia, headache, cyanosis, tachycardia, herpes labialis, skin rash, damage to the mucous membranes (conjunctivitis), confusion, diarrhea, jaundice, toxic changes in peripheral blood.

Some features of the pneumonia clinic allow for etiological diagnosis of pneumonia before receiving the results microbiological research. The most common causative agents of “domestic” pneumonia in people under 60 years of age without severe concomitant pathology are pneumococci; in the appropriate epidemiological situation, mycoplasmas and viruses (Table 7). Elderly patients, with severe somatic diseases and chronic alcoholism are especially susceptible to pneumonia caused by gram-negative microorganisms (Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Proteus, Enterobacter), with the frequent development of destruction of lung tissue and the formation of lung abscesses.

Diagnostic signs of pneumonia in old age

In elderly patients suffering from severe somatic diseases or severe immunodeficiency, pneumonia can occur atypically. Such patients often have no fever, and extrapulmonary symptoms predominate (disorders of the central nervous systems y, etc.), physical signs of pulmonary inflammation are poorly expressed or absent, identification of the causative agent of pneumonia is difficult.

The most important method to confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia and clarify the localization of the source of inflammation is an X-ray examination of the chest organs. X-ray signs pneumonia appears later than clinical pneumonia, which, along with the characteristics of the pathogen and the localization of the process, causes cases of “X-ray negative” pneumonia.

Differential symptoms of pneumonia

The spread of pain to the upper abdomen, their combination with pain on palpation, especially in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, and increased pain when tapping along the right costal arch often complicate the diagnosis of pneumonia. All these symptoms of pneumonia are caused by the involvement of the pleura in the inflammatory process and irritation of the endings of the right phrenic and lower intercostal nerves embedded in it, which are also involved in the innervation of the upper parts of the anterior abdominal wall and abdominal organs. This explains the frequent occurrence various symptoms from the abdomen (abdominal) in acute diseases of the chest organs.

The severity of abdominal pain, combined with other gastrointestinal disorders, often causes erroneous diagnosis of acute diseases of the abdominal organs in patients with lobar pneumonia, as well as pleurisy, pericarditis, and myocardial infarction. Often these patients are referred to surgical departments with a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, perforated gastric ulcer; There are cases where they were subjected to surgical intervention. In such cases, the diagnosis of pneumonia is helped by the absence in most patients of abdominal muscle tension and symptoms of peritoneal irritation, although this sign is not absolute.

Treatment of incipient pneumonia

Emergency care for pneumonia

The scope of emergency care for pneumonia depends, naturally, on the prevailing symptoms. In the presence of severe respiratory failure, oxygen therapy is indicated, in case of persistent debilitating cough - antitussive drugs, in case of pleural pain - non-narcotic analgesics, in case of severe intoxication - detoxification therapy, in case of infectious-toxic shock - anti-shock therapy.

The development of mental disorders in alcoholics with pneumonia requires the use of psychotropic drugs: Seduxen (10 mg intravenously or intramuscularly, the drug is contraindicated in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases), Haloperidol (1-2 ml of 0.5% solution), Aminazine (2 ml of 2.5% solution) solution). The hypotensive effect of Aminazine should be taken into account, therefore its use in arterial hypotension is contraindicated. In addition, the use of psychotropic drugs is contraindicated in patients with acute alcohol intoxication.

Hospitalization for pneumonia

Establishing a diagnosis of pneumonia entails the need to hospitalize the patient in therapeutic department hospitals, because only in a hospital setting can a clinical examination be completed and sufficiently intensive therapy be carried out. Treatment of pneumonia at home is justified only in cases of its mild, uncomplicated course, in the absence of any doubt about the diagnosis.

In case of pneumonia, complicated by cardiac and vascular failure, the development of an abscess or pyopneumothorax, immediate hospitalization of the patient is required. Patients with abnormal behavior, mental and motor agitation should be under the constant supervision of medical personnel.

Inpatient treatment for pneumonia

In a hospital setting, empirical antibacterial therapy is carried out until the sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics is established. In severe cases of pneumonia with pronounced physical signs of pulmonary inflammation, pneumonia is regarded as pneumococcal and penicillin is used intramuscularly or intravenously from 6 to 30 million units per day. In patients with chronic nonspecific lung diseases, Ampicillin is preferable in a daily dose of 4-8 g. In patients with chronic alcoholism and severe somatic diseases, as well as in elderly patients, therapy begins with 2nd generation cephalosporins or with a combination of Ampicillin with betalactamase inhibitors. For bilobar (bilobar) pneumonia, severe cases with severe symptoms of intoxication and an unknown pathogen, a combination of antibiotics is used (semi-synthetic Penicillins or Cephalosporins with Aminoglycoside - Gentamicin or Netromycin), Fluoroquinolones, Carbapenems are used.

Along with pneumonia, inflammatory processes are observed, the characteristic feature of which is focal infectious destruction of all elements of the lung tissue - either limited (single or multiple abscesses) or without clear boundaries (pulmonary gangrene).

Many types of pneumonia, as well as abscess and gangrene of the lungs, develop as a result of microaspiration of microflora from the oropharynx - aspiration pneumonia. The term was introduced to refer to a disease associated with aspiration into the lungs of not only the contents of the oropharynx, but also the contents of the stomach by patients who are unconscious at the time of vomiting. The primary reaction of the lungs to aspiration is not of an infectious nature, but is an inflammatory process in the bronchi in response to the irritating effect of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice. This reaction creates favorable conditions for the subsequent development of infection, aspirated along with the contents of the oropharynx and stomach. Mucus from the oropharynx and gastric juice contain only a small amount of microflora, which is normally represented by a wide range of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. Anaerobes, the number of which significantly exceeds the number of aerobes (10:1 ratio), interact with each other as a mixed infection that can induce not only inflammation of the lung parenchyma, but also necrosis of the lung tissue with subsequent abscess formation.

Complications after treatment for pneumonia

Causes of destruction of lung tissue after inflammation

Typically, the causative agents of infectious destruction of lung tissue are necrotizing infections:

1. pyogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, group A streptococci, bacteroides, fusobacteria, anaerobic streptococci, etc.);

2. mycobacteria (tuberculosis, etc.);

3. fungi (aspergillus, Histoplasma, Coccidioides);

Causes of abscess and gangrene after pneumonia

Abscess and gangrene of the lung are characterized by such signs of pneumonia as necrosis of the lung tissue that occurs in the central part of the inflammatory infiltrate, almost identical to the infiltrate observed in pneumonia, infarction pneumonia or aspiration pneumonia. The dead tissue undergoes purulent melting with the subsequent formation of purulent cavities.

Several factors contribute to the development of necrosis:

1. violation of bronchial obstruction (narrowing of the lumen of small bronchi due to swelling of the mucous membrane);

2. thrombosis of small vessels with subsequent disruption of microcirculation;

3. necrotizing mixed anaerobic and aerobic infection.

Necrotic lung tissue favors the rapid development of pathogenic microflora, the progression of a purulent or putrefactive process, and the melting of lung tissue with the formation of purulent cavities.

Abscess and gangrene have a common origin and the same type of initial phase of the development of the disease, identical to that after pneumonia. Some authors do not agree with this and tend to consider abscess and gangrene as qualitatively different pathological processes.

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Pneumonia - treatment with folk remedies at home | Traditional methods of treating pneumonia

A large group of diseases characterized by inflammatory processes is called pneumonia. Treatment with folk remedies can be quite effective in the early stages of the disease. It is applied as aid to traditional drugs.

Treatment with folk remedies for pneumonia

Let's look at how to treat pneumonia without using medications. The very first requirement is compliance with bed rest, and this is not a whim of the attending physician; it is necessary to create maximum conditions for the body. During treatment, you should stop smoking, otherwise the treatment will not give a positive result, or may be very long.

Warming has a good effect on pneumonia. You can use traditional mustard plasters, jars, or warm up on the sand. To do this, pour hot sand onto a table or couch and place the patient wrapped in a sheet on it. As a rule, after three procedures, the cough becomes softer and breathing becomes easier. However, it is worth considering that any type of heating is strictly prohibited if there is blood in the sputum. Excessive heat can trigger a pulmonary infarction and cause severe bleeding.

Both doctors and traditional healers agree that during illness it is necessary to drink plenty of fluids. The thing is that with pneumonia there is increased sweating. Along with sweat, not only bacterial waste products come out, but also useful substances, and dehydration of the body is observed. In order to compensate for the water balance, it is recommended to consume large quantities of milk, mineral water, fortified decoctions (raspberries, black currants), and fruit drinks in case of pneumonia.

An excellent diaphoretic that has an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect is the following recipe for pneumonia: five buds of spices, four cloves of garlic, one tablespoon of sugar, poured with 0.3 liters of water and the same amount of Cahors red wine. Cook in a sealed container over low heat until half the liquid remains in the pan. Strain and drink immediately very hot. After this, you need to go to bed with a heating pad and wrap yourself up thoroughly.

Good results for pneumonia in strengthening the immune system are obtained by hardening the body, taking natural strengthening drugs, tincture of ginseng, eleutherococcus. Plays an important role healthy image life, balanced diet, playing sports, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.

Effective treatments with expectorant decoctions and infusions for pneumonia

1. Herbal infusion

Grind chamomile, calendula and St. John's wort flowers in a blender (equal doses). Pour boiling water over it. After two hours, strain. Drink half a glass of this folk remedy more often.

2. Honey tincture is another excellent folk remedy. Buckwheat honey (750 g) needs to be boiled for several minutes with birch buds. Strain. Before going to bed, take a teaspoon diluted with water.

3. Healing balm. Prepare a decoction of St. John's wort (200 grams of herb per liter of water). Drink several times a day.

4. Fig drink. Boil the fruits of dry white figs with a glass of low-fat milk. Drink until the pneumonia disappears.

5. Almond oil, coltsfoot poison, anise, oregano herb, fennel fruit, lungwort herb, thyme, licorice root, linden, elderberry and many others have excellent expectorant properties.

