Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection or inflammation (swelling) in the smallest part of your lungs where air passes through (alveoli). These alveoli can fill up with pus or mucus (slime). The pus or mucus stops the oxygen from getting to your blood as well as it should. Pneumonia may be caused by a virus or bacteria.

Symptoms:

You may get pneumonia when you have a cold, flu, or bronchitis or after you have had one of these sicknesses. Someone who has bacterial pneumonia usually is very sick. Some symptoms are:

• Fever with shaking and chills
• Coughing up yellow, green, rust-colored or bloody mucus (slime) from your lungs
• Pain in your chest, especially when you cough or take a deep breath
• Hard time too breath, can not take a deep breath or breathing fast
• Very tired—more than when you have a cold
• Sweating, face flushed (pink color)
• Do not feel like eating. Feel sick to your stomach.

Prevention:

• Stay healthy by eating foods that are good for you, get enough rest, and exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 min or 10 min every day.
• When you get a cold or flu takes care of yourself so you do not catch more germs like those that cause pneumonia.
• Stay away from people who smoke and if you smoke, you should quit.
• If you are over 65 years old or have chronic lung problems like asthma or COPD, you should get the pneumococcal vaccination.

Return to the Emergency Department or see your doctor IF:

• Your symptoms get worse.
• You have a hard time to breathe or are breathing fast when you have any sickness related to your lungs.

Treatment:

If you are told you have pneumonia you should:

• Drink 8 to 12 glasses of water (until you are peeing more than you usually do). This helps to thin the mucus (slime).
• Get lots of rest until you feel better. Children should stay home from school until they are fever free for at least 24 hours and they feel able to go.
• Take all the medication that your doctor has told you to. Take your medication as you are told and make sure you finish your antibiotics, even if you feel better before you have taken all of them.
• If you are a smoker, do not smoke.