PNEUMONIA

Pneumonia Treatment in Jumeirah, Dubai

Inflammation of the air sacs in the lungs is referred to as pneumonia. Pus and fluid fill the air sacs creating a cough and phlegm. In advanced cases, there is difficulty in breathing and fever due to the infection. It is either mild or can cause death due to the immune system that one possesses.

Pneumonia Diagnosis

Chest x ray to look for inflammation in your lungs. A chest x ray is the best test for diagnosing pneumonia. However, this test won’t tell your doctor what kind of germ is causing the pneumonia. Blood tests such as a complete blood count (CBC) to see if your immune system is actively fighting an infection.

Signs and Symptoms

A person suffering from pneumonia is likely to notice the below symptoms:

Pain in the chest when coughing and breathing.
Confusion mentally for clients older than 65 years
Cough that produces phlegm
Shortness of breath
Nausea, diarrhea and vomiting
Reduced body temperatures
Fever and chills

Consult your family doctor if you notice any of these signs and symptoms to seek immediate treatment for pneumonia.

Causes of Pneumonia

Pneumonia types are classified according to the area where one got the infection. In relation to that, pneumonia types include community acquired pneumonia, hospital acquired pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia and health care acquired pneumonia.

Community acquired pneumonia

As the name suggests, it occurs outside the hospital and one acquired the pneumonia in the community hence the name community acquired pneumonia. Causes include bacteria, fungi, virus and bacteria-like organisms.

Hospital acquired pneumonia

It is acquired in hospitals by patients who are being treated for other infections. This kind of pneumonia is resistant to antibiotics, hence difficult to treat. People in ICU, especially who is using ventilators are at a higher risk of the infection.

Health care acquired pneumonia

It affects people with chronic conditions and are in long term care facilities. An example is clients who receive dialysis care in outpatient services. The condition is resistant to antibiotics, hence difficult to treat.

Aspiration pneumonia

It results when a person inhales drink, saliva, vomit or food into one’s lungs. Disturbance of the normal gag reflex increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Conditions that can reduce the reflex include brain injury, drug and alcohol use and issues in swallowing.

Pneumonia Treatment

Doctors use antibiotics to treat pneumonia caused by bacteria, the most common cause of the condition. Your doctor will choose your antibiotic based on a number of things. Including Specific pneumonia treatment depend on the type and severity of your pneumonia, your age and your overall health. The options include: your age, your symptoms and how severe they are, and whether you need to go to the hospital.

What You Can Do

You can avoid pneumonia by taking the following preventive measures:

Vaccination against pneumonia. There are types of pneumonia that can be prevented by vaccination, check up with your care provider on the vaccines that one can receive.
Ensuring children are vaccinated. Vaccinating children help in curbing the disease.
Good hygiene maintenance. Proper hand washing techniques can reduce the spread of the infection.
Do not smoke, smoking reduces the lung immunity to fight infection.
Keeping healthy and eating a balanced diet to ensure one’s immunity is strong against infections.

What We Can Do

Pneumonia treatment at SHAMMA Clinic in Dubai involves:

Physical examination: listening to the lungs using a stethoscope for lung sounds and any abnormality.
Blood tests to identify the specific causative organism of the pneumonia.
Chest x-ray to determine the infection location.
Pulse oximetry to determine the oxygen saturation in the blood.
Sputum for culture and sensitivity to determine the infection and the drug most suitable.
Antibiotics to treat the infection.
Cough drugs to suppress the cough and help in restoring normal functioning of the chest.
Pain killers to counter the chest pain.
Antipyretics to reduce the fever.
Hospitalize and manage the condition if the client is in a bad state.

To know more about the pneumonia treatment we provide, contact our specialist at SHAMMA Clinic in Jumeirah, Dubai today.