6. Fir and garlic inhalations (pass a few cloves of garlic through the garlic, pour boiling water and add a spoonful of soda, inhale the garlic vapor until it evaporates), salt and alkaline inhalations are very helpful in treatment.

7. 300 grams of crushed garlic are infused in a tightly closed container for about 30 minutes. 200 grams of infused gruel is collected and poured into a liter of “Kagora”, infused for 2 weeks with periodic shaking. After this it is filtered. The folk remedy is taken hot, one tablespoon every hour. At the same time, this tincture for pneumonia is rubbed into the chest and back.

8. A hole is cut in the radish, into which two tablespoons of liquid honey are poured. The radish is placed in a bowl, covered with wax paper or the top that has been cut off. It is kept for 3 hours and taken as a treatment for severe cough, a teaspoon before meals several times a day.

9. Expectorant and anti-inflammatory collection for pneumonia. To prepare it you will need to mix the herb in equal quantities bird knotweed, anise fruits, dill seeds, thyme herbs. Pour two tablespoons of the mixture into 1.5 cups of boiling water and leave for 3 hours in a warm place, then bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Drink the cooled broth three times a day, half a glass, half an hour before meals.

10. To soften and relieve dry cough due to pneumonia, use oat decoction. To prepare it you will need a glass of pure (unseasoned) oats, five tablespoons of honey and two to three tablespoons of butter. Wash the oats, pour in a liter of cold milk and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Strain the resulting jelly, cool, add butter and honey. Take one glass of the decoction before bed, warmed up. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effect, the product calms the nervous system and improves sleep.

11. Horseradish infusion is considered a very effective way to treat pneumonia: horseradish root is not brewed with boiling water, but poured with cold running water, allowed to brew for 12 hours and taken, slightly warmed - half a glass every 4 hours.

12. Take two tablespoons of crushed marshmallow roots, poppy seeds, and thyme herbs. Add a tablespoon of coltsfoot and anise. To prepare a folk remedy for pneumonia, you will need five teaspoons of the mixture, which must be poured with cold water and infused for two to three hours. After this, boil the mixture for 10 minutes, cool and take 0.25 cups 4 times a day.

Effective methods of treating compresses for pneumonia

1. Warm compress for pneumonia

Mix dates, figs, white wine and barley flour thoroughly (you can use a blender). Ready mixture place on a cloth and apply on your back at night, wrapped in a woolen scarf or wearing a warm sweater.

2. Garlic mustard plasters and honey compresses with vodka, which are applied to the chest and back, are very helpful.

3. Garlic mustard plasters help well in treatment. To do this, finely chopped garlic is laid out on cloths greased with vegetable oil, after which they are placed on the back or chest. For sensitive skin, you must first apply a cloth to the body that has been soaked in vegetable oil, and then spread the garlic. These mustard plasters last for about 15-20 minutes so that there is no sensation.

4. Compresses and lotions have a good warming effect in the treatment of pneumonia. To relieve pain in the sternum, you can try this method - add one hundred grams of vinegar, red wine and vegetable oil to the heated yeast dough. Mix everything thoroughly and place the resulting mass on the patient’s chest and back, wrap the application in cellophane film and wrap it in woolen cloth.

Effective methods of treating pneumonia with eggs

Traditional healers offer treatment for diseases using fresh quail eggs, which must be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. For an adult, 5-6 eggs per day are preferable, and for a child - from 1 to 3 eggs.

Another unique recipe is offered by traditional healers: Chicken egg shells (5-6 pieces) are placed in a glass container and poured with the juice of 10 lemons. The glass jar is covered with gauze and placed in a dark, not damp place. The juice should completely dissolve the eggshells. The process of preparing a medicine for pneumonia takes a week, periodically you need to remove the mold that has formed on top. When the shell is completely dissolved, add 250 grams of honey melted in a water bath and half a glass of alcohol or cognac to the juice, mix everything, and take a teaspoon three times a day after meals. This medicine is stored in the refrigerator.

Rules for treating pneumonia at home

A hundred years ago, when antibiotics were not so advanced, pneumonia was very often fatal. The progress of modern medicine has made it possible to significantly reduce mortality. But despite this, patients and their relatives should know how to treat this disease according to the rules. Traditional treatment is no less effective than traditional medicine.

Unfortunately, at present, many doctors neglect the importance of proper and complete care for a sick person with pneumonia, relying entirely on the action of medications. However, studies have shown that of two patients who have the same severity of illness and receive the same treatment, the one who receives full care recovers faster.

In order for the treatment for inflammation to be successful, a number of conditions must be met:

1. Carefully follow the doctor’s recommendations and take all prescribed medications. Compliance with this point is very important, since the effectiveness of the medications used in the treatment of pneumonia depends on compliance with the dosage.

2. The patient's nutrition is very important. The rate at which the body recovers from inflammation largely depends on the completeness of the diet. In the first days of illness, patients, as a rule, refuse food, so during this period of time it is recommended to drink plenty of high-calorie drinks and concentrated broths. In subsequent days, the diet should be more varied - vegetables, fruits, dairy products.

3. Doctors are confident that drinking plenty of fluids is of great importance in cleansing the body of infection during pneumonia. Alkaline mineral waters are indicated, which promote absorption medicines, vitamin juices, hot milk with soda and honey.

4. Hygiene. In the healing process, cleanliness and hygiene, including the oral cavity, are very important. After each meal, you should rinse your mouth with a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution. In order to prevent infection from accumulating in the room where the patient lies and becoming a new pathogen, it is necessary to regularly ventilate. This procedure can be carried out directly in the presence of the patient, having previously wrapped his head in a warm blanket.

If the disease proceeds relatively calmly, there is no pain in the chest, the sputum is clean, without blood, then with the permission of the doctor, treatment at home is allowed. As an auxiliary therapy, in consultation with the attending physician, you can use traditional medicine. However, these drugs should be used with great caution, since many drugs can cause allergies and further complicate the patient’s condition. Doctors also strongly do not recommend using alcohol-based products, since alcohol in combination with tablets can have an unexpected effect.

Treatment of pneumonia using traditional medicine methods is very effective, but you should know that only light form diseases. At the slightest complications or symptoms that bother you, seek help from a doctor. Self-medication will only worsen your health condition. Your health and the health of your loved ones and children is in your hands. Life is given only once! Take care of yourself!

Pneumonia is a dangerous disease that affects children and adults and can cause death. To prevent serious complications, you need to know how to recognize pneumonia, and at its first manifestations, consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Traditional methods and hopes that “everything will go away on its own” are unacceptable: a qualified doctor must treat the disease.

What should you pay attention to first?

In order to promptly consult a doctor and diagnose the disease, you need to pay attention to the first signs of pneumonia. The following details should be noted:

• The cough is dry and infrequent at first, but as the disease progresses it becomes wet and intrusive.
• The appearance of mild shortness of breath (dyspnea).
• A slight increase in body temperature accompanied by severe chills.
• Severe migraine.
• Weakness in the limbs - the disease can be preliminarily diagnosed by a strange sensation of “cotton legs”.
• Cold sweat on the body, periodic feeling that blood is rushing to the head.

Often the first signs of pneumonia are expressed vaguely, masked as manifestations of a common cold, or malaise caused by fatigue. How to identify and recognize inflammation in order to consult a doctor in a timely manner? You need to listen to your body, go to the clinic if you feel constant fatigue, lethargy, and weakness.

Specific manifestations of pneumonia

The appearance of the first signs of pneumonia in an adult reduces his ability to work, worsens his health, but allows him to bear the disease on his feet. As the disease progresses, the situation worsens, specific signals from the inflamed respiratory organ. It is these complaints that become a compelling argument in favor of immediate hospitalization of the patient.

Characteristic signs of pneumonia in adults are:

• High temperature (38-39 degrees), to which another characteristic symptom is added - fever, hallucinations.
• Severe wet cough that accompanies hemoptysis.
• The appearance of severe headaches with pneumonia.
• Prolonged sneezing for no apparent reason, voice tremors.
• Shortness of breath, pale skin associated with inflammation in the lungs and.
• Pain when inhaling, coughing, which appears due to the involvement of the pleura and neighboring organs in the pathological process.
• Feeling overwhelmed, tired. Sick people are unable to cope even with simple household or work tasks.

If, with an acute respiratory viral infection or a cold that lasts 4-7 days, the patient does not observe an improvement, but, on the contrary, notices a deterioration in the general condition, we are talking about the appearance of characteristic signs of pneumonia. You need to consult a doctor to identify the cause of the disease and prescribe effective therapy.

Temperature during inflammation in the lungs

What is the temperature for pneumonia? At first, it rises slightly, and attacks of chills are replaced by the patient with the appearance of cold sweat.

Some patients have a temperature of 38-39 degrees for a long time. This meaning is complemented by symptoms of intoxication of the body: general weakness, loss of appetite, headaches.

For others, the thermometer stays at 38-38.5 degrees. This is often a sign of a combination of bronchitis and pneumonia. The patient suffers from bouts of painful coughing and respiratory function, vocal tremors appear.

The body temperature during pneumonia is not reduced by the use of antipyretics and does not subside; it remains at a consistently high level for more than three days. Is it necessary to reduce the fever? The answer to this question is ambiguous.

An increase in temperature means that the body is fighting an infection. It does not need to be knocked down if in adults it does not exceed 38.5 degrees, and in a child – 38.

The following cases are exceptions to this rule:

• With pneumonia, temperature leads to disruptions in blood circulation and metabolic processes.
• There is a risk of developing pathologies of the heart, kidneys, and liver in elderly patients and people of working age.
• There is a complex, dangerous course of pneumonia in the elderly.
• There is a risk of developing febrile seizures in a child under five years of age.
• The patient suffers from diseases of the cardiovascular system or liver.

Regardless of what temperature is observed with pneumonia, accompanying symptoms are added to it: fever, hallucinations, hot flashes, migraines, heart pain. They do not disappear as long as the main problem persists.

The question of how many days the temperature lasts for pneumonia is not correct if the disease occurs in a latent form.

