Among adolescents, pneumonia of the community-acquired and nosocomial type is found. In all cases, the main pathogens are: viruses, bacteria, candida fungi.
Doctors say that usually the disease of pneumonia in adolescents is associated with previous diseases. It can be measles, simple flu, salmonellosis, scarlet fever and so on. In a separate group, chlamydial and ureaplasmosis pneumonia are distinguished. These types of diseases are quite common among adolescents. How does pneumonia begin? Symptoms in adolescents are presented below.
Causes
The risk factors that provoke the development of pneumonia in adolescents are usually attributed to:
- the presence of bad habits;
- contact with sick people.
Of course, children at school age suffer from pneumonia not as often as it could be before. If infection does occur, then the main pathogens will be pneumococci and chlamydia. Mycoplasmas and their various atypical forms are also sometimes found. It is this age group that suffers most from the prolonged course of pneumonia, which cannot be said about adults or newborn children.
In any case, everything is determined by the state of the immune system, so it is important to take measures to strengthen it.
Symptoms
If we talk about the main symptoms of pneumonia in adolescents, then they depend on the causes that provoked the onset of the disease. It is also important to consider a person’s age and general health. The course can be sharp or in a latent form. Some patients have signs that are called classic. Others suffer from atypical pneumonia. Inflammation of the lungs is too difficult in older people, since the main organ of the respiratory system is affected by well-defined complications. This group includes those who have a weakened immune system and, of course, children. The latter category is at risk due to not quite developed immunity.
The number of pneumonia in children varies with their age. For example, very young people get sick several times more often than children from the older category.
Specialists talk about symptoms of pneumonia in adolescents, which differ depending on age. Also, do not forget about the etiology and area of the spread of the inflammatory reaction. Of course, for newborn children and adolescents, the signs of pneumonia are completely different from each other.
Key features
Signs of pneumonia in adolescents are similar to adults. Patients noted:
- a sharp increase in temperature to 39 degrees and above (it is not possible to bring down antipyretic drugs for a long period of time);
- constant feeling of weakness;
- excessive sweating;
- a significant decrease in appetite (provokes weight loss);
- lack of interest in activities that previously caused great joy;
- general malaise takes a more pronounced form.
Additional symptoms
In some cases, a teenager may develop insufficient functioning of the respiratory system. This is due to the spread of the inflammatory process to large areas of the lungs, or, in the presence of certain features in the child. Of course, such situations develop only with advanced forms of inflammation and with untimely seeking medical help. This leads to coughing with pneumonia.
In order to avoid negative consequences during the course of the disease, it is recommended that when at least one of the listed symptoms of pneumonia occurs in adolescents, the child should be taken to a doctor immediately. The sooner treatment is started, the sooner he will return to his usual life.
Roentgenography
If a teenager has symptoms resembling pneumonia, then the attending physician will certainly send him for chest x-ray. The diagnosis will be confirmed if a significant lung lesion is noted in the acute phase of the disease, or if the pleura is involved in the course of the inflammatory process. If the course is too complicated, the doctor will repeat the x-ray again before discharge.
Peripheral blood count
Peripheral blood is taken for analysis in all people who may have pneumonia. This means that this item is the same for adults and adolescents. With pronounced leukocytosis, you can immediately say about the presence of a bacterial focus. If leukopenia occurs, then this is considered as an unfavorable prognostic sign for the course of the disease.
Blood chemistry
Another standard diagnostic method for pneumonia is associated with a biochemical blood test. Typically, such a fence is made in adolescents with a severe course of the disease who require urgent hospitalization in a hospital. After receiving the results, the doctor draws attention to the liver enzymes, as well as the level of urea and creatinine. For adolescents, an acid-base state of the blood is often assessed quite often .
Drug treatment
The main purpose of the treatment of pneumonia in children is associated with the complete destruction of all pathogens that provoked the development of pneumonia. It is important to remember that traditional medicine cannot give the proper result, therefore it is best to completely abandon this technique. In most cases, this disease is bacterial. After examinations, doctors prescribe a course of antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Flemoxin, Mezlociollin, Eritomycin, Clarithromycin, Ceftriaxone, etc.). The selection of medicines is carried out exclusively by a qualified specialist, since the dosage should correspond to the age of the adolescent and the severity of pneumonia. A few days are enough to improve the patient's condition. This appointment is suitable only for children in adolescence or adults. Adolescents are advised to take appropriate therapy for several weeks.
Antibiotics to help
As already mentioned, thanks to antibiotics, it is possible to remove the symptoms of the disease in a short time, but there is no talk of the complete destruction of the infection. That is why the attending physician forbids stopping the use of drugs, even if the patient is much better. The completion of the course of therapy occurs only after repeated x-rays of the lungs and the results of laboratory tests.
Conditions for a successful cure
Medication can be considered successful if the patient:
- the temperature drops to normal levels (below 37 degrees);
- dysbiosis, intoxication of the body does not occur;
- dyspnea and sweating have completely gone;
- cough does not produce sputum;
- a sense of appetite normalized;
- the leukocyte formula has improved (neutrophils should not be more than 80%).
