The disease is pneumonia. Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia). Clinical picture of pneumonia: symptoms in adults

Pneumonia in adults (pneumonia) is an inflammation of the lower respiratory tract of various etiologies, occurring with intra-alveolar exudation and accompanied by characteristic clinical and radiological signs. The main cause of the development of the disease is a pulmonary infection that affects all structures of the lungs. There are many types of pneumonia, varying in severity from mild to severe, or even those that can be fatal.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is predominantly acute pathological condition caused by infectious and inflammatory lesions of the pulmonary parenchyma. With this disease, the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli) is involved in the process.

This is a fairly common disease, diagnosed in approximately 12–14 adults out of 1000, and in older people whose age has exceeded 50–55 years, the ratio is 17:1000. In terms of the frequency of deaths, pneumonia ranks first among all infectious diseases.

• ICD-10 code: J12, J13, J14, J15, J16, J17, J18, P23

The duration of the disease depends on the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment and the reactivity of the body. Before the advent of antibiotics, the high temperature dropped on days 7-9.

The degree of contagiousness directly depends on the form and type of pneumonia. But one thing is for sure - yes, almost all types of pneumonia are contagious. Most often, the disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. Thus, being in poorly ventilated areas with a carrier of the pneumonia virus (collective), a person is easily susceptible to infection.

Reasons

Treatment of pneumonia

How to treat pneumonia in adults? Treatment of uncomplicated forms of pneumonia can be carried out by general practitioners: internists, pediatricians, family doctors and general practitioners.

For non-severe pneumonia in adults, hospital treatment is provided. It consists of a set of the following measures:

1. taking medications that dilate the bronchi to expel mucus;
2. taking antibiotics, antiviral drugs to combat the causative agent of pneumonia;
3. undergoing a course of physiotherapy;
4. performing physical therapy;
5. diet, drinking plenty of fluids.

Moderate and severe course requires hospitalization in a therapeutic or pulmonology department. Uncomplicated pneumonia mild degree can be treated on an outpatient basis under the supervision of a local therapist or a pulmonologist visiting the patient at home.

It is preferable to carry out treatment in a hospital in the following situations:

• patient over 60 years old;
• presence of chronic lung diseases, diabetes, malignant tumors, severe heart or kidney failure, low body weight, alcoholism or drug addiction;
• failure of initial antibiotic therapy;
• pregnancy;
• the wishes of the patient or his relatives.

Antibiotics

For pneumonia in adults, it is advisable to use antibiotics after the disease has been confirmed by at least one diagnostic method.

• In mild cases, preference is given to protected penicillins, macrolides, and cephalosporins.
• Severe forms require a combination of several antibiotics: macrolides, fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins.
• Efficiency is assessed after 2-3 days. If the condition has not improved, this is a direct indication to change the group of drugs.

Other drugs

Besides antibacterial therapy Antipyretic therapy is also prescribed. Antipyretics are prescribed when the temperature rises from 38.5 degrees:

• Ibuprofen;
• Paracetamol;
• Ibuklin;
• Aspirin.

Mucolytics are used to thin sputum:

• Ambrohexal;
• Lazolvan;
• Ambrobene;
• Fluimucil;
• Fluditek.

Physiotherapeutic treatment of pneumonia in adults

There are a number of procedures that are used in the treatment of pathology, the most effective are:

• ultrasonic aerosol inhalation using mucolytics and antibiotics;
• electrophoresis with the use of antibiotics and expectorants;
• decimeter wave treatment of the lungs;
• UHF therapy;
• magnetophoresis;
• UV radiation;
• massage chest.

Therapeutic measures are carried out until the patient recovers, which is confirmed by objective methods - auscultation, normalization of laboratory and X-ray tests.

The prognosis for pneumonia in an adult directly depends on the degree of virulence and pathogenicity of the pathogen, the presence of a background disease, as well as normal operation human immune apparatus. In most situations, pneumonia proceeds favorably and ends with complete clinical and laboratory recovery of the patient.

Compliance with the regime

1. Throughout the entire period of illness, the patient must remain in bed.
2. You need a nutritious diet rich in vitamins. If there are no signs of heart failure, drinking plenty of fluids up to 3 liters per day is beneficial.
3. The room should have fresh air, light, and a temperature of +18C. When cleaning a room, you should avoid products containing chlorine, and do not use heaters with an open spiral, as they greatly dry the air.

During the period of resorption of the inflammatory focus, physiotherapy is prescribed:

• inductothermy;
• microwave therapy;
• electrophoresis of lidase, heparin, calcium chloride;
• thermal procedures (paraffin compresses).

Diet and nutrition

Diet for pneumonia during exacerbation:

• lean meat, chicken, meat and chicken broths;
• lean fish;
• milk and fermented milk products;
• vegetables (cabbage, carrots, potatoes, herbs, onions, garlic);
• fresh fruits (apples, pears, citrus fruits, grapes, watermelon), dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots);
• fruit, berry and vegetable juices, fruit drinks;
• cereals and pasta;
• tea, rosehip decoction;
• honey, jam.

Exclude products such as: alcohol, smoked products, fried, spicy and fatty foods, sausages, marinades, canned food, store-bought sweets, products with carcinogens.

Recovery and rehabilitation

After pneumonia, a very important point is rehabilitation, which is aimed at bringing all functions and systems of the body to a normal state. Rehabilitation after pneumonia also has a beneficial effect on general condition health in the future, which minimizes the risk of development and recurrence of not only pneumonia, but also other diseases.

Recovery implies reception medications, physiotherapy, diet, hardening procedures. This stage can last up to 3-6 months, depending on the severity of the disease

Prevention

The best prevention is maintaining a rational lifestyle:

1. Proper nutrition (fruits, vegetables, juices), walks in the fresh air, avoiding stress.
2. In winter and spring, to avoid a decrease in immunity, you can take a multivitamin complex, for example, Vitrum.
3. Quitting smoking.
4. Treatment chronic diseases, moderate alcohol consumption.

Pneumonia is a dangerous and unpleasant disease of the respiratory tract, which is accompanied by the manifestation of specific symptoms. These symptoms should be paid attention to in order to maintain wellness and maintaining the health of the body.

