Pneumonia is a fairly common diagnosis that causes anxiety and fear in most patients. And not in vain, because untimely diagnosis, lack of treatment leads to serious complications, in the worst case - to death.
Dabout the invention of antibiotics, mortality was extremely high, every third person died from pneumonia. To date, the situation has changed, the right treatment allows you to avoid complications, leading to a complete recovery.
Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the first signs of pneumonia in adults and immediately consult a doctor.
Pneumonia in adults - causes
The diagnosis of pneumonia means an acute inflammatory process in the lung tissue, which is manifested by respiratory failure, cough, fever.
The body has protective mechanisms to fight infection. When bacteria enter the respiratory tract, cells of the immune system neutralize it, thereby preventing inflammation. If the immune system is weakened, the microbes freely penetrate the lungs, which leads to pneumonia.
The main causes of pneumonia in adults include:
• Bacteria. Two-thirds of all pneumonia are caused by streptococci, hemophilic bacillus, staphylococci, mycoplasma, chlamydia. This group responds well to antibiotic treatment.
• Viruses. Only 10-15% of pneumonia is of viral origin, most often they occur after acute respiratory viral infections.
• Fungal infections are extremely rare, they indicate a strong weakening of the immune system.
An important role is played by risk factors, in the presence of which the risk of developing the disease significantly increases.
• Elderly people. With age, the body's defenses are weakening, pneumonia has a severe course, leading to complications.
• Smoking. Tobacco smoke makes the respiratory system more vulnerable to bacteria.
• Chronic inflammatory processes in the lungs (bronchitis, asthma).
• Immunodeficiency conditions.
• Diabetes.
• Frequent hypothermia, acute respiratory viral infections are the main causes of pneumonia in adults.
• Occupational hazards (dust, work in mines, in chemical plants without adequate protection).
Symptoms of pneumonia in adults - how not to miss the onset of the disease
The manifestations of pneumonia are diverse, they depend on the aggressiveness of the pathogen, the state of the human immune system, age. In some cases, the first signs of pneumonia in adults are easily overlooked or confused with a common SARS, as the clinical picture may be erased. It is very important when the first symptoms occur, consult a doctor who, with the help of additional diagnostic methods, will confirm or exclude the diagnosis.
The main symptoms are:
• Cough. It can be dry or wet. For further diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia in adults, the color of sputum separated by cough is important. Yellow, green color indicates a bacterial nature, transparent or white - more characteristic for viral lung damage.
• An increase in body temperature is a protective reaction to the ingress of a microbe into the body. Most often, these are high numbers (38.5 ° C or more), which are difficult to treat with antipyretic drugs.
• Sweating, increased heart rate are additional symptoms of pneumonia in adults.
• Dyspnea intensifies during physical exertion.
• Pain in the chest is most often associated with a cough, indicating the involvement of the pleura in the process of inflammation.
• Muscle pain, weakness, loss of appetite.
• Hemoptysis - an unfavorable sign of pneumonia in adults. Blood in the sputum appears due to rupture of small vessels with a strong dry cough, is also a symptom of more serious diseases: tuberculosis, lung cancer.
Note! Sometimes pneumonia has an erased course - without an increase in temperature. Only weakness, loss of appetite, rapid breathing, periodic cough are noteworthy. In this case, the diagnosis is confirmed only radiographically.
How to diagnose pneumonia?
Diagnosis with a typical course of the disease for an experienced doctor is not difficult. It is much harder to suspect pneumonia when the main symptoms are absent: fever, cough, chest pain. In this case, instrumental and laboratory diagnostic methods come to the rescue.
• A complete blood count is the easiest way to determine if there are changes in the body and what research to do next. An increase in SOE indicates an inflammatory process in the body. If leukocytosis is observed, it is most likely a bacterial infection, with an increase in lymphocytes, a viral infection.
• In a biochemical blood test for pneumonia, acute phase proteins are determined. Renal and hepatic indices (creatinine, urea, AST, ALT) also play an important role.
• An X-ray of the organs of the chest cavity allows you to see the foci of inflammation in the lungs. Depending on their number, size, location, you can judge the severity of the disease.
Note! An important criterion for the effectiveness of the treatment of pneumonia in adults is the radiological dynamics. If the changed areas increase, there are more of them, this indicates the need to change the patient management tactics.
• Bacterioscopy, bacterioscopy of sputum with a determination of sensitivity to antibiotics. Sputum is collected before antibiotics are taken. This analysis allows you to determine the causative agent of pneumonia, also a medicine that will be most effective in a particular case.
• Additional research methods - CT, MRI of the chest cavity. They are necessary in the presence of complications, for differential diagnosis with other diseases.
How to treat pneumonia?
Treating pneumonia in adults is a complex process. Here a lot depends on the doctor as well as on the patient’s willingness to follow all the necessary recommendations.
It is very important not to self-medicate even with mild symptoms, this can lead to a protracted course, serious complications.
In addition to drug treatment, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
• During the entire period of the illness, the patient must comply with bed rest.
• Drinking plenty of water is the main method of detoxification in patients with mild pneumonia. A large amount of liquid helps to remove toxins, the decay products of bacteria.
• If the patient is in a serious condition, detoxification solutions are also administered intravenously.
• Diet during the disease sparing, enriched with fruits, vegetables. Sweets should be ruled out, as this is a good breeding ground for germs.
Drug treatment of bacterial pneumonia in adults begins with the choice of an antibiotic. The doctor prescribes the drug immediately, without waiting for the results of the bacterial sowing.
1. In mild cases, preference is given to protected penicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins.
2. Severe forms require a combination of several antibiotics: macrolides, fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins.
3. Efficiency is evaluated after 2-3 days. If the condition has not improved, this is a direct indication to change the group of drugs.
4. For viral pneumonia, antiviral agents are necessary; for fungal pneumonia, antimycotic agents are necessary.
5. Expectorant drugs will help sputum discharge with a wet cough.
6. To strengthen the immune system, vitamins, immunomodulators are indicated.
7. With severe shortness of breath, bronchial obstruction, inhalation with bronchodilators is recommended.
Primary and secondary prevention of pneumonia in adults
Preventing the disease is much easier than treating it. Therefore, the prevention of pneumonia in adults should be taken seriously.
Primary prevention is aimed at preventing the development of the disease. If you follow simple rules, you can avoid the occurrence of pneumonia.
1. Strengthening immunity through hardening, walking in the fresh air.
2. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe multivitamins, fortifying drugs (echinacea).
3. Moderate physical activity, mainly aerobic: walking, running, swimming, cycling.
4. Fractional nutrition with enough vegetables and fruits.
5. Quitting smoking
6. Vaccination. The introduction of the vaccine is a moot point, because microorganisms constantly mutate, new strains appear, there is a risk of a completely different bacterium or virus entering the body.
Secondary prevention of pneumonia falls on the shoulders of both the patient and the doctor. All actions are aimed at preventing the recurrence of the disease. Clinical examination is added to the above points of primary prevention, that is, accounting for patients who have suffered pneumonia. They are required to take an X-ray of the lungs once a year, after recovery, with a periodicity of a month, take a general blood test.
