Pneumonia is a common infection that affects one of both the lungs in individuals and this condition is caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria. Before antibiotics for pneumonia were discovered this condition resulted in a number of deaths. At present every year around 3 million fresh pneumonia cases are observed in United States. There are different types of pneumonia and the pneumonia symptoms helps in identifying the form of pneumonia.
Pneumonia symptoms are caused by breathing in of small droplets containing the organisms responsible for causing pneumonia. These droplets get in the air when a person suffering from this infection coughs or sneezes. In some other cases the bacteria and viruses present in the mouth or nose and throat may enter the lungs and cause this infection.
The pneumonia symptoms initially begin with cold which is followed by high fever. A person suffering from pneumonia may experience shaking chills along with cough that has sputum production. The sputum produced may be discolored and in some cases it may also be bloody. Shortness of breath is often experienced by those suffering from this condition. Patients also tend to experience clammy skin because of the fever and chills.
Chest pain may also be one of the pneumonia symptoms and this may be experienced if the outer pleural areas of lungs are also involved. The pain in many cases tends to worsen whenever the patients take deep breaths and this is called pleuritic pain. In many cases the onset of the symptoms may be quite slow. In some other cases nausea and vomiting along with diarrhea may also be experienced.
In some cases the only pneumonia symptoms that may be experienced include worsening cough along with muscle aches and headaches. In many patients coughing may not be a major symptom as the infection may be located in the lung areas that are farther away from the airways. Some patients may experience change in the skin color and it may becomes slightly purplish or dusky. This condition is called cyanosis and occurs because of poor oxygenation of blood.
The pneumonia symptoms in babies and children may include fever along with lethargy and an overall feeling of illness. The diagnosis of this condition can be done through physical examination of the patient along with observation of the symptoms and also through some tests. Often the doctor can detect crackling sounds or coarse breathing when he uses a stethoscope while listening to the chest sounds. A chest x-ray can also help in confirming the pneumonia diagnosis. Examination of sputum samples can also help in detecting this condition.
There are some other tests that can help in identifying this condition. These include blood tests which measure the white blood cell count along with tests to measure the level of oxygen in the blood. Antibiotics may be prescribed for the treatment of this condition and these include amoxicillin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin along with penicillin. Some over the counter medicines may also help in treating specific pneumonia symptoms such as fever, headaches and body pain.