This is all about pneumonia in adults: the medical history, symptoms and first signs, treatment features. Be healthy!

Pneumonia is an infectious disease that can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. The type and severity of the disease depends on the pathogen, provoking factors, protective functions organism and timely diagnosis.

Causes of the disease

The reason for the development of the disease is always the same - the penetration and reproduction of an infectious agent; only the factors under which this occurs differ:

• untreated viral, bacterial or fungal diseases;
• complications after illnesses;
• damage to the respiratory system by various chemical reagents or vapors when inhaled;
• increased level of radiation with the addition of infection;
• allergies that affect the respiratory system;
• colds due to hypothermia;
• thermal burns of the lungs in a fire;
• penetration of a foreign body into the respiratory tract.

Any condition that creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of microbes and the development of pneumonia can be considered the cause of the disease. Therefore, doctors divide pneumonia into hospital-acquired and community-acquired forms.

In addition, pneumonia is divided into types depending on the pathogen; the severity of the disease and the clinical picture also depend on this:

1. streptococci are the most common pathogens, the disease is always severe and often causes death;
2. mycobacteria – children and young people are often infected;
3. chlamydia infection often occurs among the younger generation and middle-aged people, mainly in facilities equipped with artificial ventilation;
4. Haemophilus influenzae usually affects the respiratory system of smokers and patients with chronic diseases lungs and bronchi;
5. Infection with enterobacteriaceae is rare; as a rule, it occurs in patients diabetes mellitus and those suffering from heart, kidney and liver diseases;
6. staphylococcal pneumonia develops more often in older people who have had the flu;
7. There are pneumonias caused by unknown or rare fungi and bacteria.

When making a diagnosis and prescribing treatment, it is necessary to take into account the etiology of pneumonia, the causative agent, medical history and the presence of third-party diseases. Pneumonia is often treated on an outpatient basis; in severe cases, the patient is hospitalized.

The first signs of pneumonia in adults

Previously, there was a fairly high mortality rate among patients with pneumonia. Today's medicine in the treatment of the disease gives a positive prognosis, subject to timely treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to know how they manifest themselves:

• sudden increase in body temperature, chills;
• cough, the first days may be dry, then wet;
• runny nose;
• general malaise;
• heavy breathing.

It must be remembered that incubation period pneumonia has a very short duration, only 2-3 days, then the disease begins to progress rapidly, and if treatment is not carried out on time, the patient may die. Therefore, it is important to contact a medical facility at the first signs of pneumonia.

The onset of the disease is always acute, but symptoms depend on age, immune system and individual characteristics body. The first signs of pneumonia in different people may differ significantly. Some people may not have a fever or cough, especially if the person was previously treated with antibiotics for another illness.

Additional symptoms appear later in adult patients:

• purulent sputum begins to separate;
• chest pain;
• respiratory failure;
• cyanosis of the skin, especially on the face, this is due to oxygen starvation;
• tachycardia, low blood pressure.

One of the first signs of pneumonia is a cough of varying intensity. At first it may be infrequent and dry, then, if treatment has not been started, it becomes wet. Purulent greenish sputum appears.

If a person falls ill with ARVI, then his condition should improve in a week; if this does not happen, and the condition worsens, pneumonia can be suspected. In this case, the temperature is usually very high, only atypical pneumonia is accompanied by low-grade fever. It often happens that the patient begins to experience relief, but there is a sharp increase in temperature and the condition worsens. As a rule, antipyretic drugs have no effect. This is a signal for an urgent visit to the doctor.

Often the sick person feels pain in the chest when coughing or breathing, this alarming symptom indicates that the pleura is involved in the inflammatory process. The person becomes pale, has difficulty breathing, sweating increases, fever, delirium and other symptoms of intoxication of the body appear.

All these manifestations can be considered the first signs of pneumonia, which requires immediate examination. It should be noted that the first signs of pneumonia in women are no different from men, the only difference is that due to smoking, men are more likely to expose themselves to this disease than women.

First signs in children

With pneumonia, the first signs in children differ significantly from adults. Parents are advised to pay attention to the slightest changes in the child’s well-being. The first symptoms of pulmonary inflammatory processes can be considered:

• high, persistent temperature, usually above 39 0 C, which is not reduced even by antipyretics;
• the child becomes lethargic, refuses to eat, and cries constantly;
• sweating increases;
• it is necessary to take into account that in infants the thermoregulation function is not yet fully regulated and the temperature may not be high;
• In babies, the rhythm of breathing is disturbed, it becomes frequent; if you pay attention to the child’s chest, one side will be delayed when breathing. Newborn babies may have foamy or oral cavity, the child may puff out his cheeks due to shortness of breath;
• if atypical pneumonia develops, the symptoms may be similar to ARVI, but shortness of breath and elevated temperature serve as alarming factors;
• The cough usually develops, first coughing occurs, then a dry cough, turning into a wet one;
• infants may suffer from diarrhea and vomiting;
• The baby is capricious, refuses to breastfeed, cries often, and sleeps poorly.

If such symptoms occur, you should immediately call a doctor; with timely treatment, pneumonia usually has a positive prognosis and resolves without complications.

Forms of pneumonia

Based on the localization of the process and the severity of the disease, pneumonia is divided into four forms, which have different first signs:

• An acute form of inflammation does not pose a danger if treated in a timely manner. Complications may occur if left untreated. It develops due to the penetration of an infectious agent, and may be a consequence of previous diseases. The first sign is high fever and cough.
• A chronic form of pneumonia, the causative agent of which is constantly present in the tissues and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. This form of the disease has phases of exacerbation and remission, develops in rare cases, but is dangerous due to its protracted course and vague symptoms. The very first sign of this form of the disease is a weakened immune system, and if the patient is not treated in time, the inflammation may develop into pleurisy and result in death.
• Lobar pneumonia is characterized by damage to a larger lobe of the lung and is considered the most dangerous form. Treatment is carried out in a hospital setting under the supervision of doctors. This form of the disease is usually a continuation of acute or chronic forms of pneumonia and the first sign is difficulty breathing and high temperature.
• Focal pneumonia develops in a certain segment of the lungs and does not pose a danger, but timely treatment is necessary, otherwise an acute or chronic form may develop with all the ensuing consequences.

