Pneumonia Treatment

Treatment should be initiated in the hospital under the supervision of a pulmonologist or general practitioner and will depend on the causative agent since pneumonia can be caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria. Usually, the treatment of this disease begins in the hospital, to prevent it from progressing and becoming complicated, and then the individual is sent home with some recommendations to follow.

Generally, pneumonia of viral origin is the easiest to treat, because the body is able to eliminate it naturally, without the need to use antibiotics or because it has a natural defense against the most common viruses or because it has been vaccinated, for example. Most of the time it is treated at home with basic care such as resting and drinking lots of fluids.

On the other hand, in cases of bacterial pneumonia, the treatment must be carried out with the use of antibiotics, because the organism cannot cure the disease by itself. In these cases, it is common for the person to be hospitalized to start using antibiotics directly in the vein, before performing treatment at home.

How the Treatment is Done at Home

At home it is very important to keep all the indications, using all the medications prescribed by the doctor. In addition to this, it is necessary to take other care to accelerate the treatment such as:

• Avoid leaving home at the beginning of the treatment, in the first 3 to 5 days, depending on the type of pneumonia, and even if there is no manifestation of symptoms, it is possible to transmit the disease to other people;
• Take the medication at the correct times and doses, according to the medical prescription;
• Drink about 2 liters of water a day, to avoid dehydration;
• Avoid the use of cough medicines, without a doctor's indication;
• Wear appropriate clothing at the temperature, avoiding sudden changes.

Not in all cases, pneumonia is contagious, but its transmission is more frequent in cases of viral pneumonia, even during treatment. Therefore, patients should use mouth covers and avoid coughing or sneezing near other people, especially children, the elderly, or patients with immunosuppressive diseases such as lupus or HIV. It is also important to remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use alcohol gel, reducing the chances of transmission.

The treatment can take up to 21 days and, during this period, it is advisable to go to the hospital in case the symptoms get worse or if they do not improve after 5 to 7 days, mainly fever and tiredness. The cough, which is usually dry or poorly secreted, usually persists for a few more days, but with the use of medications or mists prescribed by the doctor, they improve rapidly.

How the Treatment is Performed in the Hospital

Treatment in the hospital is more common in cases of bacterial pneumonia since the disease evolves rapidly and can aggravate its prognosis and put the patient's life at risk. This is why hospitalization is important, so that the person receives the medications directly intravenously, maintaining a constant evaluation of all vital signs until the disease is controlled, which can take up to 3 weeks.

In addition to this, during hospitalization, it may be necessary to place an oxygen mask to decrease the work of the lungs and facilitate recovery.

In the most severe cases, which are frequent in the elderly, children or patients with autoimmune diseases, the disease can evolve a lot and prevent the functioning of the lungs, being necessary to stay hospitalized in the intensive care unit to ensure breathing with the use of a mechanical fan, which is a machine that replaces the lung during treatment.

Signs of Improvement

Signs of improvement are decreased respiratory distress and decreased fever. In addition to this, when there is the production of secretions it is possible to observe how the color is altered, since at the beginning it is usually greenish, and as the disease is cured the secretions are cleared becoming yellow, then whitish and finally transparent until it disappears completely.

Signs of Getting Worse

Signs that indicate that pneumonia is getting worse are more frequent when treatment does not start quickly or when the person suffers from an autoimmune disease and includes: increased cough with phlegm, presence of blood in the secretions, increase in temperature body and greater respiratory difficulty.

Know some home remedies that can facilitate and complement medical treatment.