It doesn’t need a season or an epidemic to appear and take down innocent, healthy people.
One of the complicating factors of pneumonia is that it is often mistaken for the flu or even the common cold, at least early in the cycle of the illness. The type of pneumonia and the severity of the symptoms usually determine whether a person seeks medical attention.
As with any other illness, quick and appropriate treatment can have a significant impact on the duration and severity of symptoms.
Viral vs. Bacterial Pneumonia
Understanding the different kinds of pneumonia can help us appreciate why some people are struck down by the illness, while others walk around completely asymptomatic. For starters, it’s important to look at how both viral and bacterial pneumonia present in patients.
Viral pneumonia is typically less extreme in its related symptoms than bacterial pneumonia and is often mistaken for the flu. Viral pneumonia is frequently diagnosed as “walking pneumonia,” or mild or moderate pneumonia and is not responsive to antibiotic treatments. Bacterial pneumonia is more often the culprit for hospitalization.
Because of the sneaky nature of pneumonia in its multiple forms, many affected people are unaware that they have it. Walking pneumonia is particularly difficult to identify without a medical examination because it mimics a bad cold or flu. As a result, sufferers often continue to try to carry on with typical daily tasks, adding insult to injury.
Be Aware - Six Pneumonia Symptoms You Don’t Want to Miss
Pneumonia is one of those conditions that warrants medical attention sooner, rather than later. Because some of its symptoms may be present with the flu, it is important to see a physician as soon as these symptoms present themselves. A doctor can distinguish between the two illnesses and help you ensure you have a quick and complete recovery. This is especially important because patients who do not fully heal may relapse if not treated properly.
Below are some of the warning signs that pneumonia could be plaguing you.
- Shortness of breath: This is a trademark symptom of pneumonia, and if you experience difficulty taking a deep breath or feel breathless with minor activity, it could be pneumonia. Sometimes sufferers only experience this symptom when climbing stairs. It does not have to be a constant ailment to indicate pneumonia is in the lungs.
- Cough: Pneumonia is nearly always accompanied by a persistent cough. This cough can range from a dry, unproductive cough (as with walking pneumonia) to a violent, mucus or pus-producing cough. In some cases, sufferers have even coughed up blood. A cough that lasts longer than two to three weeks or seems to intensify rather than subsiding as time passes may be indicative of pneumonia.
- Loss of appetite: While this symptom may accompany flu or even a bad cold, it is a sign you don’t want to write off too quickly. If you are having difficulty eating, especially if this is an unusual symptom for you, seek medical attention to find out if you are suffering from pneumonia.
- Confusion: This symptom is particularly common in older patients affected by pneumonia, but it can manifest in young, healthy sufferers as well. If you feel foggy, confused and disoriented, this may be a sign that you are affected by a more serious illness than you might initially suspect -- namely, pneumonia.
- Bluish color in lips and nailbeds: This is a sign of lack of oxygen in the blood and may be related to diminished lung function associated with pneumonia. If you notice that your nailbeds or lips have a blue tinge to them, seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is common with more severe cases of bacterial pneumonia.
- Clammy skin or sweating: Again, this might seem like a flu symptom, but excessive sweating and/or clamminess can indicate pneumonia. Seek medical advice and treatment if you experience this symptom.
Diagnosing and Treating Pneumonia
Unfortunately, there is no way to self-diagnose pneumonia. It requires a medical exam and appropriate testing, so waiting it out or self-diagnosing is never a good idea. You can decrease the duration of your illness greatly with proper treatment and reduce the likelihood that you will experience a relapse or related complications.
Diagnosis is made after your doctor completes a physical exam that includes listening to your lungs for any crackling, wheezing or rumbling sounds, a chest x-ray and possible blood tests.
Possible treatments for pneumonia include home therapies such as plenty of fluids and bed rest, hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics and fluids, breathing treatments and/or oxygen therapy.
If you are diagnosed with pneumonia of any kind or severity, be sure to follow all of your doctor’s directions and take all medications as prescribed. It can take several weeks for a patient recovering from pneumonia to regain full strength and stamina, so be kind to yourself until you feel like you are operating at 100 percent again. Older patients or patients who were hospitalized or suffered from severe pneumonia may require an extended recovery period. As noted previously, relapses are possible, so it is important for anyone diagnosed with pneumonia to take the recovery period seriously.