In order to determine the form of pneumonia, it is necessary to conduct a series of blood tests and take a chest x-ray.

What to do at the first signs of pneumonia?

Knowing how the first signs of pneumonia appear, you can consult a doctor in time and begin treatment. Some forms of the disease are almost asymptomatic, which makes their diagnosis difficult. If we are talking about children or the elderly, therapy is required immediately when characteristic signs of pneumonia appear.

First of all, it is necessary to provide the patient with bed rest and rest. If your body temperature is very high, you need to take an antipyretic. You can give tea with lemon.

Antibacterial therapy should be prescribed by a doctor after examining sputum and identifying the pathogen. Antiviral therapy may be required in parallel.

You can drink herbal tea at home, badger fat and honey Under no circumstances should warming procedures be performed on the chest. At the first signs of pneumonia, you should immediately consult a doctor; the measures that will be aimed at treating the disease in the first 7-9 hours determine the duration and prognosis of treatment.

Complications caused by pneumonia

Inflammatory processes in the respiratory system can lead to serious complications. This is due to the fact that blood washes the lungs and can spread the infection throughout the body, thereby provoking:

• blood poisoning, sepsis;
• inflammation of the brain, meningitis;
• inflammation of the heart muscle, endocarditis, pericarditis.

If pneumonia develops in an older person after surgical treatment, this poses a double threat. Inflammation of the lungs during pregnancy can provoke infection of the fetus with staphylococcus or pneumococcus, which will lead to miscarriage or premature birth. If a pregnant woman has breathing problems, she should immediately contact the clinic.

You cannot self-medicate, pneumonia cannot be cured traditional methods. Treatment at home can muffle the symptoms and give a misleading picture of improvement, while the inflammatory process will gradually increase.

Treatment

Treatment should be comprehensive, including various measures. First of all, this is drug therapy:

• antibiotics to combat the causative agent of the disease, if they are used for more than a week, it is advisable to replace them with another drug in order to avoid the development of bacterial resistance to the drug;
• if necessary, antiviral or antifungal agents are prescribed;
• anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretics (used at temperatures above 38 0 C);
• mucolytic and bronchodilator drugs for thinning sputum and removing it from the respiratory tract, the use of these drugs is mandatory, accumulated sputum can cause inflammation in a new circle;
• Doctors often prescribe inhalations using essential oils eucalyptus, pine and cedar;
• taken to eliminate toxins antihistamines and blood purification drugs;
• At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system;
• in cases where complications concern the heart and blood vessels, cardiac medications are prescribed.

Treatment cannot be stopped on your own; in the absence of symptoms, the inflammatory process can continue and worsen over time, only in a severe form. During the recovery period, it is recommended to perform breathing exercises, monitor your diet and take walks in the fresh air.

Pneumonia (pneumonia) is an inflammatory process that develops in lung tissue. There are several types and forms of this disease; doctors classify pneumonia as an acute infectious disease.

Classification of pneumonia

In medicine, there are several main types of the inflammatory process in question, which in turn are divided into several subtypes:

1. Home-acquired (community-acquired) pneumonia:

• typical – develops in people with a normal immune system;
• atypical – patients have severe disorders of the immune system (for example, there is a diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus);
• aspiration pneumonia – occurs when foreign objects or substances enter the lungs. Often develops in people with severe drunkenness those in a coma or under the influence of drugs;
• caused by mycoplasmas, chlamydia and legionella - characterized by the addition of atypical symptoms: vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and other signs of digestive upset.

1. Hospital/nosocomial pneumonia:

• developing after the patient has been in the hospital for more than 2 days in a row;
• occurring in patients who are on artificial ventilation lungs (ventilator-associated pneumonia);
• diagnosed in patients with immune system disorders - for example, after organ transplantation.

1. Related to first aid:

• persons permanently staying in nursing homes;
• patients who are on long-term dialysis (hardware blood purification);
• patients with wound surfaces.

In addition, the acute infectious disease in question is classified according to the severity of its course:

• mild course;
• moderate course;
• severe course.

Important: the severity of pneumonia can only be determined by a specialist - the conclusion will be based on the severity of symptoms and the level of damage to the lung tissue.

Reasons

An inflammatory process in the lung tissue can develop due to the entry of a pathogenic microorganism into the body. But in order for this microorganism to start “working” in the lung tissue, certain factors must be present:

• hypothermia;
• consumption of alcoholic beverages;
• long-term bed rest;
• infection of viral etiology;
• surgical interventions performed in the recent past;
• the presence of a pathological focus in the body - for example, chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular system, bronchi;
• old age.

The main causative agents of the acute infectious disease under consideration are recognized:

• viruses;
• coli;
• pneumococcus - considered the most common pathogen;
• hemophilus influenzae;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
• pneumocystis - they can only be present with the human immunodeficiency virus;
• chlamydia/mycoplasma – belong to atypical pathogens;
• enterobacteria.

Symptoms and signs of pneumonia

Symptoms of pneumonia in adults increase gradually, so early diagnosis happens very rarely. The acute infectious disease in question always begins with a sudden increase in temperature and chills. In this case, the symptoms of general intoxication of the body are clearly expressed:

• weakness throughout the body;
• decrease (in some cases, loss) of performance;
• loss of appetite, up to complete refusal of food;
• increased sweating - most often this symptom manifests itself at night;
• pain in muscles and joints – “twists, breaks”;
• mild but persistent headache.

Then the pulmonary manifestations of the disease begin:

• severe cough - the first few days it is dry, and then becomes wet;
• shortness of breath - at the beginning of the disease it occurs only during physical effort (for example, after walking or climbing stairs), then it is observed at complete rest;
• – the symptom does not necessarily appear in every case of pneumonia; it is more characteristic of the disease, when inflammation occurs in the pleura.

In addition to the symptoms described above, in some cases there may be other symptoms of pneumonia:

• gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, intestinal colic) – are characteristic only of pneumonia, the causative agent of which is Escherichia coli;
• herpes on the affected side is characteristic of pneumonia of viral etiology.

