Pneumonia causes

Pneumonia is caused by cold or fever?
(23 Apr 2008)

Pneumonia is a serious medical condition that could have fatal results and should, as much as possible, be treated in a hospital with the aid of modern medicine. The condition is characterized by the infection of one or both of the lungs by some kind of bacteria, virus or fungi. Studies have shown that prior to the discovery of antibiotics, almost one in every three individuals that contracted the condition died as a direct result of it.

Almost 3 million individuals suffer from Pneumonia at this time in the United Sates of America alone. Even with the dawn of antibiotics – almost 5% of all patients will die from the condition. The condition can be contracted by simply breathing in small droplets that contain organisms. These droplets are introduced into the air when a person that is infected with the germ either coughs or sneezes in close proximity to you. The condition can also be caused by the bacteria and viruses that are naturally present in the mouth or nose and inadvertently enter the lungs. Under normal circumstances, the body’s reflex responses, such as coughing, will prevent the aspirated organisms from causing pneumonia, but if the body has been weakened by the presence of some other type of condition, severe cases of pneumonia are likely to develop. Some of the more common symptoms of the condition include a severe cold followed by a very high fever (reaching up to levels of about 104 degrees Fahrenheit), a cough with sputum production and chills. The sputum is normally discolored and bloody. Patients may also suffer from a noticeable shortness of breath while they may also experience a significant amount of pain whenever they try to inhale or exhale.

While the condition can affect any individual, some are at a higher risk than others because of smoking, a high alcohol intake, have a subdued immune system as a result of the presence of some other condition such as HIV / AIDS or asthma, are malnourished or recently recovering from a cold or influenza infection.

Some of the more generic home treatment options in treating pneumonia include preparing some tea from fenugreek leaves and drinking this on a daily basis. This would result in a shortened period of fever as well. You could also create an infusion of sesame seeds by steeping about 15 grams of the seeds in about 250 ml of water and mixing the infusion with honey, linseed and a pinch of salt. This helps significantly in the removal of catarrhal matter and phlegm from the patient’s bronchial tubes.

answered by G M on 7 Apr 2010, 5:59:15

Pneumonia causes

Pneumonia is nothing but an inflammation of the lungs. This can be caused by a variety of reasons. The usual reasons for the development of pneumonia are infections that are caused by bacteria, fungi, virus or even parasites. When you suffer from pneumonia, you find that you suffer from a bad cough, a pain in the chest, occasional difficulty in breathing and even fever. Usually the cough also contains sputum and the patient often complains of chills that shake the entire body. In some advanced cases of pneumonia the patient also coughs up blood.

Both fever and cold usually precede the appearance of pneumonia in a patient. A person who has a bad cough and a high fever, may well discover that the infection has developed into pneumonia in a few days. When you go to the doctor with your symptoms of cough, persistent fever and chest pain, the doctor usually suggests getting an x-ray. The x-ray helps the doctor diagnose the condition. In some cases the sputum of the patient is also examined.

Pneumonia is a fairly common disease that attacks people of all age. But this is most common among the elderly people and can also lead to the death of the patient in some cases.

answered by G R on 23 Apr 2008, 6:23:18

Pneumonia causes

Pneumonia is caused by cold or fever? (23 Apr 2008)

Pneumonia is caused by cold or fever?
(23 Apr 2008)