The therapy of pneumonia

introduction

Pneumonia is the term used to describe the inflammation of the alveoli and / or the lung tissue that surrounds the alveoli. Typical pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria. Classic symptoms are an abrupt onset with a sudden feeling of illness, a high fever, and a cough with sputum.

The therapy depends on the type of pneumonia. Slight forms of the course can also be treated on an outpatient basis. Elderly people and those with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk of developing severe forms that require hospital treatment.

This is how pneumonia is treated

The therapy depends on the type of pneumonia and its severity. First, a medical score is used to determine whether hospital treatment is necessary. Among other things, the patient's age, respiratory rate and blood pressure are taken into account. Both inpatients and outpatients should take it easy and drink a lot.

Since pneumonia is mostly caused by bacteria, antibiotics are used. Depending on the severity of the disease and the type of pathogen, one or more antibiotics can be administered in tablet form or via the vein. In addition, means are used to lower fever, relieve pain, dissolve mucus or to stop the cough.

These drugs are used

Different drugs are used depending on the type of pneumonia. Since the disease is triggered by bacteria in most cases, antibiotic therapy is often given before the exact pathogen is known with the help of a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Inflammation caused by viruses can usually not be treated causally. This is where symptom relief is particularly important. Fungi and parasites can also cause pneumonia, especially in immunocompromised people. These often difficult forms can be treated with special drugs.

In addition to the targeted control of the respective pathogen, there is also therapy to alleviate the symptoms. A high fever usually causes a distinct feeling of illness. It can be lowered with antipyretic drugs. These include above all ibuprofen and paracetamol. Stuck mucus should be liquefied with cough removers so that coughing up is easier. Herbal remedies, which are also available from pharmacies without a prescription, are often suitable for this.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are the first line of treatment for pneumonia caused by bacteria. When diagnosing pneumonia, an antibiotic is often prescribed without paying attention to the pathogen becoming known. Because bacterial pneumonia, especially in elderly and weakened people, can often lead to more severe courses than those caused by other pathogens. If another pathogen is identified in the course of therapy, the therapy can still be changed.

When choosing the right antibiotic, the doctor pays particular attention to the patient's age and previous illnesses: Young, otherwise healthy patients are usually treated with so-called macrolide antibiotics (e.g. azithromycin, clarithromycin). Older, weakened patients, on the other hand, are more likely to receive drugs from the group of beta-lactams (e.g. cephalosporin antibiotics or amoxicillin).

In addition, pneumonia can be classified according to the type of acquisition: there are pneumonia that were acquired on an outpatient basis, i.e. outside of the hospital and nursing home, and those that were acquired in the hospital or nursing home. There are also differences in treatment between these two groups. Because in the hospital there are often different, sometimes resistant, bacteria present than outside.

In any case, the success of the therapy should be checked a few days after the start of treatment. If the patient's condition has worsened, young, healthy patients should now also be admitted to hospital. If the patient's condition remains unchanged, it is possible to switch to another antibiotic in individual cases.

For more information, read on: Antibiotics for pneumonia.

Therapy of the accompanying symptoms

The symptoms accompanying pneumonia are often particularly annoying. These include above all a dry or slimy cough, a strong feeling of weakness, headaches and aching limbs. Often not only the lungs are affected and there are also sore throats and hoarseness.

If pain occurs, it can be relieved with the help of a pain reliever. Ibuprofen and paracetamol, for example, are suitable for this. Patients who are already taking several medications should ask their family doctor which pain reliever goes best with the previous medication.
In addition to usually herbal expectorants from the pharmacy, inhalation with essential oils or saline solution is also suitable for treating slimy coughs. A dry, irritating cough can be treated with cough suppressants at night. There are also many herbal supplements available on the market here. In addition, some doctors recommend the stronger drug codeine. However, this must be prescribed by a doctor.