Methods for diagnosing pneumonia

It is almost impossible to diagnose the acute infectious disease in question solely by symptoms - they may indicate other diseases of the respiratory tract. The doctor, after examining and interviewing the patient, usually carries out the following diagnostic measures:

Please note:in rare cases, when the therapist has doubts about the diagnosis or identifies a complicated course of the disease, a pulmonologist is invited for consultation.

Treatment of pneumonia

Therapy aimed at getting rid of the inflammatory process in the lung tissue must be comprehensive - doctors prescribe medications, they also refer the patient to physiotherapy and approve of some methods from the category of “traditional medicine”.

Drug treatment of pneumonia

When treating the acute infectious disease in question, doctors use several types of medications:

1. Antibacterial (antibiotics) are required, but the choice is made individually and depends on which pathogen caused the development of pneumonia.

1. Expectorants - are prescribed for wet cough, the presence of viscous sputum, when its exit from the body is difficult.
2. Detoxification - prescribed only for severe pneumonia.
3. Glucocorticosteroids are aimed at eliminating infectious-toxic shock during complicated inflammation of the lung tissue.
4. Antipyretics - prescribed only at temperatures above 38 degrees.
5. Cardiovascular - necessary for severe shortness of breath and severe oxygen starvation.

During the recovery period, the patient is prescribed immunomodulators and poly vitamin complexes– this will significantly increase and strengthen the body’s immune system.

Physiotherapy

In case of pneumonia, it is very important to provide relief to the patient’s condition - during the development of the inflammatory process in question, the patient has difficulty breathing, he experiences a feeling of fear of death during shortness of breath. Therefore, it is advisable to:

• oxygen therapy – the patient is supplied with air through a special mask increased content oxygen. Excellently helps to get rid of respiratory failure and helps cope with volumetric damage to the lungs;
• artificial ventilation – indicated for severe disease.

Surgical treatment of pneumonia is carried out in especially severe cases when there is an accumulation of purulent contents in the organs.

Treatment of pneumonia with folk remedies

Treatment of pneumonia folk remedies in no case should it be considered as the only true thing - you must definitely consult your doctor and combine folk recipes with reception medicines.

Most effective methods supporting the body during pneumonia are:

1. Honey with birch buds. You need to take 750 g of honey (buckwheat) and 100 g of birch buds, mix everything and boil for 10 minutes in a water bath (warm up). Then strain the honey and take a teaspoon three times a day 20 minutes before meals.

Diet for pneumonia

Diet during the acute course of pneumonia and during the recovery period is very important - properly selected nutrition helps reduce the load on the body, in particular on gastrointestinal tract, which will give strength to fight the infection.

It is very important for a patient with pneumonia to introduce milk and all dairy/fermented milk products into the diet - cottage cheese, kefir, cream, yogurt. For example, during a period of exacerbation of pneumonia, the menu for one day may be as follows:

• breakfast – a glass of semolina porridge with milk and a glass of milk (all warm);
• 2nd breakfast – fruit or berry jelly (1 glass) or rosehip decoction (1 glass) with honey;
• lunch - 200 ml pearl barley soup chicken broth, about 100 g of mashed potatoes with butter and milk (cream), 100 g of boiled/steamed fish, 200 g of watermelon or any fresh fruit;
• afternoon snack – 200 g of any fruit or berries (apple, cranberry or raspberry);
• dinner – 100 g of cottage cheese with honey and raisins, 100 g of dark chocolate;
• second dinner - a glass of milk with honey, dry cookies.

Of course, the presented menu is very approximate, but it clearly shows that the diet of a patient with pneumonia at the peak of the disease is characterized by a small amount of the products themselves, but high calorie content - this is necessary to replenish energy in the body.

It is recommended to eat small portions, but often. If the patient does not have enough food, then its quantity can be safely increased - in general, pneumonia is characterized by a decrease in appetite, so the slightest desire for a snack should be satisfied.

During the recovery period, you can introduce more rich foods - for example, increase the amount of bread and pastries, put more meat or fish per serving, use ghee in cooking instead of regular butter. But you need to carefully monitor the patient’s condition - a weakened body may refuse to take heavy food. Therefore, if nausea or vomiting occurs, stop introducing saturated, high-calorie foods and continue to adhere to the diet recommended at the stage of development of the disease.

After recovery, it is not recommended for patients to immediately take fatty and “heavy” foods; familiar foods should be introduced into the diet gradually and in small doses.

Possible complications and consequences

Most often, complete recovery is observed without any serious consequences or complications, but in some cases, the formation of local pneumosclerosis may occur - this is the proliferation of connective tissue and compaction of the lung. Doctors can pay attention to such changes only with an X-ray examination of the lungs; pneumosclerosis does not have any effect on the functionality of the lungs.

Possible complications:

• inflammation of the pleura - pleurisy;
• lung abscess - the formation of a cavity with purulent contents due to the melting of a localized area of ​​the inflammatory process;
• Lung gangrene - decay of lung tissue;
• broncho-obstructive syndrome - the patient experiences shortness of breath, lack of oxygen;
• acute respiratory failure - the lungs are not able to provide the required amount of oxygen to the body.

In addition to exclusively pulmonary complications, others may occur:

• infectious-toxic shock – pathogenic microorganisms and their metabolic products (toxins) enter the blood;
• myocarditis - an inflammatory process in the heart muscle;
• endocarditis is an inflammatory process on the inner lining of the heart;
• – inflammatory process in the meninges;
• encephalitis - an inflammatory process of the brain;
• mental disorders - occur extremely rarely and only in humans old age or abusing alcohol, drugs;
• anemia.

Prevention of pneumonia

An effective prevention of the development of the acute infectious disease in question is vaccination. It is carried out , pneumococcal vaccine, as well as against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is recommended to carry out immunization in October-November - the period when outbreaks of acute respiratory viral diseases and influenza are most often recorded.

To avoid the development of pneumonia, it is necessary to promptly treat acute respiratory viral infections and colds, influenza - if you give preference to “diseases on the go” (that is, do not follow the recommendations for bed rest and taking specific medications), then the body’s susceptibility to bacteria and viruses that can provoke pneumonia, rises.