Parents of adolescents are not recommended to self-medicate and at the first sign they should immediately seek qualified medical help. Otherwise, complications may develop, and the patient will have to be hospitalized for a longer period. Sometimes, for this reason, deaths are noted.
Hospitalization
Hospitalization of a teenager with pneumonia can be indicated after evaluating certain factors. This is the age of the patient and the severity of the disease itself. If pneumonia occurs in a mild form, then the child is allowed to go home for treatment. In some cases, the doctor must take into account the participation of the patient's body systems in the disease process. For example, sometimes against the background of such inflammation, the liver may be enlarged, or difficulties with breathing function begin. The presence of such symptoms always requires emergency hospitalization.
Several options are used to treat pneumonia in adolescents. We are talking about symptomatic and etiological directions. The latter helps to destroy directly the focus of infection, which caused the development of the disease. Most patients (approximately 70%) suffer from pneumonia, which is associated with staphylococci and streptococci. For symptomatic treatment, relief of the immediate signs of the manifestation of the disease is characteristic. The main task of doctors is to provide improved filtration of the lungs, so that the body can fully saturate with oxygen.
Even with the onset of an improvement in the general condition, the patient is advised to observe bed rest and ensure a constant flow of cool air into the room where he is. It is important to monitor the level of humidity so that the air masses are not too dry. As for the drinking regime, it is better to use an exceptionally warm liquid, but not boiling water. Do not forget about taking extra vitamins.
Alternative treatment
If a teenager has a mild form of pneumonia and this is confirmed by specialists, then it is possible to conduct treatment with alternative methods. There are many ways, it remains only to choose the one that works best:
- Mix an equal amount of onion juice with honey, consume 1 teaspoon before meals.
- A decoction helps well, for its preparation it is necessary to cut an aloe leaf, mix with 100 ml of water and 200 g of flower honey. Cook in a water bath for about 10 minutes. Take a tablespoon at night.
- From black radish to make something like a pot with a mug. Place honey, preferably lime, inside the fruit, leave the radish to soak for about 2-3 hours. After that, honey is saturated with the beneficial properties of the root crop and becomes a therapeutic syrup that helps with pneumonia. The resulting medicine should be taken orally by 1 teaspoon 2 times a day. The course of admission is 5 days.
- Place wheat bran in a large amount of water and cook until the consistency acquires a thick and uniform state. Spread the resulting mass with a layer of about 2 centimeters on the linen cloth, sprinkle the grated garlic over the slurry, then curl the cloth in half, apply to the patient’s chest, keep the compress cool.
- Take a few sheets of cabbage, put in boiling water for about 5 minutes, remove the leaves from the water, knead a little and attach them to the patient’s neck, the patient should first be insulated.
- After a meal, eat one tablespoon of honey, preferably buckwheat or linden, but floral is also suitable. After that, do not drink or eat for about 30 minutes, this method will contribute to the anti-inflammatory effect.
- Chop 2 onions, mix with one glass of milk and simmer on fire for 5 minutes. Before use, let the mixture brew for 4 hours. Drink one tablespoon every three hours.
- There is a jam made of pine cones, washed down with hot herbal tea.
- Brew herb St. John's wort, thyme, coltsfoot and take 2 tablespoons 3 times a day.
- Mixes flour, honey, sunflower oil and, as a compress, is applied to the back and chest.
- Take two dried figs and pour 1 cup of milk, simmer until the fruit becomes soft. Take daily one glass a day.
- Pour crushed raisins with hot boiled water and bring to a boil over low heat. Allow the broth to cool, strain it and use a glass three times a day.
It is best to combine drug and folk methods to avoid the consequences of pneumonia, which arise with insufficient therapy.
Prevention
Everyone is not immune from the development of pneumonia. It manifests itself after hypothermia of the body, even if it was completely insignificant. Everyone knows the most common signs of this disease. The pathological condition develops even against the background of a common cold, but only if it has not been treated. If a person tolerates flu and other diseases on his legs, then in most cases this leads to the development of pneumonia.
Specialists single out a whole group of people who are most susceptible to this ailment. We are talking about those who smoke a lot and are addicted to alcohol. At risk are people who do not smoke, but inhale tobacco smoke.
If there is a desire to completely protect the body from pneumonia, it is recommended to lead a healthy lifestyle and actively strengthen the immune system at any time of the year. With the onset of the cold season, it is important to take special care of health. To maintain the immune system, preference should be given to proven recipes of traditional medicine.
If the problem has not passed by, then it is important to adhere to all the recommendations of the doctor and observe the treatment regimen. Thanks to modern methods of treatment and medicines, you can quickly eliminate the symptoms of the disease, and prevent the development of complications of pneumonia, which occur with improper treatment. It is worth remembering that the disease can lead to complications such as pleurisy, pulmonary edema or abscess, acute cardiopulmonary failure, myocarditis, endocarditis, meningoencephalitis, meningitis, sepsis, toxic toxic shock, etc.