Antibiotics for pneumonia

Pneumonia is a common infectious disease that causes inflammatory processes in the lungs. Weakened immunity or the person’s age can be the risk factor for pneumonia. This disease occurs most often in the cold season and the pneumonia causes can be various infections of the upper respiratory tract, for example:

  • bacterial infection;
  • viral infection.

Antibiotics for pneumonia treatment are the main method of drug therapy for this disease. The choice of oral antibiotic may depend on the type of pneumonia, the disease severity and the patient’s individual response to certain ingredients of the drug.

Various microorganisms may cause pneumonia, but the lung disease is usually caused by viruses or bacteria. Simple diagnostic tests, such as computed tomography scan help to get a better view of the lungs and determine the cause of the infectious disease.

The first symptoms of respiratory infection may occur a few days after penetrating of pathogenic bacteria the human body. Atypical bacteria, such as Chlamydophila and mycoplasma, rarely cause pneumonia in elderly, but are often the cause of pneumonia in young people.

Increased level of certain hormones in pregnant woman can lead to a decrease in T-cell immunity and make the body more susceptible to bacterial infections. During pregnancy, pneumonia should be treated by means of antibiotics; otherwise, the infection can lead to poor consequences for the fetus, for example:

  • placental abruption;
  • low birth weight.

Late gestational age, as well as smoking are considered risk factors for pneumonia development in pregnant women. The risk of pneumonia development because of an influenza virus is very high in pregnant women and its symptoms can be more severe than in other patients in case of the disease onset.

When the immune system is greatly weakened, then the human body is more susceptible to bacterial infections of the lungs. Pneumonia may occur at any age. Bacterial disease often occurs asymptomatically in elderly.

The studies did not show a significant difference in the response to antibiotic therapy of bacterial pneumonia in different age groups. Elderly people with pneumonia should take antibiotics just as younger patients observing the required dosage of the drug throughout the prescribed period of antibiotic therapy.

There are several types of pneumonia that may occur because of various microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria. Viral pneumonia can be diagnosed in patients suffered from a flu virus. Antibiotics do not treat pneumonia, the cause of which is not associated with the bacterial infection.

There are no guaranteed methods to avoid pneumonia. This disease may occur in people of any age, even in young children. However, you can minimize your baby’s risk.

Antibiotics treat pneumonia, but pneumococcal vaccine is recommended, which is also approved for children to prevent the infectious disease. The main symptoms of pneumonia in infants may occur within 6-8 weeks after the birth.

If antibiotics for pneumonia treatment are used for more than 6-7 weeks in infants, then the variety of gastrointestinal flora is greatly reduced in them. Antibiotic therapy can adversely affect the child’s long-term health, as well as the risk of developing allergy or asthma increases.