Pneumonia does not count dangerous disease for human life, but it is necessary to obtain it in a timely manner medical care to avoid the development of possible complications. After treatment, it is advisable to undergo a rehabilitation course in specialized sanatorium-resort institutions - this will help not only restore the functioning of the respiratory system, but also strengthen the immune system.

More information about the signs of pneumonia, treatments for pneumonia and possible complications you will receive by watching the video review:

Development pneumonia in children and adults it is infectious in nature and occurs due to the influence of a number of factors, both physical and chemical. During the development of this disease, an inflammatory process is observed in the lung tissue.

Pneumonia mainly affects alveoli , and also interstitial tissue of the lung .

Name " pneumonia“unites a wide group of diseases, each of which is characterized by a specific clinical picture, etiology, signs, laboratory parameters and features of the treatment regimen.

The question of how pneumonia differs from pneumonia is not relevant, since both of these names define a similar disease.

Defining the concept " pneumonia", the term " pneumonitis" What is it? This name defines diseases associated with non-infectious inflammatory processes in lung tissue. Against the background of such processes, pneumonia of bacterial, viral-bacterial or fungal origin usually develops.

In the article we will consider the initial symptoms of pneumonia in children and adult patients, as well as the main causes of the development of this disease, methods of treatment, and prevention of complications.

Causes of pneumonia

The causes of the disease are associated with the influence of a number of factors. Experts identify the following causes of pneumonia:

• complications after viral diseases (consequences of previous, colds of the lungs or );
• exposure to atypical bacteria (causative agents - mycoplasma , chlamydia , legionella );
• the influence of various chemical compounds on respiratory system human (gases and toxic vapors);
• the effect of radiation radiation with associated infection;
• manifestation of allergic processes in the lungs (, COPD , allergic cough );
• thermal effect ( burns or hypothermia of the respiratory tract);
• inhalation of food, liquid or foreign bodies (develops aspiration pneumonia ).

Wikipedia shows that the development of pneumonia is associated with the presence of favorable conditions for the active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms in the lower respiratory tract of a person. People knew what pneumonia was in ancient times. The original causative agent of pneumonia is aspergillus mushroom , as a result of which the specialists who studied the Egyptian pyramids suddenly died.

Pneumonia has been divided into two subtypes:

• community-acquired pneumonia – develops as a consequence of exposure to a number of agents of infectious and non-infectious origin outside of a hospital setting;
• hospital-acquired pneumonia – develops due to exposure to nosocomial microbes, which are often resistant to those present in the traditional treatment regimen.

With community-acquired pneumonia in patients, the following frequency of detection of various pathogens of infectious origin is noted (information is presented in the table).

If a patient is diagnosed with pneumonia, how to treat it is determined depending on the causative agent, concomitant diseases, the patient’s age, etc. In severe cases, depending on how the disease develops, appropriate treatment is prescribed and carried out in a hospital setting. The mild course of the disease does not require hospitalization.

Symptoms of pneumonia

Symptoms of pneumonia

Signs of pneumonia are often similar to those of the flu or cold. How a patient's symptoms manifest depends on the origin of the pneumonia.

With bacterial pneumonia, both acute and gradual development of symptoms is possible. The aspen signs in this case are: shiver , , increased sweating , rapid pulse and breathing, sharp pain in the chest area, and also cough , in which thick, red or greenish sputum is produced.

In the case of a viral type of disease, the patient experiences headache and muscle pain, severe fatigue , weakness , .

For pneumonia developing as a result of the action mycoplasma , symptoms are similar to those of both viral and bacterial types of the disease, but are usually less severe.

The first signs of pneumonia

In order to consult a doctor in a timely manner and diagnose the disease, you should know what the first signs of pneumonia may appear in children, adolescents and adults. As a rule, the first symptoms of pneumonia are as follows:

• increase in temperature;
• manifestation shortness of breath And cough ;
• chills , fever ;
• weakness , fatigue ;
• chest pain when trying to take a deep breath;

However, very often the first symptoms of pneumonia in adults, as well as signs of the disease in a child, may not appear so pronounced - often viral diseases are asymptomatic.

Signs of pneumonia in an adult

How pneumonia manifests itself in adults depends on the type of pathogen, the severity of the disease, etc. Characteristic signs of pneumonia in adults, the acute development of the process, its extent and the likelihood of complications with improper therapy are more important than the reasons immediate referral of patients to specialists. The doctor determines in each specific case what the symptoms of pneumonia in adults are: without fever or with fever, the process occurs, etc. The prescribed treatment depends on the results of the study.

Symptoms of pneumonia in an adult appear already in the first days of illness. The first signs of this disease depend on its causative agent.

Cough This is the main symptom of pneumonia. As a rule, at first the cough due to inflammatory processes in the lungs is obsessive, dry, and appears constantly. However, sometimes in more rare cases, in the first days of illness, the cough is mild and rare. Further, as the disease develops, the cough becomes wetter, and secretion occurs. purulent mucous sputum , having a greenish-yellow color. A cough and runny nose may appear already in the first days of illness and last for several days.

Another sign of the disease that appears at first is increase in body temperature . Already at the very beginning of pneumonia it can be very high and reach 39-40 degrees. This is how it develops hilar pneumonia and other types of pneumonia. However, the temperature (in the case of atypical pneumonia) can be kept at subfebrile levels - 37.1-37.5 degrees. But even at this temperature, if the patient experiences weakness, malaise, or cough, the patient must consult a specialist. Also serious symptom is a repeated rise in temperature during the course of the disease. Another sign of pneumonia is the lack of effectiveness of antipyretic medications.

It should also be taken into account what symptoms adults without fever may experience in the first days of the development of pneumonia.

If large volumes of the lungs are affected, the patient may experience persistent dyspnea , as well as the feeling that he does not have enough air. When taking a deep breath, a person feels pain; a similar condition is also observed during coughing. The lung cannot hurt because it has no pain receptors. However, the pathological process involves pleura , which leads to the manifestation of pain.

Already in the first days of the disease, a person has expressed pale skin . A number of other symptoms are also noted - a sharp deterioration in appetite, weakness, severe fatigue, active sweating, chills.

It should be noted that any disease of viral origin should not bother you for longer than 7 days. If, one week after the onset of the flu or cold, the patient’s condition worsens, this is evidence of the development of inflammation of the lower respiratory tract.

