Pneumonia is an acute infectious disease with inflammation of various structures of the lower respiratory tract - bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli. It can develop as an independent disease and be a complication of other infections. This common ailment often threatens people's lives. In modern medicine, a large number of new antibacterial agents of effective action have been developed, but despite this, in terms of the frequency of deaths, pneumonia takes the first place among infectious diseases. Therefore, the treatment of pneumonia must be approached very thoroughly and seriously.
The cause of pneumonia
The disease is infectious and often its causative agent is various microorganisms - viruses, mycoplasmas, pneumococci. The most dangerous infection is caused by viruses and microbes at the same time. Viruses, getting on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, provoke the development of microbes, which exacerbate the course of the disease. In addition to pathogenic microorganisms, the following factors contribute to the development of pneumonia:
- Age. Over the years, there is a decrease in protective forces and pathogenic bacteria and viruses more easily enter a weakened body.
- Smoking. Tobacco smoke systematically violates the epithelium of the bronchi and alveoli, and this leads to the rapid penetration of the infection into the lungs.
- Alcohol. It helps to reduce immunity and when it is excreted through the lungs, creates an additional load, damages the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.
- Chronic inflammatory processes. A constant infection in the pharynx, nasal cavity, trachea or bronchi, under favorable conditions, goes down and affects the lung tissue.
- Lack of constant physical activity. A person's breathing becomes superficial, stagnation forms in the lungs.
- Surgical intervention. In the postoperative period, the patient remains motionless for a long time, breathes shallowly, with a general weakening of the body, infection can easily enter the respiratory tract.
- Oncological diseases. General depletion of the body and a significant weakening of immunity are fertile ground for infection.
- Inadequate nutrition. Lack of vitamins and minerals also contributes to the development of the disease.
All these factors create good conditions for the development of pathogens, and hence pneumonia itself.
Types of pneumonia
The disease is distinguished by the conditions of development and the reasons for its occurrence, the duration and severity of the disease, by the form of infection. Depending on this, the treatment of pneumonia for each type is selected. The following classification of the disease.
According to the form of infection and the conditions for the development of the disease:
- Community-acquired - arose at home as a complication of other infections.
- Nosocomial - developed in a hospital or two days after discharge. It is resistant to the main antibiotics used.
- Aspiration - the entry of microbes and bacteria from the oral cavity, stomach during vomiting into the respiratory tract.
- Immunodeficiency pneumonia - cancer patients.
According to clinical and morphological characteristics:
- croupous - inflammation is pronounced, covers the entire lobe of the lung and often extends to the pleura;
- focal - inflammation of the lung tissue occurs with the formation of separate foci that can merge into one;
- segmental - an entire segment becomes inflamed, usually has a protracted character;
- interstitial - it is caused by viruses, fungi and mycoplasmas, can be the result of various painful processes in the lungs and, in general, in the body.
By severity:
- Mild - there is a slight inflammation in the lung tissue. All signs are mild.
- Medium - intoxication is moderate. The lung tissue is inflamed.
- Severe - signs of intoxication and respiratory failure are pronounced. Extensive inflammation of the lung tissue.
With the flow:
- acute - the symptoms are pronounced;
- protracted - the disease continues without improvement for a long period;
- chronic - the process of inflammation is sluggish.
Symptoms of pneumonia
The onset of the disease can be acute - high fever rises to forty degrees and poor general condition. And, perhaps, another development of the disease - during the month there is a slight cough and low-grade fever. In the clinical course, it is characterized by three types of symptoms.
Respiratory:
- The cough is dry and unproductive in the first two days, then there is a plentiful discharge of sputum, sometimes rusty in color, which means the presence of red blood cells in it.
- Pain intensified by inhalation in the area of the inflamed lung.
Intoxication of the body:
- Elevated body temperature of 37.5-40 degrees.
- Headaches of varying intensity.
- Feeling unwell - fatigue, lethargy, sleep disturbance, sweating, fatigue, loss of appetite.
Pulmonary insufficiency:
- Dyspnea - characteristic of extensive lung damage, bilateral pneumonia.
- Blue face in the nasolabial fold.
- Superficial, frequent breathing.
Diagnosis of the disease
Before proceeding with the treatment of pneumonia, the doctor prescribes a patient examination. For this, the following events are held:
- Conversation with the patient - the doctor finds out the signs of the onset of the disease, listens to the patient's complaints, the possible causes of the disease.
- Inspection - a visual review of the chest is carried out, its participation in respiratory activity is observed.
