Knowing Symptoms of Pneumonia Can Save a Life?

Answer 1

Every year there are news reports of flu epidemics all over the country, along with deaths from both the flu and pneumonia. Knowing the symptoms of pneumonia can not only help an individual receive prompt care and treatment but can also prevent further illness or death. Types of Pneumonia With the high cost of medical care, many put off going to the doctor for what they believe is simply a cold or the flu. In many cases, what they believed was a simple cold was actually pneumonia. Many people don't really that there are two types of pneumonia. This lack of knowledge often results in failure to seek proper medical treatment. There is bacterial pneumonia and nonbacterial pneumonia. In bacterial pneumonia, symptoms generally occur during or right after a cold or upper respiratory infection. In nonbacterial pneumonia, symptoms may come on suddenly or gradually. Often the patient doesn't even realize they're sick. Symptoms of Pneumonia Just as there are two types of pneumonia, there may also be different symptoms of pneumonia, depending on the type. Being familiar with symptoms of pneumonia can make the difference in getting fast treatment to prevent the pneumonia from escalating into something more serious. Patients with bacterial pneumonia generally have a mucus-producing cough. The mucus may be green or yellow or may have blood in it. They may also have a fever and the chills. Bacterial pneumonia patients may also experience chest pains, with additional pain when coughing. They may also experience difficulty breathing or feel short of breath. Other symptoms include tiredness, weakness, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Nonbacterial pneumonia, which may be referred to as "walking pneumonia", does not exhibit as many symptoms so many sick individuals go untreated for a long time. The most common symptoms of nonbacterial pneumonia are fever and cough. There may be mucus associated with the cough. Some individuals may also experience shortness of breath. What is Pneumonia? Pneumonia results from an inflammation of the lungs usually caused by an infection. However, pneumonia can develop from breathing some chemical fumes. It may affect one lung or both lungs. Although pneumonia may be a mild disease, it also has the potential of becoming a dangerous disease if untreated. If individuals become familiar with the symptoms of pneumonia, it can mean faster treatment and faster recovery.