How Long Does Pneumonia Last ?

Pneumonia causes respiratory illness & infects the lungs. The lungs get inflamed, & they get filled with extra fluid. This leads infection, which is caused by bacteria, virus, fungi or parasites. The lungs are the most affected parts when someone gets infected with pneumonia.

After a person is said to have pneumonia, he will be prescribed with antibiotics, anti-fungal medications & antiviral medications, depending on the cause of the disease. Walking pneumonia is a kind of mild pneumonia. If the severity is high, it is called double pneumonia. In case the severity is high, hospitalization is required with oxygen & strong medication.

If the patient does not have any other illness, he can recover in 2 weeks after being diagnosed with pneumonia. People who have asthma, respiratory disorders & smokers will take many weeks or months to recover. Even after the infection is cured, cough will remain for some more weeks. The people who are old need to be cared for a lot in case they are infected with pneumonia. Seniors & children are high risk categories.

To recover faster, you can take a few measures though. Take adequate rest, drink lots of fluids, use the medicines as prescribed, & take steamy showers to clear the lungs. Also, inhale hot steam from fluids, & get out the excess mucus when you cough. Doctors will prescribe medicines to make the mucus thin in the lungs to help you overcome the infection. You can use over the counter drugs to reduce the cough, but it is better to consult your doctor before you use these drugs or any herbal medicines.

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More about Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and HIV

What Is Pcp?

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames your lungs' air sacs. The air sacs may fill
up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough with phlegm, fever, ...

PCP is a kind of pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci (P. jiroveci). (Say the name this way: "new-mo-sis-tis yee-row-vet-zee-eye.") It used to be called Pneumocystis cariniipneumonia. Most people infected with P. jirovecidon't get pneumonia because their immune systems are healthy and strong. People whose immune systems are weak because of HIV infection can get PCP. PCP is less common than it used to be, but it's still the most common serious infection in people with advanced HIV disease in the United States.
How Would I Know If I Have Pcp?

If you get PCP, you probably will have fever, cough, trouble breathing (especially with exercise) or chest tightness. See your doctor right away if you have these symptoms. Most cases are mild, but people with severe PCP may die if the infection isn't treated quickly. PCP is diagnosed by lab tests of fluid or tissue from your lungs.
How Do You Get Pcp?

Most scientists believe PCP is spread in the air, but they don't know if it lives in the soil or someplace else. P. jiroveciis common all over the world. Since you can't help being exposed to P. jiroveci, you should get medical care so you won't get PCP. (PCP is not spread by sex.)

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Biggest baby killer in Bangladesh [ Pneumonia ]

Pneumonia is the biggest baby killer in Bangladesh, but most of the people do not realise its all-pervasive presence, say health experts.

Widespread malnutrition & poor hygiene have been blamed for the 'dangerous' lung disease that, according to ministry of health, accounts for 18 percent of deaths under five.

"It (Pneumonia) can put pressure on achieving Millennium Development Goal 4," paediatrician Prof Ruhul Amin of Dhaka Shishu Hospital told a journalists' workshop in the capital.

The workshop organised by non-government organisation Poriprekkhit suggested awareness campaign on the dangers of the diseases.

"You will not get a family where at least a member did not suffer Pneumonia in his lifetime," Prof Amin said, adding children with Pneumonia occupy over one-third of hospital beds across the country.

"But we can prevent it by ensuring exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months & later homemade food & necessary vaccines."

According to Prof Amin, exclusive breastfeeding can curb Pneumonia by 15 to 23 percent by boosting their immune systems.

Early detection is imperative to combat the disease mostly caused by bacteria.

The common cold is typified with cough & runny nose. "But in case of Pneumonia, things will get worse," the child specialist said. "The child will start facing difficulty in breathing, apart from high fever."

He advised parents to take their kids to hospitals 'if breathing problem noticed'.

"But the disease should get priority as the government is aiming to achieve the targets of the Millennium Development Goals," Prof Amin said.

To meet the MDG target, the government is trying to reduce child mortality rate to 48 per 1,000 births by 2015.

According to health ministry, the figure stood at 60 per 1,000 births in 2009.

Microbiologist Dr Samir Kumar Saha sought support of Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunisation (GAVI) to make vaccines for pneumococcus & haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) available in Bangladesh.

Findings of the latest Bangladesh Demographic & Health Survey found 41 percent children under five underweight while the stunted rate was 43 percent & wasted 17 percent.

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Posted in: Medical News,Pneumonia