Treatment of pneumonia should be carried out under the supervision of a family doctor or pneumologist and is indicated according to the infectious agent responsible for pneumonia, i.e. whether the disease is caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria. Most of the time, treatment for pneumonia begins in the hospital to prevent the disease from progressing and being passed on to others.
Generally, the simplest cases are those caused by viruses, either because the body is able to remove them naturally, without the need for medication, either because it already has a natural defense against the most common viruses or because it has had a vaccine, for example. . Thus, viral pneumonia is almost always less severe and can be treated at home with basic care, such as rest or taking sputum and fever medications, for example.
- On the other hand.
- When pneumonia is caused by bacteria.
- Treatment should be done with the use of antibiotics.
- Because the body cannot eliminate the microorganism alone.
- In addition.
- There is a risk that the bacteria will spread to other parts of the body.
- Aggravating pneumonia.
- In such cases.
- The patient is usually asked to be hospitalized so that antibiotic treatment can be initiated directly into the vein before returning home.
At home, it is very important to keep all indications, using all medications prescribed by your doctor. In addition, other precautions are needed to expedite treatment such as:
Pneumonia is not always contagious, but transmission is more common in viral pneumonia, even during treatment. For example, patients should wear masks and avoid coughing or sneezing around other people, especially children, the elderly, or patients with diseases that weaken the immune system, such as lupus or HIV. It is also important to remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol gel, which reduces the risk of transmission.
Treatment can last up to 21 days and during this time it is advisable to go to the hospital only if symptoms worsen or if they do not improve after 5 to 7 days, especially fever and fatigue. Coughing, usually dry or un secreted, usually persists for a few more days, but with the use of medications or nebulizations prescribed by your doctor tends to improve quickly.
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Hospital treatment is more common in cases of bacterial pneumonia, as the disease progresses very quickly and can endanger the patient’s life. Therefore, it is important to be hospitalized to receive the medication directly into the vein and maintain a constant evaluation of all vital signs until the disease is under control, which can take up to 3 weeks. Understand how bacterial pneumonia is treated.
In addition, during hospitalization, it may also be necessary to wear an oxygen mask to reduce lung work and facilitate recovery.
In the most severe cases, which are most common in the elderly, children or patients with autoimmune diseases, the disease can progress greatly and impede lung function, being necessary to remain in the intensive care unit to ensure breathing with a ventilator, which is a machine that replaces the lung during treatment.
Signs of improvement include decreased shortness of breath, improved shortness of breath, and decreased fever. In addition, during the production of secretions, it is possible to observe a change in color that goes from greenish to yellow, whitish and, finally, transparent, until disappearing.
Signs of worsening are more common when treatment does not start quickly or when the patient has an immune disease, for example, and include increased coughing with mucus, the presence of blood in secretions, worsening fever and increased breathing. .
In these cases, it is usually necessary to enter the hospital to start drug treatment directly into the vein, as they are more effective.
See some home remedies that may facilitate and supplement your doctor’s recommended treatment.