Bacteria and parasites cause several kinds of infections in the body and when the infection is caused in the lung region, the disease is termed as pneumonia. Firstly an inflammation is caused, after the viruses and bacteria enter the lungs. Pneumonia affects the lungs and was the cause of largest number of deaths in the beginning of the century. During the time of 1900’s it affected a large number of people in U.S, but then antibiotics for this disease were discovered which cleared out the problem.
The symptoms of pneumonia generally depend on its cause, but mostly the patients suffer cough, have fever and chest pain in general no matter what caused it. If the symptoms of pneumonia are diagnosed early, it can be cured easily.
Viruses are responsible for more than half cases of pneumonia. The symptoms of viral pneumonia are:
Few bacteria are also responsible for causing some pneumonia. The common symptoms in this case are:
– High fever and sensation of cold with shivering and increased heart beat.
– Bluish skin and green liquid cough.
The elders usually suffer from viral or bacterial pneumonia, while those under 40 years suffer mycoplasmal pneumonia. This form is very transmittable, and soon affects other family members too. The common symptoms of mycoplasmal pneumonia are:
– Dry cough accompanied by fever and sore throat.
– Feeling weak and tender with pain in joints.
The other name of mycoplasmal pneumonia is walking pneumonia because it does not compel the people to stay in the bed, the victim can do his/her normal activities as its effects are not severe. Everyone can suffer it as it spreads through the air but children below the age of 15 are at high risk to this disease.
Its first symptom is a mild sore throat that gets worse as the days pass. One infected by it will feel a state of tiredness all day long and a dry cough starts up. The major problem is that its symptoms are identical to the cold or flu symptoms. Mild fever accompanied by running nose and coughing, exactly the same when you have cold. The first indication is that the coughing cannot be cured with regular prescription because the bacteria can be treated only with antibiotics.
This makes it a risky, wretched disease, but once diagnosed can be cured with few antibiotics.