Pneumonia – Symptoms and Treatment

                                                                                         

There are a range of bacteria that may cause an infection leading to 'typical pneumonia' including Streptococcus pneumoniae which causes pneumococcal pneumonia. This is the most common cause of pneumonia. Viruses can also be a source of infection including influenza - or flu. An infection with a bacterium and a virus can occur at the same time. A Streptococcus pneumoniae infection is usually 'secondary' to a person having flu for example. This is known as a 'secondary infection' and can slow down recovery significantly.

Typical symptoms are cough, fever, sweats, shivers, being off food, and feeling generally unwell. Headaches, and aches and pains are common. You usually make more sputum which may become yellow/green, and is sometimes bloodstained. You may become breathless, breathe fast, and develop a 'tight chest'. A sharp pain in the side of the chest may develop if the infection involves the pleura. (This is the membrane between the lung and the chest wall.) A doctor may hear 'crackles' in the chest when listening with a stethoscope.

Pneumonia is actually a general term for a number of conditions in which an infection or chemical inflames the air sacs of the lungs. They fill with liquid or pus, which interferes with the lungs' ability to transfer oxygen to the blood. Before the invention of antibiotics in the 1930s, pneumonia was a leading cause of death. Today it's very treatable, but remains a public health problem. At least 100 different kinds of pneumonia exist, ranging from mild to severe in nature.

During the early acute stage of pneumonia, a tea made from fenugreek seeds will help the body to produce perspiration, dispel toxicity, and shorten the period of fever. Upto four cups of the tea can be taken daily. The quantity can be reduced as the condition improves. To improve the flavour of the tea, a few drops of lemon juice may be added. During this treatment, no other food or nourishment should be taken, as fasting and fenugreek will allow the body to correct these respiratory problems in a few days.

If you experience the above mentioned symptoms, you should immediately contact your doctor for further consultation. Even though walking pneumonia does not make you bedridden, it still can be very annoying and severe. Walking pneumonia is treated mainly with the help of antibiotics. Based on patient’s current condition, doctor may decide course of treatment that is needed to be followed.

If the pneumonia is severe, or the person affected is either very old or frail they may need to be treated in hospital where antibiotics and extra fluids and can be given straight into the vein (intravenously). If breathing is difficult, extra oxygen can be given through a facemask. About one in every six people with pneumonia are ill enough to need this kind of specialised care.

Parsnip Juice: The juice of parsnip, a root vegetable botanically known as Pastinaca sativa, is very effective for the treatment of pneumonia. Basil: Rub the oil of basil on the chest of the patient and give internally the juice of 5 leaves of basil mixed with a little ground black pepper at six hourly intervals. This will induce sweating and relieve the patient from pneumonia.

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