Pneumonia Explained: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

We associate cough, fever, flu, shortness of breath and extreme fatigue with pneumonia most of the time. Though these symptoms seem pretty common and can be mistaken for the common flu, there are subtle but important differences when the infection is due to different pathogenic agents.

What Causes Bacterial Pneumonia?

This is pretty self explanatory- it is caused by bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae or Pneumococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae etc. The symptoms are as follows-

• Cough and coloured phlegm is present
• Severe chills and high fever
• Breathlessness
• Extreme fatigue
• Not having an appetite
• Chest pain
• Blue coloured lips or nails

You or anyone you know will then be prescribed antibiotics.

Viral Pneumonia Symptoms And Treatments

Viruses like the Influenza causing viruses, coronaviruses,rhinoviruses, adenoviruses or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are commonly incriminated in this case. The symptoms are very similar here. Stay on top of your vaccination schedules. You may be prescribed antiviral drugs like oseltamivir, zanamivir, ribavirin or peramivir, if infection is severe. Stay home and you will feel better soon. Catch up on some of your favourite books or TV series to kill time. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone at school or work.

Fungal Pneumonia: Causes And Risk Factors

Fungi like Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, Mucor or Pneumocystis can cause infection in the lungs. This is mostly due to inhaled spores which begin to grow in the humid and nutrient rich environment that is the lungs. Antifungal drugs like triazoles, amphotericin, sulfamethoxazole or echinocandins are prescribed for treatment.

How Is Pneumonia Diagnosed And Treated?

Waiting to get better is a bad idea as fluid may accumulate in the lungs. Some of the diagnostic tests used include-

• Sputum or lung fluid culture.
• Imaging- a chest X-Ray or a CT scan is pretty informative if done and interpreted by an experienced clinician.
• Blood tests can be done too, but elevated white blood cell counts are not very conclusive.
• Pulse oximetry to check for oxygenation of blood is done routinely.
• Real time imaging using a bronchoscope- to check the airways and the lungs themselves.

Pneumonia Complications In High-Risk Groups

Anyone who is above 65 years of age, has AIDS, is diabetic or has any other comorbidity or very young children and infants are all at high risk of contracting an infection. When not treated in a timely manner, complications occur. The pathogen can escape into the blood and infect other parts of the body like the brain, heart, liver or even the spleen. Kidney failure has also been reported in some cases. Other less alarming complications include the formation of lung abscesses, septicemia or accumulation of fluid called pleural effusion.

Conclusion

Pneumonia affects over 23% of the Indian population, when measured on a global scale and childhood pneumonia is a major area of concern. Remember to be vigilant and look out for your loved ones. Teach older individuals about symptoms they need to watch out for, and be watchful for such symptoms in children. Getting tested on time can mean proper treatment and a much lesser risk of developing complications.