It is important for parents to know what symptoms of pneumonia in a child should alert them, since in children the signs of pneumonia may have certain characteristics. How pneumonia manifests itself in children depends on the characteristics of the disease and the age of the child. Childhood pneumonia can develop if the child has certain symptoms:

Increased body temperature

An inflammatory process can be suspected if an increase in temperature (more than 38 degrees) lasts longer than three days, and it is not possible to bring it down with conventional medications. Temperatures that do not rise above 37.5 degrees in young children should also be of concern. Especially if a number of signs of intoxication are also noted - a high level of sweating, weakness, poor appetite. A newborn, as well as infants, may not experience sharp jumps in body temperature during the manifestation of inflammation, since their thermoregulation is not yet completely perfect, and the immune system still remains immature.

Breathing Features

In sick children, breathing is very rapid and shallow. Infants up to 2 months take 60 breaths per minute; children under 1 year old take 50; those over 1 year old take 40. As a rule, when there is inflammation, the baby voluntarily tries to lie on one side. Another sign may also be noted: after undressing the baby, parents may notice that in the process of breathing on the side where diseased lung, the skin is drawn in between the ribs and falls back during breathing. Sometimes the baby’s breathing rhythm is disrupted, periodic stops occur, and the frequency and depth changes. The youngest children may begin to nod in time with their breathing, puff out their cheeks, and stretch out their lips. Sometimes foamy discharge appears from the nose and mouth.

Baby's behavior

The smallest children with pneumonia cry and are capricious, becoming lethargic. They sleep poorly and do not want to eat. Often noted and, babies spit up and refuse to take the breast.

A child can develop not only streptococcal , but also atypical pneumonia . What symptoms may appear depends on the pathogen and the characteristics of its course. As a rule, with an illness provoked by chlamydia and mycoplasma, the disease initially develops like a cold. The baby is worried about a dry cough, sore throat, and runny nose. Initially, a cough may appear due to tickling, but later the cough develops into a painful one when the child cries or eats.

It is important to consider that in the presence of a number of factors (air pollution, allergens or chemicals) the baby may develop chronic pneumonia, the symptoms of which appear periodically.

The first symptoms of tuberculosis in adults

Clinic very similar to the clinical picture of pneumonia. However, the first signs of tuberculosis in adults are sometimes mild, and they increase gradually. The following first signs of tuberculosis in children and adults are noted:

• cough , in which sputum is produced, lasting more than three weeks;
• hemoptysis ;
• small but long lasting temperature rise ;
• decreased appetite , weight loss ;
• severe fatigue, irritability.

If even a few of these symptoms appear, you need to immediately undergo research and determine a diagnosis.

Pneumonia in adults, diagnosis

If the disease is not detected promptly, the consequences for adults with pneumonia can be very serious. In particular, it may develop persistent pneumonia , provoking serious complications. Also likely destructive form of the disease with purulent processes in the lung tissue. Therefore, timely diagnosis is very important.

The clinical picture of the disease includes the main syndromes and symptoms characteristic of inflammatory processes. Therefore, a careful assessment of the patient’s symptoms will help diagnose the disease. The doctor takes into account all the signs of how pneumonia manifests itself, trying to note the features of such manifestations.

Temperature with pneumonia

The doctor interviews and determines what the temperature is in adult patients, as well as what the temperature is in children. With pneumonia in both an adult and a child, the temperature is usually high and lasts for several days. However, the doctor also takes into account the possibility of an atypical course of the disease, that is, whether it can occur without fever inflammatory disease. Whether there is a temperature depends on the patient’s age and the characteristics of the inflammatory process. For example, sometimes infants may experience low-grade fever .

What kind of cough manifests itself?

The doctor interviews the patient to determine how many days this symptom has been present, what type of cough is present in the child or adult patient, and whether chest pain is felt. It is taken into account that pneumonia without a cough is also possible. If the disease proceeds without a cough, the doctor focuses on other symptoms, taking into account everything about the course of the disease in the survey.

Laboratory research

To confirm the disease, a general and General laboratory test during inflammation shows a number of changes: leukocytosis, increased ESR, neutrophilia. In the viral form, the doctor takes into account that such inflammation of the lungs causes an increase in the number of leukocytes at the expense of lymphocytes.

Radiography

A chest x-ray is taken, and sometimes lung diseases in children and adults are determined using computed tomography.

Also, in a hospital setting, microscopic examination, urine analysis and sputum culture are practiced (with pneumonia, yellow-green sputum is produced).

In the first days of illness, the doctor can listen fine wheezing . When the lungs are inflamed, they can be listened to with a stethoscope. However, if a child or an adult is suspected of having pneumonia, it is important to conduct a full range of studies to ensure timely treatment and clearly know what to do with this disease.

Treatment of pneumonia

A specialist must prescribe treatment for pneumonia. If the patient consults a doctor in a timely manner, treatment of pneumonia in adults and children is successful. How to treat and how to treat this disease depends on the pathogen that provoked the disease. Exactly for successful treatment You need to clearly know how pneumonia begins and how to recognize it.

The doctor prescribes any medications after conducting research, including laboratory tests ( leukocytes , ESR etc.).

The treatment regimen, duration of treatment, and the need to place the patient in a hospital are determined exclusively after diagnosis by a specialist. As a rule, treatment of the disease lasts 7-10 days. The duration of treatment for double lung pneumonia in an adult is determined only by a doctor.

Treatment of pneumonia can be carried out both in a hospital setting and at home. However home treatment, as well as treatment of pneumonia with the help of folk remedies requires regular monitoring of the patient’s condition: he must be constantly visited by a local doctor and a nurse. Direct indications for placing a patient in a hospital are certain points. This is a disease of pneumonia in a child of the first year of life, a severe course of the disease with a number of complications, an illness aggravated by somatic manifestations, and the inability to fully treat a person at home.

For those wondering whether people die from pneumonia, you should know that greatest number Fatal cases occur when treating this type of disease at home, without consulting a doctor. Children under 1 year of age and elderly patients must be hospitalized, since what to do for pneumonia in such cases can only be determined by a specialist. In such cases, intensive care and artificial ventilation may sometimes be necessary.

