Walking pneumonia is usually diagnosed through a physical examination. The doctor will check your child's breathing and listen for a hallmark crackling sound that often indicates walking pneumonia. If needed, a chest X-ray or tests of mucus samples from the throat or nose might be done to confirm the diagnosis.
Walking pneumonia symptoms typically come on slowly and include sore throat, headache, malaise and low-grade fever – which tend to be less severe than they are with pneumonia. In fact, symptoms of walking pneumonia may be so mild that they don't affect your ability to carry out your day-to-day routine.
What is walking pneumonia? Walking pneumonia is an infection that affects your upper and lower respiratory tract. It's also called atypical pneumonia because it's often caused by bacteria that, while common, are difficult to detect.
Mild cases of pneumonia can go away on their own if you manage your symptoms and get adequate rest. Home treatment for pneumonia includes getting plenty of rest, drinking adequate fluids, steamy baths or showers, fever reducers, and avoiding smoking. In severe cases of pneumonia, hospitalization may be needed.
Walking pneumonia is an informal term for pneumonia that isn't severe enough to require bed rest or hospitalization. You may feel like you have a cold. The symptoms are generally so mild that you don't feel you need to stay home from work or school, so you are out walking around.
You might have: Chest pain when you take a deep breath. A cough that may come in violent spasms. Mild flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills.
Untreated pneumonia can also lead to a lung abscess, where part of the lung tissue dies. And, in very rare cases, respiratory failure can occur. These complications can be reduced, or avoided altogether, with prompt diagnosis and proper treatment. Your doctor relies on several tools to help diagnose pneumonia.
Anyone who is having trouble breathing or other severe symptoms should immediately be taken to the ER. Additionally, people in these groups who are experiencing pneumonia-like symptoms should come to the ER: Infants and small children. Seniors over age 65.
When to see a doctor. See your doctor if you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, persistent fever of 102 F (39 C) or higher, or persistent cough, especially if you're coughing up pus. It's especially important that people in these high-risk groups see a doctor: Adults older than age 65.
Chest X-ray showing pneumonia
Your doctor will start by asking about your medical history and doing a physical exam, including listening to your lungs with a stethoscope to check for abnormal bubbling or crackling sounds that suggest pneumonia.
Most cases of viral pneumonia are mild and get better without treatment within 1 to 3 weeks. Some cases are more serious and require a hospital stay.
It might just feel like a common cold and can go unnoticed as pneumonia. Most walking pneumonia symptoms usually go away within 3 to 5 days, but a cough can linger for weeks or months.
Bronchitis can also, however, bring on chest discomfort and wheezing. While symptoms for either bronchitis or pneumonia can range from mild to serious enough to require hospitalization, symptoms such as fever, breathing problems, and chest pain tend to be more severe with pneumonia.
Antibiotics such as erythromycin, clarithromycin or azithromycin are effective treatment. However, because mycoplasma infection usually resolves on its own, antibiotic treatment of mild symptoms is not always necessary.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm) difficulty breathing – your breathing may be rapid and shallow, and you may feel breathless, even when resting. rapid heartbeat.
Pneumonia impacts sleep by making it difficult to breathe while lying in bed. The pain or discomfort from the illness may also prevent you from sleeping, or excessive coughing and congestion can keep you awake.
The bottom line. While fever is a common symptom of pneumonia, it's possible to have pneumonia without a fever. This can occur in specific groups, such as young children, older adults, and people with a weakened immune system. Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of germs, some of which are contagious.
Walking pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics. Your cough may last for 2 to 3 weeks after the infection has been treated. You may have some wheezing too. These symptoms will go away over time.
Rizzo notes that walking pneumonia is treatable with antibiotics if your doctor believes bacteria to be the cause. Over-the-counter medications can also be used to relieve symptoms, such as antihistamines for nasal congestion or cough medications to help ease the cough and loosen any mucus (sputum).
Bacterial pneumonia is more serious and often results in a gurgling sound when breathing and mucus or phlegm when coughing.
Yes, walking pneumonia is very contagious. When someone who has walking pneumonia coughs, sneezes, talks, sings or breathes near you, tiny droplets containing the disease enter the air. The illness spreads if you inhale those droplets.
Pneumonia is a serious lung infection. It often causes a buildup of mucus in the lungs that can make it hard for you to breathe. Albuterol doesn't treat the pneumonia infection itself. But albuterol can improve your breathing by loosening the mucus in your lungs.
Yes, while fever is common in pneumonia, it's possible to have pneumonia with a low fever or no fever. This is more likely if you: Are older than 65 or younger than 2 (especially newborns and infants).