Pneumonia is an infection that affects the lungs and this condition may be caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses. Those suffering from pneumonia may be wondering what is walking pneumonia and how it is different from normal pneumonia. Walking pneumonia is a fairly common condition and is called atypical pneumonia. There are as many as 2 million individuals in United States that suffer from this condition every year.

Walking pneumonia is a condition wherein the patient suffering from this infection does not need to be hospitalized or remain bedridden. To understand what is walking pneumonia it is important to learn more about this condition. Walking pneumonia is caused by the mycoplasma pneumoniae organism. This infection is rather prevalent among children with around 70 to 75% cases belonging to the age group of 5 to 16.

Better understanding of what is walking pneumonia can also be got from learning more about the associated symptoms. There may not be many symptoms in the initial stages of walking pneumonia. The symptoms associated with this condition include lethargy which includes a sudden reduction in the energy levels along with sudden chills.

People suffering from walking pneumonia also tend to experience cold and the severity of this cold goes on increasing with time. This is because eventually the disease tends to reach the patient’s chest and this is the aspect that differentiates common cold from walking pneumonia. Some other symptoms that can help understand what is walking pneumonia include a persistent runny nose and headaches.

The headaches in the case of walking pneumonia may be between mild to severe and these may also be accompanied with fever and throat problems like rashes in the throat area. Pain in the ear, muscles, chest, eye and the abdominal region may also be experienced. In some cases patients may experience rapid and shallow breathing because of the fatigue along with sore throat due to cough.

The most prominent symptoms associated with this condition take around 1 to almost 3 weeks before they surface. Initially the patient tends to experience loss of energy levels and exhaustion. Before this the patient may not display any really significant symptoms associated with this condition. For understanding what is walking pneumonia the treatment for this condition should also be understood.

While walking pneumonia may not require a person to remain bedridden it can get rather annoying. Antibiotics are required for treating walking pneumonia. The medicines prescribed are determined based on the current condition of the patient. In case the patient is mobile certain antibiotics may be prescribed. The antibiotics that may be prescribed include azithromycin, arithromycin, tetracycline and clarithromycin. In case the condition of the patient has become worse the patient may be administered the drugs intravenously.

This infection is contagious and can spread from an infected person to a healthy individual through airborne droplets. If an infected person sneezes or coughs then the droplets in the fluid from mouth and nose can serve as the medium for the transmission. It is advisable for those suffering from this condition to religiously follow the treatment prescribed by the doctor.

While understanding what is walking pneumonia it is advisable for patients to realize that this condition is contagious. So it is advisable for patients to wear a mask to cover their nose and mouth. Likewise the patients should avoid eating oily food.