How to Treat Pneumonia

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Pneumonia can develop from a bacterial infection, virus, parasite or fungus that consequently causes your lungs to become inflamed. Pneumonia can be life-threatening to the point of hospitalization, especially in the elderly, smokers or someone with a compromised immune system. The symptoms can resemble the flu and often include fever and a persistent cough. You may also feel shortness of breath and chest pain. Here's how to treat pneumonia.

Steps

1. Make an appointment with your doctor to get the proper diagnosis and necessary medication for pneumonia. In addition to a physical exam, an x-ray of the lungs is normally taken to diagnosis pneumonia. Your doctor may also conduct tests on your blood and mucus. The type of medication depends on the cause of the pneumonia.
   • Bacterial and mycoplasma pneumonia can be treated with an oral antibiotic. Unfortunately, some strains of bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Penicillin and macrolides are the most common types of antibiotics used to treat pneumonia. Cephalosporins may be used if you are allergic to penicillin, or it didn't work. Fluoroquinolones are sometimes used, but they tend to have more side effects than the other types of antibiotics for pneumonia.
   • Pneumonia from a virus cannot be treated with antibiotics, but your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication.
   • Pneumonia from a fungus can be treated with antifungal medication.
2. Take over-the-counter medications to alleviate symptoms, such as a cough during the night and/or fever. Completely suppressing the cough isn't recommended, as a cough is important to clearing the lungs.
3. Rest as much as possible to help speed your recovery.
4. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Water is the best choice for staying hydrated and helping the mucus to loosen from your lungs.
5. Return to work or school once your fever dissipates and you are no longer coughing up mucus. You might want to start with a half-day and gradually work your way up to a full day, so you don't overdo it.
6. Expect to be hospitalized if you develop complications from pneumonia or need oxygen or intravenous antibiotics. You may need to spend several days in the hospital before you recover enough to continue treatment at home. Complications from pneumonia can cause breathing difficulty; bacteria to enter the bloodstream and spread to other organs; fluid to develop in the pleura, which is the membrane that covers the lungs; or an abscess in the lungs.
7. Go to your follow-up appointment. Another x-ray will be taken to check that the lungs are clear of infection. This appointment is particularly important for smokers who may have a chronic cough and shortness of breath.

Warnings

• Don't discontinue taking a prescribed medication for pneumonia without your doctor's consent. Even if you start to feel better, you must take the entire course of antibiotics to prevent the pneumonia from returning.