8 Symptoms Of Pneumonia You Can’t Ignore
Pneumonia, also known as pneumonia, is an infectious disease that directly attacks the lungs. This can lead to serious health problems, so it is important to detect it as soon as possible. Do you know what pneumonia symptoms are that you can’t ignore?
Pneumonia is a disease that usually affects patients with weakened immune systems. However, it can affect other people. Therefore, you have to know how to recognize it. And the sooner the better.
What exactly is pneumonia?
The lungs carry out one of the most important processes in the human body: respiration, distributing oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide that is inside the body.
Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs. This causes them to fill with fluid and pus, making it difficult for the person to breathe and endangering life, due to the decrease in oxygen and the accumulation of carbon dioxide within the body.
What are the causes of pneumonia?
Pneumonia or pneumonia can be caused by several germs. However, viruses and bacteria are usually the most common. Other causes of pneumonia are:
- Inhalation of microbes.
- Complication of flu.
- Infection by: pneumococcus or fungi.
- Inhalation of food, liquids or secretions, among others.
- Bacteria and viruses stored in the nose, mouth, or sinuses that spread to the lungs.
What are the symptoms of pneumonia?
The symptoms of pneumonia can vary depending on the case and the level of condition in the person. Among the most common, Mayo Clinic experts indicate that the following can be mentioned.
1. Chills
Repetitive chills during the day are usually one of the symptoms of pneumonia. These can last between thirty and sixty minutes.
2. Fever and cough
Fever and cough are the two most common symptoms of pneumonia. This is because it has been observed that people affected by this disease have constant fevers of up to 40 degrees Celsius, general malaise and cough.
The cough may be accompanied by reddish-brown or yellow-green mucus and phlegm, and in some cases, bloody mucus. In turn, fever and cough may be preceded by a throat infection.
3. Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing is due to the little oxygen that the body receives when suffering from a disease such as pneumonia, becoming more noticeable when doing some activity that requires effort such as climbing stairs, walking quickly or lifting a lot of weight. This can be accompanied by rapid or shallow breaths.
In view of the discomfort and shortness of breath, many patients may present p oca energy and fatigue.
4. Confusion
In some cases of elderly patients, one of the symptoms of pneumonia can be confusion and disorientation. Certain infections have even been found to increase the risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s.
5. Pain on inspiration
Usually people with pneumonia can have pain when they breathe in. This is due to inflammation of the pleura, better known as pleurisy.
6. Numbness and discoloration of the extremities
Other symptoms of pneumonia, caused by lack of oxygen in the body, are cold, swelling, and numbness in the lips, tongue, extremities, fingers, and nose. Also, they may turn blue or purple.
7. White nail syndrome
White nail syndrome, also known as leukonychia, can occur from chemical poisoning, heart disease, hypoalbuminemia, or pneumonia.
In addition to white nail syndrome and other symptoms mentioned above, patients with pneumonia may experience its excessive browning and therefore, sticky skin.
8. Joint pain
Those who suffer from pneumonia can have continuous joint pain due to the little oxygen that travels the body.
Pneumonia prognosis
The prognosis for pneumonia depends on many factors; age, the pathogen that causes the disease, the reactions of the immune system, the type of treatment, among others, determine the evolution of this disease.
Despite this, most of the time it begins to improve after two weeks when it reacts well to the treatment. It tends to get complicated when the patient is in advanced age or has heart and lung problems.
Do you think you have these symptoms? Go to your doctor
If you have several of these symptoms, we suggest you go to your trusted doctor for the necessary tests. This way you will be able to know if you have pneumonia or not, and begin the appropriate treatment for your condition.