Basic care for the treatment of pneumonia

In order for the treatment of pneumonia to be as effective as possible, the patient should be provided with high-quality individual care. This approach is especially important for sick children. It is important to strictly observe bed rest, ensure restriction physical activity. However, this does not mean that a person should constantly lie still - it is important to change position and move. After a patient with severe pneumonia has recovered, he should not work hard for about two to three months.

In the process of treating pneumonia at home, you should be especially careful to comply with all requirements, both for personal and general hygiene. The patient's diet must provide all the needs of the body that is fighting the disease. Food should contain enough calories, foods high in various vitamins, and natural foods. A very important point in the patient’s diet is to ensure sufficient drinking. The liquid consumed should be warm and varied: raspberry tea, cranberry juice, mineral water. From time to time you can drink warm milk with honey and soda.

For acute fever, patients who do not have symptoms of heart failure should drink approximately 2.5-3 liters of fluid per day.

Treatment of pneumonia in children involves special approach to feeding. The child should be encouraged to eat little and often, preferably offering him his favorite food. The child's appetite is restored after removal acute condition. When eating, you need to select foods low in carbohydrates , which provoke fermentation processes in the intestines. Compliance drinking regime for children is one of the most important principles of caring for a sick child. You need to drink enough to replenish fluid loss due to high temperature and shortness of breath.

Patients with pneumonia should constantly monitor bowel function to prevent And . The room in which the patient is staying should be regularly ventilated to keep the air clean. Another important point on the road to recovery is active coughing up sputum. To make coughing more effective, you can perform some breathing exercises.

Drug treatment of pneumonia

Treatment of pneumonia is one of the main directions in the treatment of the disease. It is important that antibiotics are prescribed to the patient on time, that is, there is no need to wait until the pathogen is identified. However, prescribing antibiotics to a patient must be carried out only by the attending physician; in no case should you take the drugs yourself.

If pneumonia is treated outside the hospital, patients are often prescribed , macrolides And 1st generation cephalosporins . The choice of method of antibiotic administration depends directly on the severity of the disease.

If pneumonia is treated in a hospital setting, then the patient is prescribed 3rd generation cephalosporins , penicillins with clavulanic acid , fluoroquinolones , aminoglycosides , carbapenems . If the etiology of pneumonia is unknown, then it may be prescribed combination treatment, in which two or three different antibiotics are used. Treatment effectiveness of this disease with antibiotics can be assessed after 36-48 hours. If there is an improvement in well-being, the appearance of appetite, and the absence of negative dynamics of pneumonia, then the result of therapy can be considered positive.

But treating pneumonia with antibiotics also involves taking additional medications. Thus, those drugs are often used whose effects involve restoring the drainage function of the bronchi. These are drugs. It is also advisable to take medications that thin the mucus and help improve the expectoration process. Those drugs that stimulate the body’s defenses are also used - , etc. Patients with pneumonia are also shown some methods that increase the nonspecific resistance of the body. In this case, adaptogens are effective - ginseng tincture , Eleutherococcus extract , Aralia preparations , Rhodiola rosea , saparala . They are used in individual dosages twice or thrice a day. All these drugs have a noticeable effect on the human body. They strengthen the immune system, stimulate metabolic processes in the body, help strengthen a person’s resistance to many negative impacts, as well as the influence of infections. To restore the body's defenses, in some cases patients are given , are appointed vitamin complexes (in this case, a sufficient amount of vitamin C, as well as B vitamins, is especially important).

In the treatment of pneumonia in children and adults, they are used antihistamines, agents with anti-inflammatory properties. In severe cases of the disease, sometimes the attending physician considers it advisable to take corticosteroid hormones . If there are specific indications, painkillers, respiratory analeptics, oxygen therapy sessions, etc. are also prescribed.

After the patient’s body temperature returns to normal and the symptoms of general intoxication of the body disappear, a number of physiotherapeutic procedures can be used. Often the doctor prescribes Microwave , inductothermy , UHF , wellness massage sessions , electrophoresis etc.

Other treatments for pneumonia

Another important step complex treatment pneumonia - conducting regular physical therapy sessions. Such physical exercise contribute to the activation of the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid in the body, normalize pulmonary ventilation disturbed during the course of the disease. Therapeutic exercise is prescribed to the patient after the body temperature has normalized or decreased to low-grade fever. Initially, gymnastics includes several breathing exercises in a supine position. In addition, it is advisable for the patient to lie several times a day on the healthy side in order to improve aeration . To reduce the adhesive process in the phrenic-costal angle, you should place a cushion under the chest and lie on your healthy side. Lying on your back reduces the formation of adhesions in the area between the diaphragmatic pleura and the posterior wall of the chest.

Then, after a few days, the patient at the recovery stage is prescribed exercises in a sitting and standing position, which are aimed at increasing the mobility of the chest, and also involve training in diaphragmatic breathing.

After complete recovery, people who have had pneumonia are recommended to engage in skiing, rowing, and play sports.

To improve the drainage function of the bronchi and the ventilation function of the lungs, . However, it should be noted that inhalations are carried out after the most acute condition has been removed. Special preparations are used for inhalation, for example , as well as herbal decoctions.

With the help of massage you can significantly improve the process of mucus discharge. In addition, massage has a bronchial relaxing effect. Depending on the doctor's prescription, it is used as classic segmental , so acupressure .

By using cupping massage You can significantly speed up the process of sputum discharge with a strong cough. To do this, apply to the skin, previously lubricated Vaseline , a jar is applied, the capacity of which should be 200 ml. After suctioning the can, massage movements are carried out from the lower back to cervical spine spine. This massage should last about ten minutes. After this, the patient is wrapped in a blanket and given a glass of warm tea. This massage can be performed once every two days.

After the acute condition is relieved, the patient is also recommended to do paraffin , mud , ozokerite appliqués . Some experts also recommend sessions . However, this method cannot be practiced by people in a state of intoxication, with fever, or with cardiac and respiratory failure.

It is important that treatment of pneumonia is carried out until the patient recovers completely: he should not only feel normal, but also the indicators of laboratory and x-ray studies.