This is possible if:

• pneumonia in adults occurs during active use of antitussives;
• the infection lives in the patient’s body chronically;
• people are overly addicted to antibiotics.

To identify pneumonia in adults with or without fever, you need to pay attention to additional signs: back pain with pneumonia, dry cough, pale skin, constant thirst, voice tremors, increased fatigue and increased sweating. When determining the cause of these symptoms, the doctor will order an x-ray to help check the airways.

Important! If there is no fever with pneumonia, patients often consider the illness not serious. Refrain from such judgments: the likelihood of death in old and young remains regardless of the presence of fever.

How to recognize a disease by cough: characteristics

What is a cough like with pneumonia? The following types are distinguished:

1. Dry. It is observed in the early stages of pneumonia in an adult. This is a continuous barking cough, the nature of which is similar to a bark. This symptom reflects the stage of development of the disease, when bacteria invade the upper respiratory tract, but do not yet multiply. The receptors are irritated by exudate formed by cell death elements.
2. Wet. Bacteria begin to actively multiply and accumulate on the mucous membrane. When patients cough, pneumonia produces sputum.
3. Hemoptysis. As the disease progresses, coughing up blood appears due to pneumonia. Characteristic red streaks appear in the sputum. Often it is an encounter with such manifestations of the disease that forces the patient to consult a doctor.
4. Spastic. Appears if the patient develops an allergic reaction in the lung. In women and men, it occurs if the disease occurs against the background of bronchial asthma. In children, the symptom appears with lobar pneumonia.
5. Hoarse. Appears if the pathological process affects the ligaments, the patient’s voice changes. At the same time, sputum is released during pneumonia, in which there are noticeable streaks of blood, and mucus during expectoration.
6. Bitonal. Its characteristic feature is vocal tremors, when the timbre changes from low bass to high. A similar cough with pneumonia in adults means that dangerous complications of the disease have begun: ulcers and fistula tracts have formed in the lungs.
7. Cough with syncope. Such a cough with pneumonia is so intense that it leads to loss of consciousness by the patient. This is due to a rush of blood and limited cardiac output.
8. Whooping cough-like. Severe, continuous, paroxysmal, leading to increased breathing during pneumonia. This symptom can cause an adult or child to vomit. During inhalation, a characteristic whistle appears.

Based on the signs, how the cough manifests itself, what color the sputum is, an experienced doctor is able to determine the cause and causative agent of the inflammatory process.

Patients are traditionally interested in how long the temperature lasts during pneumonia and how long the cough does not go away. The second symptom is observed until the infiltrate is completely removed from the alveoli, i.e. almost throughout the entire course of the disease. Voice tremors, breathing problems, and expectoration persist for 2-3 weeks. The color of sputum during pneumonia changes and depends on the causative agent of the disease.

Shortness of breath and pain as characteristic signs of the disease

In order to recognize the peculiarities of the course of pneumonia and the nature of the disease in a timely manner, you need to pay attention to all its signs. It is useful for the patient to know what hurts, why, temperature during pneumonia in adults, etc. All this helps not to write off the problem as a common cold, but to immediately go to the doctor to prescribe effective treatment.

Shortness of breath with pneumonia is a characteristic sign of the disease. What does the problem look like and what manifestations does it have?

• The patient feels a lack of oxygen, and sometimes there are attacks of suffocation.
• Breathing becomes shallow, in order to get a sufficient amount of oxygen, a person is forced to inhale and exhale more often.
• The patient makes more than 18 breathing movements per minute.
• Lack of oxygen leads to pale skin and a feeling of numbness in the arms and legs.

How pneumonia manifests itself and what symptom to watch out for depends on the nature of its course. If the disease is mild, shortness of breath does not appear.

What can hurt with pneumonia? The patient experiences the following discomfort:

• With pneumonia, the back hurts - the appearance of unpleasant sensations means that the pleural areas are involved in the pathological process (pleuropneumonia). Discomfort may also radiate to the side and stomach. The symptom is sometimes disguised as a manifestation of a heart attack or radiculitis.
• The patient has aching joints and discomfort in muscle tissue and bones. This is due to a temperature increase of more than 37 degrees. The symptoms include general weakness, depression, loss of appetite, and nausea.
• The patient begins to have a sore throat. Characteristic signs of pneumonia are complemented by hoarseness and runny nose. As the disease progresses, these symptoms disappear and are replaced by a severe cough.
• A severe migraine appears - this is the main symptom that gives rise to suspicion of pneumonia. It involves the frontotemporal areas and has a pulsating character.

If the pain of pneumonia is not severe enough, the temperature is low, remember how long your illness lasts. If you have been sick for 4-7 days or longer and there is no improvement, you should definitely consult a doctor and get an x-ray of your lungs.

Does your back hurt when you develop pneumonia? Yes, if the pleural cavity is involved in the pathological process. The lungs themselves are devoid of nerve endings, so they do not cause discomfort to the patient.

Video

Signs of pneumonia

Manifestations of intoxication in pneumonia

Intoxication occurs as a consequence of the spread of the inflammatory process through the lung tissues and to other organs: the heart, circulatory system, liver and kidneys. The problem manifests itself with the following set of symptoms:

• weakness, lethargy;
• decreased performance;
• loss of interest in life;
• pale grayish color of the skin;
• sleep disorders;
• increased body temperature;
• loss of appetite, weight loss.

In a child at the initial stages of development of the disease, intoxication manifests itself as causeless agitation, accompanied by diarrhea and sometimes vomiting. This state is replaced by lethargy, falling into a stupor, a feeling of constant thirst, and loss of appetite.

In especially severe cases, intoxication in adults and children can lead to seizures and disorders of consciousness. To prevent sad consequences, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner to combat the symptom.

Development of the disease and inflammation of the lymph nodes

Inflammation of the lymph nodes in the lungs is one of the most dangerous conditions of the body. In addition to pneumonia, other diseases can cause it: acute bronchitis,. To eliminate the problem, the patient is prescribed special drugs, which are not always 100% effective. There remains a possibility of the problem transforming into a malignant tumor.

When the lymph nodes become inflamed, the following signs of atypical pneumonia appear:

• severe pain when coughing;
• attacks of unbearable migraine;
• feeling of internal heat, chills.

Inflammation of the lungs can cause cervical lymphadenitis. It means that seals appear on the patient’s neck, pressing on which causes severe pain. General weakness, migraine appears, and the temperature rises.

If the lymphatic problem is severe, suppuration in the area of ​​the lymph nodes and swelling of the neck are possible. The patient loses his appetite, sleep becomes shallow and restless.

Knowing the signs of pneumonia in adults and children is necessary in order to promptly consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. It is impossible to get rid of pneumonia using traditional methods; hoping that “everything will go away on its own” is useless. To speed up recovery and minimize the risk of death, you should definitely consult a specialist.

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Pneumonia is a serious disease of the respiratory tract that requires timely diagnosis and timely treatment. Therefore, the question of how to determine pneumonia is very important.

It can be diagnosed by analyzing the clinical picture and using special methods. The clinical picture depends on the pathogen, the characteristics of the immune system and the method of infection. Also important is where the disease developed: in the hospital or at home (causative agents of hospital-acquired pneumonia are more resistant to treatment).

There are several symptoms that occur most often.

The disease has an acute onset, chills and fever, and symptoms of general intoxication are present.

A dry cough occurs, which becomes productive as the disease progresses, as well as chest pain, which intensifies during coughing and deep breathing. In young children who cannot complain of pain, this symptom will manifest itself as gentle, shallow breathing. Sometimes hemoptysis, shortness of breath are possible, and in cases of complications developing, cough with purulent sputum (with the formation of abscesses) and increased pain in the chest (pleurisy, etc.) are added to the existing symptoms.

The presence of the above symptoms can help to suspect pneumonia already at home.

In children, pneumonia also has a rapid onset with fever and rapid manifestation of symptoms. There may be abdominal pain and vomiting at the onset of the disease, and cyanosis often develops. Due to the action of bacterial toxins, blood vessels spasm and children become pale. It is necessary to identify diseases in a short time, since timely diagnosis of pneumonia in children prevents a severe course with the development of complications and respiratory failure, which is especially dangerous for newborns. There is often a transition from acute condition into chronic.

Physical examination

An objective clinical examination of the patient is carried out using palpation, percussion and auscultation. This method can detect dullness of pulmonary sound, bronchial or weakened vesicular breathing, crepitus, pleural friction noise, and moist rales. These symptoms are signs of local damage to the lung parenchyma.

Laboratory diagnostics

A general blood test helps determine changes characteristic of pneumonia. This is usually leukocytosis, and the number of leukocytes depends on the state of the patient’s immune system and the activity of the inflammatory process (can range from 10 to 20x10 9 / l). In the leukocyte formula, inflammation is reflected by an increase in neutrophils and a shift of the formula to the left. The number of banded neutrophils increases significantly. There is a decrease in eosinophils, lymphocytes and platelets, and an acceleration of ESR.

On late stages diseases, when the patient’s condition gradually normalizes, these indicators also return to normal.

These changes are typical for both adults and children. In patients with immunodeficiencies (on the background of immunosuppressive therapy after organ transplantation or in the treatment of oncological diseases, in HIV-infected patients), the disease can cause leukopenia, lymphopenia and neutropenia, which is a poor prognostic sign.

Microbiological examination of sputum is carried out to identify the causative agent of pneumonia, prescribe antibiotics and adjust therapy in the future. The results of the study can often be quite contradictory and require additional consideration of the clinic for correct interpretation.

Microbiological analysis is carried out in several stages. First, microscopy of Gram-stained smears is done (this way you can determine whether the pathogen is gram-positive or gram-negative). Next, the sputum is cultured on a special medium favorable for bacterial growth. The pathogen is isolated and its vulnerability to drugs is determined. For differential diagnosis with tuberculosis, the Ziehl-Neelsen microscopy method is used.

A serological test is carried out in the following cases: the presence of specific antibodies is determined in the blood serum. Blood gas analysis helps determine whether a patient has respiratory failure.