- Percussion (tapping) - the doctor determines the affected areas of the lungs by sound.
- Auscultation (listening) - using a stethophonendoscope, the doctor listens to sounds when inhaling and exhaling, determines whether there are wheezing.
- Laboratory studies - a general blood test is prescribed (the presence of leukocytes and ESR is determined), urine (to exclude other infections), sputum (to determine microorganisms).
- Instrumental research (bronchoscopy) - is performed to study the bronchi in complicated forms of pneumonia.
To exclude side diseases (pleurisy, acute bronchitis and tuberculosis), an X-ray examination is prescribed to the patient. Given all the data obtained, as well as taking into account the symptoms and causes that caused the disease, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment for pneumonia.
General method of treating a disease at home
Therapy of pneumonia is always prescribed in a complex: medicinal, physiotherapy and some traditional medicine methods.
To treat such a serious disease, the following rules must be observed:
- Antibacterial agents - they are prescribed for this disease, but the doctor makes a choice individually for each patient, given the causative agent of the disease.
- Bed rest. At the beginning of the disease, it is recommended to spend most of the time in bed. With an improvement in well-being, the wakeful period can be increased.
- When treating pneumonia in adults at home, one should not forget about the disease (flu, ARVI, or another) that caused it. The doctor will prescribe drugs for his treatment.
- Expectorants. To cleanse the lungs, various means are used that dilute and remove sputum during coughing. It is best to use those that are based on herbs.
- Strengthening immunity. Eat more foods of plant origin: fruits and vegetables, you should not refuse low-fat meat and fish. In addition, use vitamin complexes and drugs to strengthen immunity.
- Physiotherapy. In the absence of temperature, do light daily exercises, performing breathing exercises, massage your back and chest. This will help in the treatment of pneumonia at home and will make it possible to avoid complications.
- Drink plenty. It will help to quickly get rid of the infection, bring down the temperature.
- Maintaining a microclimate. The room should be cleaned daily. Monitor air humidity, use a humidifier or wet towels. Repeatedly ventilate the room.
It should be remembered that the disease must be cured to the end, otherwise it can go into a chronic form or give complications.
Treatment of pneumonia with antibiotics
Antibacterial drugs in adults are prescribed taking into account the age of the patient and the severity of the disease. Most often, pneumonia has a bacterial nature, less often its pathogens can be fungi and protozoa. Her treatment usually begins immediately upon treatment by the patient, without waiting for the final test results. For this, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used. The selected antibiotic is not changed for three days until a response to sputum bacanalysis is received even if it is not effective. This is the shortest time to reach the maximum concentration in the blood of the drug, so that it begins to affect the affected focus.
Such therapy is usually carried out:
- For patients up to 60 years of age with a mild illness and the treatment of pneumonia at home, Avelox or Tavanic and Doxycycline are used.
- Persons under 60 years of age with moderate pneumonia and having diseases in a chronic form, as well as patients over 60 years of age, are prescribed Avelox and Ceftriaxone.
- In case of a disease that has a severe form of the course, Levofloxacin or Tavanic and Ceftriaxone or Fortum are prescribed for any age. Sometimes they use Sumamed.
- In extremely difficult situations, when hospitalizing a patient in intensive care, they use “Sumamed” + “Tavanik”, “Fortum” + “Tavanik”, “Targotsid” + “Meropenem”.
Antibiotic treatment lasts from seven to ten days as prescribed and under the supervision of a physician.
Other drugs for treating pneumonia
In addition to antibiotics, the following therapy is used to treat pneumonia in adults:
- To combat cough, prescribe drugs that thin the sputum and promote expectoration: "Lazolvan", "Bromhexine", "ACC", "Fluimucil".
- In the treatment of shortness of breath, drugs that have a bronchodilating effect are suitable - Berotek, Salbutamol, Berodual.
- If necessary, prescribe infusion treatment using glucose or saline solutions.
- Immunomodulating treatment using immunoglobulins: Octagam, Pentaglobin, Intraglobin is carried out to patients with acute pneumonia in serious conditions.
- In the treatment of pneumonia with a temperature of more than 38 degrees give antipyretic drugs.
- Antibiotics, in addition to pathogenic microorganisms, also destroy beneficial bacteria, therefore, to prevent intestinal dysbiosis, “Subtil”, “Bifiform” are prescribed
- To restore the body, all patients are recommended to take vitamin complexes.
All treatment should follow the doctor’s recommendations and, with his knowledge, can be supplemented with traditional medicine recipes.