After completing the main course of treatment, patients are often recommended to continue recovery from illness in a sanatorium. As a rule, with a competent approach to treatment, the patient’s recovery occurs in about three to four weeks.

Treatment of pneumonia with folk remedies can also be used provided the disease is treated at home and the patient is not in a serious condition. There are a number of recipes for decoctions and tinctures medicinal herbs, which effectively affect the general condition of the patient. Some recipes, proven by many years of experience, can be used in parallel with drug treatment. We offer several possible recipes for treating pneumonia with folk remedies.

Take two tablespoons of aloe leaves, chop and mix with one teaspoon of salt. 1 tsp. salt. The mixture is taken three times a day before meals, one teaspoon. Calendula tincture, which is taken twenty drops three times a day, is prepared as follows: two tablespoons of calendula flowers are poured with one glass of medical alcohol. Prepare the infusion for 15 days in a dark place. Similarly, you can prepare a tincture of wormwood herb (for one tablespoon of herb, one glass of vodka), which is taken four times a day, one teaspoon.

Another traditional medicine effectively helps get rid of cough. To do this, one glass of oats with husks is mixed with one liter of milk. The mixture should be boiled for half an hour, then strain and add two tablespoons of butter, five tablespoons of honey. Before going to bed, the patient should take a glass of the product.

In addition, to treat pneumonia in children and adults, traditional medicine recommends taking decoctions of medicinal herbs as a drink. There are many options for herbal teas that effectively affect the condition of a patient with pneumonia.

You should mix one part each of knotweed grass, anise fruit, pine buds, dill fruits, thyme herb, licorice root. The collection is poured with cold water, infused for about an hour, after which it must be brought to a boil and cooked for about five minutes. Drink half a glass three times a day.

Another collection of herbs includes one teaspoon each of chamomile, calendula, and St. John's wort flowers. The mixture is poured into two glasses of boiling water and left for two hours. You need to take the collection one third of a glass three times a day.

In addition, medicinal infusions may include other herbs: sage, coltsfoot, common thyme, horsetail, plantain leaves, peppermint, stinging nettle, elecampane, black elderberry and other medicinal plants.

Honey and lemon should be added to the tea that the patient drinks throughout the day; periodically it is recommended to drink warm milk with the addition of one teaspoon of butter and honey.

Juice therapy is also used in the treatment of pneumonia - daily intake of fresh vegetable and fruit juices. The juices of beets, carrots, and spinach are most beneficial for patients.

Eucalyptus tincture is also effective in combating the symptoms of pneumonia, which is used both externally - for inhalation and gargling, and internally, 30 drops three times a day.

In order to activate the process of expectoration, it is recommended to consume freshly squeezed cabbage juice mixed with honey. Traditional medicine also recommends regular consumption of raisins, figs, and almonds.

An effective way to treat pneumonia at home is cupping, which is placed on the patient’s back and chest. In addition, warming compresses and bandages are used.

Antibiotics for pneumonia

For pneumonia in adults, it is advisable to use antibiotics after the disease has been confirmed by at least one diagnostic method.

It should be taken into account that individual symptoms - for example, rapid breathing in a child with a fever, coughing during a deep breath in an adult, etc. - are not a reason for immediately taking antibacterial drugs, since the patient could also have another illness. It is impossible to independently determine whether a patient has four signs or 5 signs of inflammation. To prescribe adequate antibiotic therapy, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Before prescribing antibiotics, it is important to determine the causative agent of the disease - under this condition, therapy will be most adequate. But in some cases this is not possible, so experts prescribe antibacterial drugs wide range actions. They are also used before identifying the pathogen in order to create therapeutic concentrations of active components in the blood.

Pneumonia caused by streptococcus (it can be caused by streptococcus in a child’s throat, etc.), it can be treated with broad-spectrum penicillins , sometimes prescribed in combination with aminoglycosides .

Mycoplasma in children, as well as chlamydia , legionella infections require the prescription of specialized antibiotics – , . Broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs are also advisable.

Treated with antibiotics - semisynthetic penicillins , treatment of bronchopneumonia in adults can be carried out at home.

For pulmonary inflammation, a complex of 2-3 antibiotic drugs is sometimes used, especially if the focus of inflammation occupies more than one segment.

Complications of pneumonia

If patients turn to specialists immediately after they become ill and then adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen, complications, as a rule, do not develop. The manifestation of complications can be associated directly with the disease, as well as with taking medications. The likelihood of exacerbation of chronic diseases also increases - heart failure , emphysema etc.

It can develop as a complication pleuropneumonia , which is characterized by the involvement of one or several lobes of the lungs in the inflammatory process, and an acute and severe course of the disease is noted.

Probably manifestation pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura), which can develop into exudative pleurisy when in pleural cavity liquid accumulates.

Another dangerous complication is lungs when cavities filled with pus develop in them. This complication develops in people with chronic diseases.

In addition, pneumonia may be complicated blood sepsis , bacteremia .

There is a risk of developing infectious , breathing problems.

Sometimes, after suffering from pneumonia, the first signs develop asthma in adolescents and children.

Prevention of complications of pneumonia

It is very important to undergo timely diagnosis and adhere to the treatment regimen prescribed by a specialist for influenza, colds, and prolonged cough.

You should adhere to the generally known rules of hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.

Prevention of pneumonia

As measures to prevent pneumonia, it is important to follow general sanitary and hygienic rules, regularly devote time to hardening, and exercise. Sanitation of foci of chronic infection is also important. All diseases that damage the lungs must be treated immediately and correctly. Healthy image life of adults, a competent approach to child care, as well as hardening the baby in the first year of life will help avoid illness. There are also some drugs ( bronchomunal , IRS-19 ,) which stimulate the body’s protective properties during the period of highest probability of infection infectious diseases. They also produce a certain vaccine effect directed against pathogens of respiratory diseases.

Education: Graduated from Rivne State Basic medical college majoring in Pharmacy. Graduated from Vinnytsia State medical university them. M.I. Pirogov and internship at his base.

Experience: From 2003 to 2013, she worked as a pharmacist and manager of a pharmacy kiosk. She was awarded diplomas and decorations for many years of conscientious work. Articles on medical topics were published in local publications (newspapers) and on various Internet portals.