Instrumental diagnostics

The most important instrumental method for diagnosing pneumonia is chest radiography. It is recommended to take an x-ray in two projections (frontal and lateral) in order not to miss a possible source of inflammation. During the analysis, the doctor evaluates the nature of changes in the lung tissue, the volume of the pathological process, as well as the condition of the pleura. Diagnosis of pneumonia largely depends on the correct interpretation of the radiograph.

Changes on the x-ray correspond to the stage of the disease. In the very first hours of the disease, it is possible to determine only an enhanced pulmonary pattern, and the transparency of the lung tissue will still be normal. Later, as a result of compaction, darkening of the affected segments of the lungs appears.

Infiltrates in pneumonia are often found in the lower lobes, have an irregular shape, weak intensity and blurred contours. Bilateral enlargement of the roots of the lungs is also characteristic. Resorption of the infiltrate occurs in approximately 1-3 weeks.

Using radiography, parenchymal pneumonia can be distinguished from interstitial pneumonia. Parenchymal pneumonia is characterized by the presence of a homogeneous darkening of the lung area, which can spread to an entire lobe in lobar pneumonia. In this case, the darkening may be located in one or both lungs and is focal in nature. With this type of pneumonia, a large amount of exudate (fluid that penetrates from the blood vessels due to the inflammatory process) is produced in the lungs.

on an x-ray will appear as thickening of the interstitium of the lungs and an enhanced pulmonary pattern. This picture is typical for atypical and viral pneumonia.

If there are no characteristic changes, or for some reason it is impossible to take x-rays, then the diagnosis of pneumonia is considered uncertain. In this case, the diagnosis is established in accordance with the clinical manifestations.

The bronchoscopy method is used in difficult to diagnose cases, when it is necessary to distinguish pneumonia from a neoplasm or foreign body in children.

Computed tomography is quite precise method diagnosis, but is not routinely used. This method is used to distinguish or tumors.

Diagnostic criteria

The diagnosis is established if focal infiltrative opacities are detected on the chest x-ray and two or more clinical or laboratory manifestations are present:

• the disease began acutely with an increase in temperature above 38 C;
• during physical examination there are symptoms of local compaction of the lung tissue (dullness of percussion sound, bronchial or weakened vesicular breathing is heard, wheezing or the phenomenon of crepitus);
• there is a productive cough;
• The patient's blood test shows leukocytosis and shift leukocyte formula to the left.

If the patient has a high fever, cough and chest pain, but there are no changes on the x-ray and there are no pathological manifestations on auscultation, then the diagnosis of pneumonia is unlikely. Conversely, older patients and children may not have such obvious symptoms. Therefore, you should not self-medicate at home, because only a qualified specialist knows how to recognize pneumonia.

Differences from other diseases

When making a diagnosis, it is necessary to distinguish pneumonia from other respiratory diseases:

• : has many similarities with (productive cough, shortness of breath, high temperature). X-rays can help in diagnosis, but if the amount of fluid is insignificant, it is detected using an ultrasound of the lungs. Also, in case of prolonged ineffectiveness of antibacterial therapy, pleural puncture will help diagnose pleurisy.

• Lung cancer: If the tumor blocks the bronchus and causes atelectasis, symptoms similar to pneumonia may develop. In this case, medical history plays an important role (smoking, hemoptysis, weight loss). Enlarged lymph nodes may be observed. The most informative will be a tomographic examination, which can help determine a lung tumor.

• Tuberculosis: May be accompanied by high fever and cough. Differential diagnosis is carried out using the Mantoux test in children, as well as radiography, computed tomography and sputum analysis for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. An X-ray of tuberculosis shows rounded shadows with clear contours without enhancing the pulmonary pattern; a characteristic path is from the shadow to the root of the lung.

• “Acute abdomen”: pleuropneumonia (usually lobar) sometimes simulates the picture “ acute abdomen" This sometimes occurs in children and often surgeons perform unnecessary surgery before identifying pneumonia. In order to avoid such a mistake, it is necessary to consult a therapist and order an x-ray.

• Diseases of the cardiovascular system: often absent in older patients severe symptoms pneumonia and low-grade fever persists. In this case, chest pain and cough are attributed to angina pectoris or circulatory failure. Conducting an ECG and X-ray in parallel helps to figure it out.

924 03/08/2019 5 min.

Pneumonia or pneumonia is one of the most serious and dangerous diseases that affects the lung tissue. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, a person is immediately sent to the hospital, since pneumonia can cause serious complications.

You need to know how to recognize pneumonia at home in order to avoid health consequences.

Definition of disease

Pneumonia is an infectious disease of the lung tissue. The inflammatory process occurs in the alveoli and bronchi and leads to changes in them.

Medicine does not stand still and develops, but in five percent of cases, pneumonia ends in death.

Pneumonia is most often diagnosed in children, but it does occur in adults. The causative agents are mycoplasmas, staphylococci, fungi and viruses. Symptoms may vary depending on the cause of the disease.

In most cases, pneumonia is a consequence of an inflammatory process occurring in the upper parts of the respiratory tract.

Less commonly, the disease progresses, starting in the lung tissue. This is influenced by factors such as reduced immunity, hypothermia, respiratory tract burns, chemical poisoning, and the like.

How to diagnose: main symptoms

Most often, signs of pneumonia are detected during examination. But the person himself can ask for an additional examination - fluoroscopy. This procedure is considered the main method for diagnosing pneumonia, since it can clearly see the source of inflammation.

In addition to fluoroscopy, laboratory analysis of sputum contents may be necessary. It allows you to determine the nature of pneumonia. A blood test is also done. Depending on the number of white blood cells, the form of pneumonia can be determined.

Another procedure to diagnose pneumonia is bronchoscopy.

These procedures are performed to diagnose pneumonia in a hospital. But how can you determine the disease yourself when you can’t see a doctor? To do this, you need to know the main symptoms of pneumonia.

Symptoms of pneumonia can vary. Nowadays, it is very common to have a disease that occurs without any symptoms (no fever, cough, no sputum coming out). Therefore, treatment begins late and serious complications develop.

The main symptoms of pneumonia:

1. Temperature rises to thirty-seven to thirty-nine and a half degrees.
2. Shortness of breath.
3. Sputum production. Sometimes it may contain bloody discharge in the form of veins.
4. Chest pain when taking a deep breath.
5. Cough.
6. Chills.

It is worth noting that coughing is not a characteristic symptom of pneumonia, since the infection may not be located in the respiratory tract at all. In some cases, a change in skin color (cyanosis) occurs, headaches, fever occur, and the person may lose consciousness. Young children do not have typical symptoms of pneumonia, except for lethargy, loss of appetite and fever. In order to prevent complications from developing, it is imperative to undergo an examination and begin treatment as soon as possible.

When to see a doctor

If you experience breathing problems, chest pain, a temperature above thirty-nine degrees, or a persistent cough with pus in the sputum, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. This is especially true for people who are at risk:

• Elderly people over sixty-five years of age.
• Children under two years old.
• People with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions.
• People who have undergone chemotherapy or are taking immunosuppressive drugs.

Pneumonia is especially dangerous for people with heart failure or lung problems, and for older people.

Causes

Pneumonia can be transmitted via viral droplets. In this case, when a sick person coughs or sneezes, microbes from his secretions enter the lungs of a healthy person and cause an inflammatory process there.

The disease also occurs due to the increased activity of bacteria that are constantly in the respiratory tract. When immunity decreases, the body has enough strength to fight viruses, so they immediately begin to multiply, enter the lungs and provoke inflammation. This can also happen due to hypothermia or viral infections that weaken the immune system.

Inflammation of the lungs occurs not only due to pathogenic bacteria and viruses, it can occur in bedridden patients when pulmonary circulation is impaired. In this case, you need to turn the patient over more often to avoid the formation of bedsores.

Risk factors include:

• Age over sixty years (suppression of the cough reflex, the reflex responsible for spasm of the glottis).
• and infants (incomplete immune development).
• Conditions accompanied by loss of consciousness (epilepsy, trauma, condition alcohol intoxication and so on).
• Respiratory diseases, smoking.
• Diseases that reduce the activity of the immune system (oncology, HIV infection, etc.).
• Poor social and living conditions.
• Prolonged stay in a lying state.

Types and classifications

Depending on the forms and timing:

1. – occurs at home or in the first two days of hospital stay.
2. Hospital (nosocomial)– occurs after two days of the patient’s stay in the hospital, or if the patient has been treated in any medical institution for two or more days over the previous three months.
3. Aspiration– develops when a large amount of oropharyngeal contents is swallowed by unconscious people with impaired swallowing and a weakened cough reflex. Chemical burns of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract may occur hydrochloric acid. This form of the disease is also called chemical pneumonitis.
4. Pneumonia arising against the background of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.

Depending on the pathogen:

1. Bacterial– the main pathogens are streptococci, staphylococci, mycoplasmas, chlamydia.
2. Viral– pathogens are influenza viruses, parainfluenza, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, measles, rubella, whooping cough viruses, cytomegalovirus infection, Epstein-Barr virus.
3. Fungal– the main pathogens can be considered candida, aspergillus, and so on.
4. Pneumonia caused by protozoan microorganisms.
5. Pneumonia caused by helminths.
6. Mixed– bacterial-viral cause.

Depending on the severity:

1. Easy.
2. Average.
3. Heavy.
4. Extremely heavy.

Depending on location:

1. Focal– localized within the acinus and lobule.
2. Segmental– localized within one segment.
3. – localized within several segments.
4. Share– localized within one lobe.
5. Total– localized throughout the lung.

Consequences of self-medication

Self-medicating pneumonia can be very dangerous. This can lead to serious complications.

Groups of complications:

1. Pulmonary (pleural empyema, pulmonary edema, chronic bronchitis, abscess, fibrosis, and so on).
2. Conditions not related to the bronchopulmonary system (anemia, endocarditis, meningitis, etc.).

