- Pneumonia Symptoms
- Why babies are more at risk of pneumonia
- How to Treat a Flu That Became Pneumonia
- Flu vaccine also protects against pneumonia
The flu can become pneumonia due to the worsening of the flu, when the secretions full of the Influenza virus reach the deepest parts of the lung, the alveoli, where oxygen exchange occurs, which greatly impairs breathing and consequently there is less oxygen in all body tissues.
Signs and symptoms that may indicate pneumonia include high fever and difficulty breathing, and a cough with a greenish or rust-colored phlegm is common. This disease is diagnosed by the pulmonologist based on symptoms and tests such as pulmonary auscultation and chest x-ray and when the doctor detects the infection in different regions of the lung, the disease is called Bronchopneumonia.
Your treatment should be started as soon as possible and can be done with antiviral drugs or antibiotics and use of an oxygen mask, at home or in the hospital.
Pneumonia Symptoms
Pneumonia symptoms can appear suddenly or can appear after a flu that lasts for many days. The symptoms of pneumonia are:
- Initially dry cough, but it worsens and presents phlegm with greenish or rust color; Excessive tiredness; Chest pain; Chills; High fever, above 39ºC; Short and fast breathing; Fingertips and lips can become purplish.
When observing these symptoms, you should go to the pulmonologist to do tests, such as chest X-rays, blood tests and sputum tests, in order to start identifying the disease and start the appropriate treatment.
Although anyone can get pneumonia, it is more common in children, the elderly, patients who are being treated for AIDS, cancer or who have a respiratory disease such as asthma, for example.
Why babies are more at risk of pneumonia
Babies are more likely to develop pneumonia after the flu because their immunity is not as good as that of an adult and also because a small amount of virus is enough to cause major complications.
In order to know if the baby has pneumonia, one should observe if there are symptoms such as cough with phlegm, high fever, in addition to lack of appetite, apathy and easy crying and, therefore, should be evaluated by a pediatrician.
To help treat childhood pneumonia, parents should avoid taking the child or baby out of the house, dressing it according to the season, avoiding sudden changes in temperature or places with lots of people or smoke. Going to daycare is not recommended because there is a risk of contaminating other children.
How to Treat a Flu That Became Pneumonia
Pneumonia treatment can last up to 2 weeks, using antibiotics such as Amoxacillin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Ceftriaxone or Levofloxacin.
During treatment, the individual must rest at home, avoid going to work or school, drinking a lot of water and eating normally, and the symptoms may improve between the 3rd and 4th days of treatment.
In the most severe cases, it may be necessary to stay in hospital to wear an oxygen mask or undergo respiratory physiotherapy, and the treatment time varies between 14 or 21 days, which may last longer. Here are some examples of exercises that make breathing easier: 5 exercises to breathe better after surgery.
Flu vaccine also protects against pneumonia
To protect yourself and prevent the flu, and consequently viral pneumonia, it is recommended that all children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, as well as those who have chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes, get the flu vaccine every year because the virus is a little different each year.
They can help in the treatment:
