How Do Doctors Diagnose and Treat Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a kind of lung infection that may require one to get hospitalized after a point. It occurs when an infection fills in the alveoli and the air sacs of the lungs. And the tubes that link them get filled with fluid or pus. Any person diagnosed with pneumonia may find it difficult to take in oxygen. Pneumonia can happen to anyone but children and the elderly are more vulnerable to it.

Simply because they have a weak immune system that finds it unable to combat the infection. Have you been thinking about how doctors diagnosed it? If there is any treatment available? and other related questions. Well, then read until the end to know more.


What are the Types and Symptoms of Pneumonia?

There may be several causes why a person may be diagnosed with Pneumonia including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. There are also types of pneumonia that one may be infected with including-

  1. Hospital-acquired pneumonia
  2. Community-acquired pneumonia
  3. Healthcare-associated pneumonia, and
  4. Ventilator-associated pneumonia.

People who smoke, and consume alcohol or women who are pregnant are most likely to develop pneumonia. Also, the ones with weaker immune systems or neurological conditions are prone to it. Usually, the symptoms are very hard to detect as one may experience cold and flu commonly. But if any person undergoes a few things like those mentioned below then it can be taken as a symptom of this disease like

  • Chest pain
  • Congestion
  • Breathing problem
  • Fever
  • Regular coughing
  • Yellow, green or bloody mucus.

If you find any of these symptoms, then make sure to consult with a doctor right away instead of ignoring it.

How is Pneumonia Diagnosed?

When the patient visits a doctor, he or she would first inquire about the health history and then proceed with a physical examination. In the initial step, the doctor will use diagnostic equipment like a stethoscope to listen to the lungs. If any bubbling sounds or unusual crackling sounds appear, then it could be pneumonia.

To be more sure of it, several other tests may be asked by the doctor to be conducted by the patient. Some of these include blood tests, Chest X-rays, Sputum tests, CT scans, Pulse oximetry and Pleural fluid cultures. If the diagnostic tools results showcase that pneumonia has been detected, then the doctor would proceed with the treatment.


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