The danger of untreated or improperly treated pneumonia is that inflammation can spread throughout the lung, resulting in pulmonary failure.

Common complications:

• Closed pneumothorax.
• Empyema of the pleura.

The most serious complications are fibrosis and lung abscess.

An abscess is the decomposition of lung tissue under the influence of pus from a source of inflammation.

Fibrosis is the formation of connective tissue at the site of injury.

Consequences of this disease in children they are more pronounced than in adults, this is especially evident in infants - the inflammatory process can spread to the organs of the nervous, digestive, genitourinary and other systems. Late treatment often leads to fatal outcome.

The most common consequence of pneumonia in children is toxicosis. Diuresis (urinary retention) may also develop, and convulsions may occur.

It is worth noting that thanks to modern medications, complications occur very rarely, so there is no need to self-medicate. It is better to contact a specialist as soon as possible.

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conclusions

Only correct diagnosis of pneumonia will ensure a quick recovery and protect against the development of complications. The diagnostic guidelines provided in this article will help you identify pneumonia at home.

Treatment should be carried out using methods and drugs that help alleviate the course of the disease, eliminate the cause of its occurrence, and protect the patient from possible consequences.

You can read the causative agents of pneumonia, as well as the routes of spread. Also become familiar with tuberculosis in its early stages.

An intense rhythm of life, a changeable climate, a consistently poor environment, frequent colds, a high level of resistance of microorganisms to antibacterial drugs - all this undermines the body's defenses and can lead to serious diseases, many of which are often practically asymptomatic.

Pneumonia, otherwise known as pneumonia, is one of these “silent killers”: the symptoms can be subtle, but the consequences can be critical and even fatal.

Therefore, it is so important for every person to be able to navigate in time and recognize the symptoms of the disease as early as possible in order to be able to seek help in time.

There are a number of “pre-hospital” symptoms that help answer the question of how to recognize pneumonia.

Conventionally, they can be classified:

1. General or extrapulmonary symptoms - high fatigue, decreased performance, weakness, increased body temperature, chills, muscle pain, severe sweating, fever, shortness of breath, both in motion and at rest, dyspepsia and skin rash may occur.
2. Pulmonary symptoms - wet cough, profuse sputum, pain when trying to take a deep breath. Sometimes purulent discharge streaked with blood appears.

Features of the development of the disease depending on the form of its manifestation

The nature of the course of pneumonia depends on the pathogen, the affected area, the general condition of the patient, his immunity, and age. The causative agents can be opportunistic microorganisms that are constantly present in the human body, pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, fungi.

Depending on the source of spread, the following forms of pneumonia are distinguished:

1. Croupous form, in which the infection penetrates the parenchyma of the lung lobes.
2. Focal form or bronchopneumonia.
3. Atypical.

How to determine croupous pneumonia?

The croupous form is easier to diagnose. Its characteristic feature is a sharp rise in temperature, which stays above 39 C, headaches, shortness of breath, cough, at the beginning of the disease it is dry, but on the 5th day “rusty” sputum often appears, and chest pain. The causes of lung damage of this nature are often hypothermia and overwork.

How to recognize focal pneumonia?

Focal pneumonia occurs as a complication of respiratory diseases. The development of the disease is not nearly as rapid as in the croupous type.

There is a slight increase in temperature (as a rule, no higher than 38.5 C), and in people with weakened immunity, the temperature may be completely normal, an exhausting cough, light sputum of a mucopurulent nature, chest pain and shortness of breath may be absent. This form of inflammation is dangerous because many patients, despite increased fatigue and weakness, endure it “on their feet,” which can lead to serious complications.

How to determine atypical type of pneumonia?

The nature of the development of an atypical type of pneumonia depends entirely on the causative agent of the disease. Thus, pneumonia caused by dangerous legionella is characterized by an extremely severe course. There is a dry cough, chest pain, dyspepsia, pain in the joints, and a decrease in heart rate. This form often causes severe complications to internal organs.

Children experience pneumonia caused by chlamydia and mycoplasma. Frequent markers of the atypical form are sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, runny nose, etc.

How to determine pneumonia at home and in a hospital setting

It is worth approaching with particular responsibility the issue of timely detection of pneumonia in people at risk: alcohol abusers, those suffering from immunodeficiency conditions of various etiologies, elderly people, people in socially dangerous situations.

There are several main points:

• pneumonia should be suspected if sharp decline activity, the occurrence of apathy, refusal to eat, increased drowsiness, difficulty moving in older people;
• in those suffering from alcohol dependence, the course of the disease is extremely severe, often complicated by alcoholic psychosis occurring against the background of pneumonia;
• the appearance of wheezing over a healthy lung with increased shortness of breath indicates the possibility of pulmonary edema;
• Specific indicators of pneumonia are one-sided flushing of the cheeks, a significant increase in shortness of breath, an increase in heart rate and a dry tongue.

Should be understood

No doctor would risk diagnosing a patient based solely on the presence of any common features, without confirming it with relevant research. However, the presence of markers of pneumonia in the medical history is a signal for an immediate visit to a specialist.

Diagnosis of pneumonia in a clinical setting

1. The main and most informative way to confirm suspicions of pneumonia is to perform a chest x-ray in two projections. An x-ray allows you to examine the focus of the disease in the image and confirm or refute the diagnosis.
2. In addition, laboratory tests are required: to identify the pathogen, a bacteriological analysis of sputum, bronchoscopy is performed, specific blood tests and other studies are prescribed as necessary.

Due to the high likelihood of severe complications, it is extremely important to treat pneumonia in a hospital setting under the close supervision of medical professionals.

Main signs of pneumonia in children

Signs of pneumonia in children may differ from signs of infection in adults. Pneumonia, or pneumonia, worsens a child's quality of life every 20 seconds.

Unlike adults, children who have pneumonia may not suffer from a nagging cough or fever and may have symptoms of infection that are much more subtle to detect.

Children are at greater risk for pneumonia because they the immune system is not yet fully developed, and the body’s protective functions are weak.

In general, signs of pneumonia in children vary according to age, but there are many factors that can be used to determine whether your child is developing something more serious or just a runny nose.

How to determine mild pneumonia in a child?

Pneumonia, which is caused by certain bacteria, including mycoplasma and chlamydia, usually results in milder symptoms not only in adults but also in children.

A type of pneumonia known as atypical or recurrent pneumonia is common among school-age children.

Children with walking pneumonia may not feel sick enough to stay home, but they may exhibit the following signs:

• Dry cough.
• Low-grade fever.
• Headache.
• Fatigue.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is responsible for approximately 15 to 50 percent of all cases of pneumonia in adults, but its incidence is even higher among school-aged children.

Therefore, “walking” pneumonia, which most often develops in late summer and autumn, spreads from person to person.

Outbreaks of the first signs of pneumonia can occur dramatically within groups that have close contact, such as schools or camps. Children who are already infected with the infection always bring it home and contribute to the general infection of the family without proper measures.

How does moderate pneumonia manifest in children?

Viruses cause most cases of pneumonia in preschoolers under five years of age and in infants from four months of age.

Signs of pneumonia in children are usually associated with other viruses and include the following:

• Angina.
• Cough.
• Low-grade fever.
• Nasal congestion.
• Diarrhea.
• Loss of appetite.
• Lack of energy or fatigue.

Signs of severe pneumonia in children

Bacterial pneumonia is more common among school-aged children and adolescents.

This type of pneumonia often develops more abruptly and has more severe symptoms than previous forms:

• Heat.
• A cough that produces yellowish or green mucus.
• Excessive sweating or chills.
• Reddened skin.
• A bluish tint to the lips or nail beds.
• Wheezing.
• Labored breathing.

It is worth noting

Children with bacterial pneumonia usually appear much sicker than those found to have other forms of the disease.

Newborns and infants may not show typical symptoms of a pneumonia infection. It is also quite problematic to determine whether babies have a disease, because they cannot communicate their true health, unlike an older child.

The following signs of pneumonia in children may indicate pneumonia:

• A quick glance.
• Lack of energy, melancholy and drowsiness.
• The scream is more pronounced than usual.
• Does not want to eat or eat small portions.
• Irritation and anxiety.
• Vomit.

Antibiotics are often used to treat children who have only recently been hospitalized, especially if the children already have asthma or another chronic illness. The second way in which antibiotics are used is if children have not been fully vaccinated against measles, chicken pox, whooping cough and seasonal flu.

The only way to know for sure whether your child has pneumonia is to see a doctor. A pediatrician or general practitioner can check for fluid in a child's lungs using a stethoscope or x-ray.

By paying close attention to the early symptoms of pneumonia in children, parents can avoid a trip to the emergency room.

However, pneumonia can progress very quickly among children, especially infants.

Two key signs that your baby requires immediate medical attention:

• Increased temperature at the nostrils when breathing.
• Young children with pneumonia will breathe quickly. Doctors say that if you see that a child’s abdominal muscles are working hard, it means he has problems with breathing.

Treatment for pneumonia depends on what caused the infection and can range from outpatient treatment to surgery.

While certain antibiotics can effectively treat fungal pneumonia, the medications are usually ineffective in treating viral types of pneumonia, which tend to be milder and go away on their own.

Pneumonia in a child - symptoms, treatment, causes

Pneumonia or pneumonia is one of the most common acute infectious diseases. inflammatory diseases person. Moreover, the concept of pneumonia does not include various allergic and vascular diseases of the lungs, bronchitis, as well as dysfunction of the lungs caused by chemical or physical factors (trauma, chemical burns).

Pneumonia occurs especially often in children, the symptoms and signs of which are reliably determined only on the basis of X-ray data and a general blood test. Pneumonia among all pulmonary pathologies in young children is almost 80%. Even with the introduction of progressive technologies in medicine - the discovery of antibiotics, improved diagnostic and treatment methods - this disease is still one of the ten most common causes of death. According to statistical data in various regions of our country, the incidence of pneumonia in children is 0.4-1.7%.

When and why can pneumonia occur in a child?

