Bacterial Pneumonia – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments

Pneumonia can make it difficult for your body to get enough oxygen into your blood, which can cause your cells to not work properly. Bacterial pneumonia can be mild or severe. The severity of your Pneumonia depends on:

• The strength of bacteria
• How quickly you are diagnosed and treated
• your age
• general health
• If you have other conditions or illnesses

Causes of Bacterial Pneumonia:  Pneumonia bacteriais caused by bacteria that work in the middle of the lungs and then multiply. It can occur on its own or develop after another illness, such as a cold or the flu. People who are at increased risk of pneumonia may:

• Have a weakened immune system (due to age, illness, or malnutrition)
• have respiratory diseases
• be recovering from surgery

Symptoms of Bacterial Pneumonia:  The most common symptoms of Bacterial Pneumonia are:

• Coughing up thick yellow, green, or bloodstained mucus
• Chest pain that gets worse when you cough or breathe
• Sudden onset of chills severe enough to make you shiver
• Fever of 102-105°F or above (fever below 102°F in older people)

Other symptoms that may follow include:

• headache
• dor muscular
• Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
• Lethargy or severe fatigue
• Wet and pale skin
• Confusion, especially among older people
• loss of appetite
• sweating

Older adults will share all the symptoms with younger adults, but are much more likely to experience confusion and dizziness. Older adults may also have less fever.

Treating Bacterial Pneumonia:  Most cases can be treated at home with medication to avoid complications from a hospital setting. A healthy person can recover within one to three weeks. Someone with a weakened immune system may take longer before they feel normal again.

Hospital Care:  Some cases of Bacterial Pneumonia will require hospitalization for treatment. Young children and the elderly are more likely to have to go to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics, medical care and respiratory therapy. At the hospital, you will be given antibiotics to treat the specific type of bacteria that causes your Pneumonia . This will likely be given intravenously along with fluids to prevent dehydration.

Complications:  Without treatment, Pneumonia can develop into:

• Organ failure due to bacterial infection
• difficulty breathing
• Pleural effusion, accumulation of fluid in the lungs
• Lung abscess, cavity in the lung

Preventing Bacterial Pneumonia: Bacterial  Pneumonia itself is not contagious, but the infection that caused Bacterial Pneumonia is contagious. It can be spread through coughing, sneezing and contamination on objects. Practicing good hygiene can help prevent the spread of pneumonia or the risk of catching it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends a pneumonia vaccinefor infants, young children, and adults age 65 and older.