It is known as pneumonia or pneumonia, a respiratory disease characterized by inflammation in the lung tissue due to an infectious agent present in the body, affecting the lungs and airways. In addition, this disorder causes the pulmonary alveoli to fill with pus, causing difficulty in breathing normally, which can be very annoying. It is a disease caused by a virus, although sometimes it can also be caused by bacteria. That is why it is essential that you consult a doctor before any alteration that appears in your body so that he can identify the correct cause and offer you the most appropriate treatment for your case.
If you have someone close to you with this lung inflammation, and you wonder, is pneumonia contagious? At FastlyHealwe offer you a wealth of information to answer this and other questions about the disease.
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The contagion of pneumonia
Pneumonia is generated mainly by viruses and by bacteria to a lesser extent. At the same time, rare cases are due to fungi or parasites, which means that the leading cause is having come into contact with the infectious germ, thus affecting all lung tissue in the body. This pathogen can travel throughout the body to reach the lungs, which can happen through the respiratory tract, such as the nose or pharynx, or through the blood.
The microorganisms that favor this pathology spread quickly in the air and can become present in the environment with a simple sneeze by the cough and mucus of a patient with pneumonia. In addition, many times, the disease is not fully cured or has not been adequately treated. However, the symptoms are no longer present so strongly, which means that the pathogen continues to be in people and is transmitted to others, mainly to those going through different respiratory system disorders.
For this reason, it is common for many people to ask themselves: is pneumonia contagious? Although the route of transmission would make pneumonia highly infectious, for a person to develop the disease, they had to acquire a very aggressive microorganism or have a weakened immune system, but not necessarily due to coming into contact with an infected person, because if they have the necessary hygiene care is not a problem.
Symptoms of pneumonia
The most common symptomatology when pneumonia is present is that the body has a high temperature, that is, fever, chills with tremors, general malaise, problems breathing normally, and cough, which may be accompanied by expectorations with mucus and even with the presence of blood.
Although less common than the previous ones, other symptoms of pneumonia are a severe headache, fatigue, clammy skin, excessive sweating, and confusion. However, the latter is more common in older people. It is essential that if you or someone close to you has one or more of these symptoms of pneumonia, consult a specialist since lung infections can be severe and cause death in children and the elderly.
Treatment to cure pneumonia
The treatment of pneumonia varies according to the infectious agent that is causing it and the severity of the symptoms since if it is something serious, the doctor may recommend hospitalization for a few days until the general picture improves. However, this is more likely to happen with people over 65.
Generally, treatment is limited to the doctor prescribing antibiotics for a specific time when the disease is caused by bacteria. These drugs will be responsible for destroying the germs that cause lung infection, so you must start treatment early to avoid complications.
On the other hand, if the pneumonia was caused by a severe disorder in the respiratory tract, such as the severe flu, the doctor will likely recommend an antiviral accompanied by other medications to reduce the symptoms that occur, for example, an antipyretic, in addition, other necessary care while the disease is ongoing.
Prevention of pneumonia
There are specific measures that can help you prevent the spread of pneumonia, for example:
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Get vaccinated against the flu, especially for those over 60 years of age.
- Get the pneumococcal vaccine, as it helps to reduce the chance of getting pneumonia significantly.
- Avoid contact with tobacco, as this increases the risk of getting pneumonia. In the following article, you can see what happens in your body when you stop smoking.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.