The lungs perform several important functions in the human body. The main function of the lungs is gas exchange between the alveoli and the capillaries that envelop them. Simply put, oxygen from the air in the alveoli is transported into the blood, and carbon dioxide from the blood enters the alveoli. They also regulate body temperature, regulate blood clotting, are one of the filters in the body, promote cleansing, the removal of toxins, breakdown products that occur during various injuries, and infectious inflammatory processes.

And in the event of food poisoning, burns, fractures, surgical interventions, or any serious injury or illness, a general decrease in immunity occurs, and it is more difficult for the lungs to cope with the load of filtering toxins. That is why very often a child develops pneumonia after suffering or against the background of injuries or poisoning.

Most often, the causative agent of the disease is pathogenic bacteria - pneumococci, streptococci and staphylococci, and recently cases of the development of pneumonia from pathogens such as pathogenic fungi, legionella (usually after staying in airports with artificial ventilation), mycoplasma, chlamydia, which are not They are rarely mixed or associated.

Pneumonia in a child, as an independent disease that occurs after serious, severe, prolonged hypothermia, is extremely rare, since parents try to prevent such situations. As a rule, in most children, pneumonia does not occur as a primary disease, but as a complication after ARVI or influenza, less often than other diseases. Why is this happening?

Many of us believe that acute viral respiratory diseases have become more aggressive and dangerous due to their complications in recent decades. This may be due to the fact that both viruses and infections have become more resistant to antibiotics and antiviral drugs, which is why they are so severe in children and cause complications.

One of the factors in the increase in the incidence of pneumonia in children in recent years has been the general poor health of the younger generation - how many children today are born with congenital pathologies, developmental defects, and central nervous system lesions. A particularly severe course of pneumonia occurs in premature or newborn babies, when the disease develops against the background of an intrauterine infection with an insufficiently formed, immature respiratory system.

In congenital pneumonia, the causative agents are often herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, mycoplasma, and when infected during childbirth - chlamydia, group B streptococci, opportunistic fungi, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, anaerobic flora; when infected with hospital infections, pneumonia begins on the 6th day or 2 weeks after birth.

Naturally, pneumonia most often occurs in cold times, when the body already undergoes a seasonal adjustment from heat to cold and vice versa, overloads occur for the immune system, at this time there is a lack of natural vitamins in foods, temperature changes, damp, frosty, windy weather contribute to hypothermia of children and their infection.

In addition, if a child suffers from any chronic diseases - tonsillitis, adenoids in children, sinusitis, dystrophy, rickets (see rickets in infants), heart disease vascular disease, any severe chronic pathologies, such as congenital lesions of the central nervous system, developmental defects, immunodeficiency states, significantly increase the risk of developing pneumonia and aggravate its course.

The severity of the disease depends on:

• The extent of the process (focal, focal-confluent, segmental, lobar, interstitial pneumonia).
• The age of the child, the younger the baby, the narrower and thinner the airways, the less intense gas exchange in the child’s body and the more severe the course of pneumonia.
• Places where and for what reason pneumonia occurred:
  - community-acquired: most often have a milder course
  - hospital: more severe, since infection with bacteria resistant to antibiotics is possible
  - aspiration: when foreign objects, mixture or milk enter the respiratory tract.
• The most important role in this is played by general condition the health of the child, that is, his immunity.

Improper treatment of influenza and ARVI can lead to pneumonia in a child

When a child gets sick with a common cold, acute respiratory viral infection, or influenza, the inflammatory process is localized only in the nasopharynx, trachea and larynx. If the immune response is weak, and also if the pathogen is very active and aggressive, and the child is treated incorrectly, the process of bacterial reproduction descends from the upper respiratory tract to the bronchi, then bronchitis may occur. Further, inflammation can also affect lung tissue, causing pneumonia.

What happens in a child’s body during a viral disease? In most adults and children, various opportunistic microorganisms - streptococci, staphylococci - are always present in the nasopharynx, without causing harm to health, since local immunity inhibits their growth.

However, any acute respiratory disease leads to their active reproduction and correct action parents during the child’s illness, immunity does not allow their intensive growth.

What should not be done during ARVI in a child to avoid complications:

• Antitussives should not be used. Coughing is a natural reflex that helps the body clear the trachea, bronchi and lungs of mucus, bacteria, and toxins. If, to treat a child, in order to reduce the intensity of a dry cough, you use antitussives that affect the cough center in the brain, such as Stoptusin, Bronholitin, Libexin, Paxeladin, then an accumulation of sputum and bacteria in the lower respiratory tract may occur, which ultimately leads to pneumonia.
• You cannot carry out any preventive antibiotic therapy for colds or viral infections (see antibiotics for colds). Antibiotics are powerless against the virus, but the immune system must cope with opportunistic bacteria, and their use is indicated only if complications arise as prescribed by a doctor.
• The same applies to the use of various nasal vasoconstrictors; their use promotes faster penetration of the virus into the lower respiratory tract, therefore Galazolin, Naphthyzin, Sanorin are not safe to use for a viral infection.
• Drinking plenty of fluids is one of the most effective methods Drinking plenty of fluids helps relieve intoxication, thin sputum and quickly clear the airways; even if the child refuses to drink, parents should be very persistent. If you do not insist that the child drinks a sufficiently large amount of liquid, there will also be dry air in the room - this will help dry out the mucous membrane, which can lead to a longer course of the disease or a complication - bronchitis or pneumonia.
• Constant ventilation, the absence of carpets and carpets, daily wet cleaning of the room in which the child is located, humidification and purification of the air using a humidifier and air purifier will help to quickly cope with the virus and prevent pneumonia from developing. Because clean, cool, moist air helps to thin sputum, quickly eliminate toxins through sweat, cough, and wet breath, which allows the child to recover faster.

Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis - differences from pneumonia

ARVI usually has the following symptoms:

• High temperature in the first 2-3 days of illness (see antipyretics for children)
• Headache, chills, intoxication, weakness
• Qatar of the upper respiratory tract, runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat (not always the case).

In case of acute bronchitis against the background of acute respiratory viral infection, the following symptoms may occur:

• Slight increase in body temperature, usually up to 38C.
• At first the cough is dry, then it becomes wet, there is no shortness of breath, unlike pneumonia.
• Breathing becomes harsh, various scattered wheezes appear on both sides, which change or disappear after coughing.
• The radiograph shows an increase in the pulmonary pattern, and the structure of the roots of the lungs decreases.
• There are no local changes in the lungs.

Bronchiolitis occurs most often in children under one year of age:

• The difference between bronchiolitis and pneumonia can only be determined by X-ray examination, based on the absence of local changes in the lungs. According to the clinical picture, acute symptoms of intoxication and an increase in respiratory failure, the appearance of shortness of breath - are very reminiscent of pneumonia.
• With bronchiolitis, the child’s breathing is weakened, shortness of breath with the participation of auxiliary muscles, the nasolabial triangle becomes bluish, general cyanosis and severe pulmonary heart failure are possible. When listening, a boxy sound and a mass of scattered fine-bubble rales are detected.

Signs of pneumonia in a child

With high activity of the infectious agent, or with a weak immune response of the body to it, when even the most effective preventive therapeutic measures do not stop the inflammatory process and the child’s condition worsens, parents can guess from some symptoms that the child needs more serious treatment and urgent examination by a doctor. At the same time, under no circumstances should you start treatment with any traditional method. If it really is pneumonia, not only will this not help, but the condition may worsen and time will be lost for adequate examination and treatment.

Symptoms of pneumonia in a child 2 - 3 years old and older

How can attentive parents determine if they have a cold or viral illness that they should urgently call a doctor and suspect pneumonia in their child? Symptoms that require x-ray diagnostics:

• After an acute respiratory infection or flu, there is no improvement in the condition for 3-5 days, or after a slight improvement, a jump in temperature and increased intoxication and cough reappear.
• Lack of appetite, lethargy of the child, sleep disturbances, and moodiness persist for a week after the onset of the illness.
• The main symptom of the disease remains a severe cough.
• The body temperature is not high, but the child has shortness of breath. At the same time, the number of breaths per minute in a child increases, the norm of breaths per minute in children aged 1-3 years is 25-30 breaths, in children 4-6 years old - the norm is 25 breaths per minute, if the child is in a relaxed, calm state. With pneumonia, the number of breaths becomes greater than these numbers.
• With other symptoms of a viral infection - cough, fever, runny nose, pronounced pallor of the skin is observed.
• If the temperature is high for more than 4 days and antipyretics such as Paracetamol, Efferalgan, Panadol, Tylenol are not effective.

Symptoms of pneumonia in infants, children under one year old

The mother can notice the onset of the disease by changes in the baby’s behavior. If a child constantly wants to sleep, becomes lethargic, apathetic, or vice versa, is capricious a lot, cries, refuses to eat, and the temperature may rise slightly, the mother should immediately consult a pediatrician.

Body temperature

In the first year of life, pneumonia in a child, the symptom of which is considered to be a high, unbroken temperature, is distinguished by the fact that at this age it is not high, does not reach 37.5 or even 37.1-37.3. However, temperature is not an indicator of the severity of the condition.

The first symptoms of pneumonia in an infant

This is causeless anxiety, lethargy, loss of appetite, the baby refuses to breastfeed, sleep becomes restless, short, loose stools appear, there may be vomiting or regurgitation, runny nose and paroxysmal cough, worsening when the baby cries or feeds.

Baby's breathing

Chest pain when breathing and coughing.
Sputum - with a wet cough, purulent or mucopurulent sputum (yellow or green) is released.
Shortness of breath or an increase in the number of respiratory movements in young children is a clear sign of pneumonia in a child. Shortness of breath in infants may be accompanied by nodding of the head in time with breathing, and the baby also puffs out his cheeks and stretches out his lips, sometimes foamy discharge appears from the mouth and nose. A symptom of pneumonia is considered to be exceeding the normal number of breaths per minute:

• In children under 2 months, the norm is up to 50 breaths per minute; over 60 is considered a high frequency.
• In children from 2 months to a year, the norm is 25-40 breaths, if 50 or more, then this is exceeding the norm.
• In children older than one year, the number of breaths exceeding 40 is considered shortness of breath.