Symptoms and treatment of adult pneumonia caused by viruses
Such pneumonia occurs sharply - chills, headache, aching, nausea appear, the temperature rises instantly. At the same time, signs of nasal congestion quickly appear, paroxysmal dry, and then cough with sputum, in which streaks of blood appear. The disease proceeds mainly in two forms: influenza and hemorrhagic. Viral pneumonia is more severe than bacterial pneumonia. Depending on the size of the inflammation and the severity of the symptoms of the disease, the patient may be placed in a hospital. Treatment of viral pneumonia is primarily aimed at eliminating the root cause, therefore prescribe antiviral agents that depend on the pathogen: Rimantadine, Acyclovir, Ganciclovir, Ribavirin. In addition, respiratory disease is treated, for this use:
- Bronchodilators - “Eufillin” and “Berodual”. They relieve spasm of the bronchi and help with shortness of breath.
- Expectorant - to facilitate the discharge of sputum: Ascoril, Ambroxol.
- Mucolytics - for thinning mucus: “Herbion”, “Bromhexine”.
The treatment of viral pneumonia with symptomatic therapy does not differ from the medicines used to treat the bacterial form. These include:
- anti-inflammatory drugs that stop pain and inflammation;
- analgesics, eliminate cough pain.
Antibiotics are prescribed for bacterial infections or purulent complications.
The use of folk remedies for the treatment of the disease
Folk remedies in addition to drug treatment give a good result.
There are many prescriptions for treating various symptoms of pneumonia. The following recipes are suitable for the treatment of pneumonia with folk remedies:
- Sea salt. Grind an aloe leaf, add a teaspoon of sea salt and take a tablespoon before meals three times a day. It will help with coughing.
- Oats Pour a glass of washed oats with a liter of milk, cook for an hour over low heat. Strain, add oil and honey. Drink hot at night. Strengthens the immune system.
- Pharmacy chamomile. Pour boiling water over three tablespoons of dry raw materials and leave for three hours, strain. Drink instead of tea. Relieves inflammation.
- Calendula. For the treatment of pneumonia in adults, a decoction is used: pour two tablespoons of dry grass with a glass of water. Drink like tea. Calendula has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Lavender, pine, eucalyptus oil. Mix and rub into chest and back. At normal temperature, massage. Promotes sputum discharge.
Life after pneumonia
The consequences of the disease adversely affect the condition of the whole organism. High fever, bouts of excruciating cough, antibiotics and many other drugs weaken the person and his immune system. For rehabilitation, it is necessary to carry out rehabilitation treatment after pneumonia and follow simple rules:
- Exclude hypothermia. Exposure to cold can cause a new disease. However, walks in the fresh air are absolutely necessary. They improve lung function, train the heart.
- Proper nutrition. It will help restore a weakened body. To do this, introduce into the diet more fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat.
- Eliminate stressful situations. They have a bad effect on the general condition. Do not overwork at work, you need to find time to relax.
- Breathing exercises. It helps with the rehabilitation treatment of pneumonia in adults at home to establish gas exchange in the lungs. To do this, you need to: read aloud, pronounce tongue twisters, do hand swings, squat.
- Swimming. Two weeks after closing the sick leave, you can visit the pool. Swimming perfectly affects the whole body.
- Massage. Its effect: adhesions in the lungs decrease, lymph and blood circulation normalizes, chest mobility resumes. As a result of this, a person's well-being becomes better.
- The use of folk methods. After the disease, a dry cough may return, so the time-tested recipes will help in the treatment after pneumonia. The use of rasters, tinctures, decoctions and teas will help to recover faster, but if the cough does not go away for a long time, you should consult a doctor.
Complications after pneumonia
Often, after a pneumonia, a complication develops. The main thing is to timely identify it and prescribe the appropriate treatment, because sometimes it is much more dangerous than the underlying disease. After inflammatory processes, there is a decrease in the area of lung tissue, which functions normally. As a result, there is a lack of oxygen in the blood and weakened organs react to this. All complications are divided into two types:
- Pulmonary - pulmonary edema, pleurisy, respiratory failure, asthmatic syndrome, chronic bronchitis.
- Extrapulmonary - myocarditis, hepatitis, cyanosis of the mucous membranes, meningitis, pericarditis.
During the recovery period, a temperature of about 37 degrees can be maintained for a while, which is normal. Over time, she passes herself. But this fact must be reported to the doctor.
It is very important to notice the symptoms of the disease and seek help. Therefore, it is strictly necessary to continue to comply with all the doctor’s instructions after treatment of pneumonia.