The relief of the skin changes when breathing. Attentive parents may also notice retraction of the skin when breathing, usually on one side diseased lung. To notice this, you should undress the baby and observe the skin between the ribs; it retracts when breathing.

With extensive lesions, one side of the lung may lag behind during deep breathing. Sometimes you can notice periodic stops in breathing, disturbances in the rhythm, depth, frequency of breathing, and the child’s desire to lie on one side.

Cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle

This most important symptom pneumonia, when blue skin appears between the baby’s lips and nose. This sign is especially pronounced when the baby is breastfeeding. With severe respiratory failure, slight blue discoloration may appear not only on the face, but also on the body.

Chlamydial, mycoplasma pneumonia in a child

Among pneumonias, the causative agents of which are not common bacteria, but various atypical representatives, mycoplasma and chlamydial pneumonia are distinguished. In children, the symptoms of such pneumonia are somewhat different from the course of ordinary pneumonia. Sometimes they are characterized by a hidden, sluggish course. Signs of atypical pneumonia in a child may be as follows:

• The onset of the disease is characterized by a sharp rise in body temperature to 39.5 C, then a persistent low-grade fever forms -37.2-37.5 or even normalization of temperature occurs.
• It is also possible that the disease begins with the usual signs of ARVI - sneezing, sore throat, severe runny nose.
• Persistent dry debilitating cough, shortness of breath may not be constant. This cough usually occurs with acute bronchitis, not pneumonia, which complicates the diagnosis.
• When listening, the doctor is most often presented with scant data: rare wheezing of various sizes, pulmonary percussion sound. Therefore, it is difficult for a doctor to determine atypical pneumonia based on the nature of wheezing, since there are no traditional signs, which greatly complicates the diagnosis.
• There may be no significant changes in the blood test for SARS. But usually there is an increased ESR, neutrophilic leukocytosis, combination with anemia, leukopenia, eosinophilia.
• A chest x-ray reveals a pronounced increase in the pulmonary pattern and heterogeneous focal infiltration of the pulmonary fields.
• Both chlamydia and mycoplasma have the ability to exist for a long time in the epithelial cells of the bronchi and lungs, so most often pneumonia is of a protracted, recurrent nature.
• Treatment of atypical pneumonia in a child is carried out with macrolides (azithromycin, josamycin, clarithromycin), since the pathogens are most sensitive to them (to tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, too, but they are contraindicated for children).

Indications for hospitalization

The decision about where to treat a child with pneumonia - in a hospital or at home - is made by the doctor, and he takes into account several factors:

• The severity of the condition and the presence of complications - respiratory failure, pleurisy, acute disorders consciousness, heart failure, drop in blood pressure, lung abscess, pleural empyema, infectious-toxic shock, sepsis.
• Damage to several lobes of the lung. Treatment of focal pneumonia in a child at home is quite possible, but for lobar pneumonia it is better to treat it in a hospital setting.
• Social indications are poor living conditions, inability to carry out care and doctor’s orders.
• Age of the child - if an infant falls ill, this is grounds for hospitalization, since pneumonia in an infant poses a serious threat to life. If pneumonia develops in a child under 3 years of age, treatment depends on the severity of the condition and most often doctors insist on hospitalization. Older children can be treated at home, provided that the pneumonia is not severe.
• General health - in the presence of chronic diseases, weakened general health of the child, regardless of age, the doctor may insist on hospitalization.

Treatment of pneumonia in a child

How to treat pneumonia in children? Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for pneumonia. At a time when doctors did not have antibiotics in their arsenal for bronchitis and pneumonia, pneumonia was a very common cause of death in adults and children, so in no case should you refuse to use them; no folk remedies are effective for pneumonia. Parents are required to strictly follow all doctor’s recommendations, implement proper care for the child, compliance with the drinking regime, nutrition:

• Taking antibiotics must be carried out strictly on time; if the drug is prescribed 2 times a day, this means that there should be a break of 12 hours between doses; if 3 times a day, then a break of 8 hours (see 11 rules on how to take antibiotics correctly) . Antibiotics are prescribed - penicillins, cephalosporins for 7 days, macrolides (azithromycin, josamycin, clarithromycin) - 5 days. The effectiveness of the drug is assessed within 72 hours - improvement in appetite, decrease in temperature, shortness of breath.
• Antipyretics are used if the temperature is above 39C, in infants above 38C. At first, antipyretic antibiotics are not prescribed, since it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of therapy. It should be remembered that during high temperatures the body produces the maximum amount of antibodies against the pathogen, so if a child can tolerate a temperature of 38C, it is better not to knock it down. This way the body can quickly cope with the microbe that caused pneumonia in the baby. If a child has had at least one episode of febrile convulsions, the temperature should be brought down already at 37.5C.
• Feeding a child with pneumonia - lack of appetite in children during illness is considered natural and the child’s refusal to eat is explained by the increased load on the liver when fighting the infection, so you cannot force feed the child. If possible, you should prepare light food for the patient, exclude any ready-made chemical foods, fried and fatty, try to feed the child simple, easily digestible food - porridge, soups with a weak broth, steamed cutlets from lean meat, boiled potatoes, various vegetables and fruits.
• Oral hydration - in water, natural freshly squeezed diluted juices - carrot, apple, weakly brewed tea with raspberries, rosehip infusion, water-electrolyte solutions are added (Rehydron, etc.).
• Ventilation, daily wet cleaning, and the use of air humidifiers alleviate the baby’s condition, and the love and care of parents works wonders.
• No general tonic (synthetic vitamins), antihistamines, or immunomodulators are used, since they often lead to side effects and do not improve the course and outcome of pneumonia.

Taking antibiotics for pneumonia in a child (uncomplicated) usually does not exceed 7 days (macrolides 5 days), and if you follow bed rest, follow all the doctor’s recommendations, in the absence of complications, the child will quickly recover, but within a month there will still be residual effects in the form cough, slight weakness. With atypical pneumonia, treatment may take longer.

When treated with antibiotics, the intestinal microflora in the body is disrupted, so the doctor prescribes probiotics - RioFlora Immuno, Acipol, Bifiform, Bifidumbacterin, Normobakt, Lactobacterin (see Linex analogues - a list of all probiotic preparations). To remove toxins after completion of therapy, the doctor may prescribe sorbents such as Polysorb, Enterosgel, Filtrum.

If the treatment is effective, the child can be transferred to a general regimen and walks from the 6-10th day of illness, and hardening can be resumed after 2-3 weeks. In mild cases of pneumonia, large physical exercise(sports) are allowed after 6 weeks, with complications after 12 weeks.

Most inflammation in the lungs is called pneumonia. Its reasons are quite diverse. And, despite the fact that pneumonia is most often a complication of other past diseases, it itself causes no less severe consequences, especially if its symptoms are mild and remain without proper attention.

Instructions

1. Pneumonia or inflammation lungs May vary in shape and severity. And its development is facilitated by bacterial, viral or fungal infection, poisoning by inhaled chemicals, toxic substances, as well as various injuries and prolonged bed rest.
2. Damage to lung tissue during pneumonia can be complete or partial. The severity of the disease and its outcome depend on this, since increased blood flow to the inflamed area causes the pulmonary vesicles to be filled with inflammatory effusion and the air to be displaced from them. This in turn leads to compaction of the lung tissue and disruption of gas exchange. Inflammatory process in lungs reversible if timely measures and appropriate treatment are taken. But for this you need to be able to recognize the signs of inflammation lungs.
3. To the main signs of inflammation lungs This includes fever up to 39-40°C, severe chills, and coughing. However, these symptoms are characteristic of many colds, so pain on the side of the chest, when inhaling and exhaling, coughing and sneezing should be most alarming. At first they appear periodically, and then have a constant aching character. Because of this, breathing becomes frequent and shallow, shortness of breath appears. Due to high temperatures, the skin becomes dry and flaky.
4. No less significant sign inflammation lungs there is a blush on the cheeks, more pronounced on the side of the lung affected by the inflammatory process. Herpetic rashes may appear around the lips and nostrils. 2-3 days after the onset of the disease, brownish-rusty sputum begins to be released with a cough. Urine also becomes dark in color and is excreted in small quantities.
5. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, disruption of the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems may occur, which is manifested by rapid heartbeat and headaches. But the most serious consequence is swelling lungs which leads to death. If the course of pneumonia is favorable, improvement occurs on days 7-9.
6. With focal pneumonia, when the inflammatory process involves separate areas lung, symptoms may be mild and most often resemble bronchitis. The disease can continue for a long time, either subsiding or forming new foci of inflammation. Often, due to the lack of proper treatment, focal pneumonia leaves adhesions V lungs.
7. You should consult a doctor at the first questionable pain in the chest. This will allow you to receive timely and correct treatment inflammation lungs and will help avoid all possible complications.

Pneumonia is caused by infection with bacteria, viruses or fungi. There are a lot of microorganisms, including the causative agents of pneumonia, around, they even live in the human mouth, but if the body’s immune system works well, they do not penetrate the respiratory tract. When it weakens, an inflammatory process begins to develop. It is important to identify this disease in time, since it is very dangerous and poses a serious threat to life.

Instructions

1. Pay attention to signs of inflammation lungs: general weakness, profuse sweating, headache and chest pain, shortness of breath, and cough. The cough occurs with colorless sputum, and sometimes interspersed with blood. But these symptoms can also be mild.
2. Sometimes a person with pneumonia will have a change in skin color, becoming darker or redder due to poor oxygen saturation of the blood - this is called cyanosis. First of all, it appears around the mouth. The cheeks can be colored differently - one is brighter than the other.
3. Observe the breathing process. Undress the patient to the waist and ask him to take several deep breaths, then hold his breath and exhale sharply. The half of the chest that is affected by pneumonia moves more slowly or does not move at all.
4. Don’t delay calling a doctor: the sooner he diagnoses inflammation, the faster and easier this disease will pass. Diagnosis begins with listening lungs. The doctor may hear decreased breathing on the affected side inflammation m, moist rales or even friction and dry rales if the pleura is damaged.
5. The doctor also performs percussion on the chest. The place where pneumonia develops has a different sound from a healthy place.
6. The next diagnostic step is fluorography. In the picture lungs you can see the focus of inflammation, and the radiologist may also determine the cause of the disease.
7. Sick children usually do not undergo fluorography until they reach 15 years of age - due to the danger of x-ray exposure. If necessary, the disease is confirmed using an x-ray. The difference between this method and fluorographic examination is that the images lungs can be done from different positions.
8. To diagnose pneumonia, a sputum test is also required. First of all, the laboratory assistant finds out whether the culture of the test substance contains mycobacteria, the causative agents of tuberculosis. Next, sensitivity to antibiotics is determined: those that most effectively fight the pathogen that has affected the patient’s lungs are identified. This is necessary to prescribe treatment.
9. A general blood test is also required for diagnosing the disease, with the help of which the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the number of leukocytes, as well as the content of eosinophils, are calculated.
10. To establish a diagnosis and exclude diseases similar to pneumonia, a large number of special studies are required, which cannot be carried out at home, which means that in case of suspected inflammation lungs You should contact specialists as soon as possible.

How to determine pneumonia?

It is quite difficult to determine pneumonia yourself. At first, the symptoms are practically no different from common acute respiratory viral infections. Therefore, if you have signs of a cold, you should visit a doctor.

How to determine pneumonia at home?

The initial signs of pneumonia include such manifestations as:

1. Temperature increase. Feverish state does not respond well to antipyretic drugs.
2. Dyspnea. This symptom can develop even at low temperatures.
3. Paleness of the skin. Possible blue discoloration in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle.
4. Runny nose. Lasts for several days.
5. Boring dry cough. In this case, an attempt to take a deep breath leads to a coughing attack.

If ARVI continues for more than a week without visible improvement in the patient’s condition, it is likely that pneumonia is developing. In case of inadequate treatment, after significant relief of symptoms, a “second wave” develops.

Signs further development pneumonia

Several signs will tell you how to identify pneumonia as the disease progresses:

1. Pain in the lungs. Gradually the pleura is involved in the process. It, unlike the lungs, has pain receptors.
2. Tachycardia. With lobar form it changes heartbeat, which leads to increased heart rate.
3. Cough with lots of phlegm. Rust-colored sputum is produced, and streaks of blood may appear. As the disease progresses, the sputum becomes purulent-mucous.

Knowing how to identify pneumonia, you should contact an otolaryngologist at the first signs. Delay can lead to death or chronic form diseases with a risk of further development of pathology such as pneumosclerosis - replacement of the lung structure with connective tissue.

Pneumonia in a child is an acute infectious disease that occurs with inflammation of the respiratory sections of the lungs. The disease is accompanied by the accumulation of inflammatory fluid in the pulmonary vesicles-alveoli. Symptoms of pneumonia in children are similar to those in adults, but are supplemented by severe fever and intoxication.

The term “acute pneumonia in children” has fallen out of use in medicine, because the very definition of the disease includes characteristics of an acute process. The International Council of Scientific Experts decided to divide pneumonia into groups based on other characteristics that determine the outcome of the disease.

How dangerous is pneumonia?

Despite the progress made in medicine, the incidence of pneumonia in children remains at a high level. Pneumonia is a deadly, life-threatening condition. Child mortality from pneumonia remains quite high. In the Russian Federation, >up to 1000 children die from pneumonia within a year. Basically, this terrible figure unites infants who died from pneumonia before the age of 1 year.

The main causes of death from pneumonia in children:

• Late parents seeking medical help.
• Late diagnosis and delay in proper treatment.
• The presence of concomitant chronic diseases that worsen the prognosis.

In order to make an accurate diagnosis in time and take measures to treat a dangerous disease, you need to know its external signs - symptoms.

The main symptoms of pneumonia in children:

An increase in body temperature in a child is the first symptom of many diseases, for example, a common viral infection (ARI). In order to recognize pneumonia, you should remember: it is not the height of the fever that plays a significant role, but its duration. Microbial pneumonia is characterized by the continuation of fever for more than 3 days against the background of competent treatment of the viral infection.

If we evaluate the significance of symptoms for diagnosing pneumonia in children, the most dangerous sign will be the appearance of shortness of breath. Shortness of breath and tension of additional muscles - more important signs than the presence of wheezing when listening to the chest.

Cough is a symptom characteristic of pneumonia in children. In the first days of illness, the cough may be dry. As resolved acute inflammation lung tissue, the cough will become productive and moist.

If a child suffering from a viral respiratory infection (ARI) develops similar symptoms, an urgent need to consult a doctor. Underestimating the severity of the baby’s condition can lead to dire consequences – the development of acute respiratory failure and death from pneumonia.

The doctor will examine the little patient, prescribe an examination and effective treatment. Listening to the lungs in the first days of the disease may not reveal characteristic signs of inflammation. The presence of scattered wheezing during auscultation is often a symptom of bronchitis. To clarify the diagnosis if pneumonia is suspected, an x-ray of the lungs is required. X-ray symptoms of pneumonia are darkening (infiltration) of the lung fields, which confirms the diagnosis.

Laboratory symptoms of pneumonia

Valuable information about the fact of inflammation in the body is provided by a general blood test. Signs that increase the presence of pneumonia: high white blood cell count per 1 cubic meter. mm of blood (more than 15 thousand) and an increase in ESR. ESR is the sedimentation rate of red blood cells. This test reflects the amount of inflammatory metabolic products in the fluid part of the blood. The ESR value shows the intensity of any inflammatory processes, including pneumonia.

How to determine the risk of pneumonia in a child?

The following factors have been identified that increase the risk of pneumonia in children:

• Delay in physical and mental development child.
• Low birth weight of a newborn baby.
• Artificial feeding of a baby under 1 year of age.
• Refusal to vaccinate against measles.
• Air pollution (passive smoking).
• Overcrowding in the home where the baby lives.
• Parental smoking, including maternal smoking during pregnancy.
• Lack of the trace element zinc in the diet.
• The mother's inability to care for the baby.
• The presence of concomitant diseases (bronchial asthma, heart disease or digestive system).

What forms can the disease take?

Pneumonia in children varies in causes and mechanism of occurrence. The disease can affect the entire lobe of the lung - this is lobar pneumonia. If inflammation occupies part of a lobe (segment) or several segments, then it is called segmental (polysegmental) pneumonia. If a small group of pulmonary vesicles is affected by inflammation, this variant of the disease will be called “focal pneumonia.”

Doctors divide pneumonia in children according to the conditions of occurrence into home-based (community-acquired) and hospital-acquired (hospital-acquired). Separate forms are intrauterine pneumonia in newborns and pneumonia with a pronounced lack of immunity. Community-acquired (home-acquired) pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs that occurs in normal home conditions. Hospital-acquired (nosocomial) pneumonia are cases of illness that occurred after 2 or more days of a child’s stay in the hospital for another reason (or within 2 days after discharge from there).

The mechanism of development of pneumonia

The entry of the pathogenic microbe into the respiratory tract can occur in several ways: inhalation, flow of nasopharyngeal mucus, spread through the blood. This route of introduction of a pathogenic microbe depends on its type.

The type of pathogen that causes pneumonia in children depends on several factors: the age of the child, the location of the disease, as well as previous treatment with antibiotics. If within 2 months before the present episode the baby has already taken antibiotics, then the causative agent of the current inflammation of the respiratory tract may be atypical. In 30–50% of cases, community-acquired pneumonia in children can be caused by several types of microbes at the same time.

General rules for the treatment of pneumonia in children

The doctor begins treatment of the disease by immediately prescribing antimicrobial drugs to any patient with suspected pneumonia. The location of treatment is determined by the severity of symptoms.

Sometimes, with a mild course of the disease in children of older age groups, treatment at home is possible. The decision about the place of treatment is made by the doctor, based on the patient’s condition.

Indications for hospital treatment of children with pneumonia are: severity of symptoms and high risk of adverse outcome of the disease:

• The child's age is younger than 2 months, regardless of the severity of symptoms.
• The child is under 3 years of age with lobar pneumonia.
• Inflammation of several lobes of the lungs in a child of any age.
• Severe concomitant diseases of the nervous system.
• Pneumonia of newborns (intrauterine infection).
• Low weight of the baby, delay in its development compared to peers.
• Congenital malformations of organs.
• Chronic concomitant diseases (bronchial asthma; heart, lung, kidney diseases; cancer).
• Patients with decreased immunity for various reasons.
• Inability to provide compassionate care and accurately follow all medical prescriptions at home.

Indications for urgent placement of a child with pneumonia in the pediatric intensive care unit:

• Increased number of respirations >60 per 1 min for babies under one year of age, and for children over one year of age shortness of breath >50 per 1 min.
• Retraction of the intercostal spaces and the jugular fossa (the hole at the beginning of the sternum) during respiratory movements.
• Moaning breathing and disruption of the correct breathing rhythm.
• Fever that cannot be treated.
• Impaired consciousness of the child, the appearance of seizures or hallucinations.

With an uncomplicated course of the disease, body temperature decreases in the first 3 days after the start of antibiotic treatment. External symptoms diseases gradually decrease in intensity. Radiological signs of recovery can be seen on photographs of the lungs no earlier than 21 days from the start of antibiotic treatment.

In addition to antimicrobial treatment, the patient must remain in bed and drink plenty of fluids. Expectorant medications are prescribed if necessary.

Prevention of pneumonia

Protection against respiratory viral infection plays an important role in preventing the incidence of pneumonia.

It is possible to vaccinate against the main pathogens of pneumonia in children: Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococcus. Currently, safe and effective vaccine tablets have been developed against microbes that cause pneumonia and bronchitis. Drugs from this class, Bronchovaxom and Ribomunil, have a pediatric dosage. They are prescribed by a doctor to prevent such dangerous disease like pneumonia.