The strong feeling of weakness from which many patients with pneumonia suffer, often at least partially disappears as the fever falls. An antipyretic drug should therefore also be taken, especially if the fever is very high. Physical rest and adequate sleep at night also have a relaxing effect and shorten the duration of the illness.

The home remedies

Pneumonia should never be treated with home remedies alone. A doctor should always be consulted if the disease is suspected. However, home remedies can be used in addition to conventional pneumonia therapy.
Inhalation in particular can provide relief from coughs and have a relaxing effect. It can be done several times a day and leads to a solution of stuck mucus. You should therefore no longer inhale immediately before going to bed, as the dissolution of the mucus is followed by increased coughing up.

Another popular home remedy are leg wraps, which can help especially with a high fever. In addition to water, they are also made with tea or quark and, if used correctly, can lower the fever just as reliably as a drug.
Dry, irritating cough, which sometimes occurs at the beginning of pneumonia, can disturb sleep, especially at night. A cup of warm milk, to which one or two teaspoons of honey is added, often helps.

Read here on this topic: Home remedies for pneumonia.

What can you inhale with?

Inhalation can be an effective means of loosening mucus in pneumonia. Essential oils, teas and saline solutions are particularly suitable for inhalation. Oils with eucalyptus, thyme, rosemary, menthol or sage in particular clear the airways and promote the removal of tough mucus.

Cold teas containing these plants can also be used. It is also possible to use a special nebuliser for inhalation, which makes it easier to use. These are available in many pharmacies.

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medication can in no way replace the conventional therapy for pneumonia and should only be taken in addition. The homeopathic treatment of diseases has so far had no medically proven benefit and should therefore never be used as the only treatment, especially for serious diseases.

The following homeopathic medicines are said to be able to help with pneumonia: Phosphorus for painful breathing, Antimonium tartaricum for general relief of symptoms, Ipecacuanha for coughs that cause gagging and Belladonna for fever with profuse sweating.

Also read the article: Homeopathy for cough with sputum.

General measures

In addition to the targeted control of the pathogen, for example using antibiotics, there are also some general measures that contribute to a faster resolution of pneumonia. This particularly includes sufficient fluid intake. A high fever leads to increased sweating, which causes the body to dry out. So it's important to drink more than normal during pneumonia. Even tough phlegm is easier to cough up through increased fluid intake.

Furthermore, enough sleep should be ensured for regeneration. It is also important to take physical care during the day. However, strict bed rest should be avoided if possible.

The duration of therapy

The duration of therapy depends on the type and severity of the pneumonia. In general, antibiotic therapy should be limited to 7-10 days if possible. However, severe forms occasionally require longer treatment periods, and a change of medication may also be necessary if there is no effect.

Therapy for accompanying symptoms can also be used over a longer period of time, if possible until the symptoms have subsided.

Find out more about the topic here: How long does pneumonia last?

When do you have to go to the hospital?

The so-called CURB-65 score is suitable for assessing whether a patient with pneumonia has to be admitted to the hospital. CURB-65 is an acronym: C stands for confusion, U stands for urea, i.e. the urea level in the blood, R stands for respiratory rate, B stands for blood pressure and 65 stands for an age 65 years.
For each letter mentioned, there are limit values ​​which are exceeded or undershot and score points, so that a patient can achieve between 0 and 5 points. The higher the point value, the higher the mortality of the respective patient and the more likely hospital treatment is necessary. With 0 points, outpatient treatment is possible; Inpatient admission is necessary for 1-2 points; even higher values ​​require therapy in the intensive care unit.

The artificial coma

Only very rarely does a patient have to be put into an artificial coma as part of pneumonia. This can be necessary especially for seriously ill patients and very old people. In the most severe case, pneumonia can turn into so-called ARDS or ALI. These forms describe a severe stress reaction of the lungs or an acute injury to the lung tissue due to the inflammation and can potentially be fatal.

The treatment takes place in the intensive care unit, sometimes with artificial ventilation and nutrition. The artificial coma is used to protect the body and also to shield the patient from this type of treatment, which is associated with severe anxiety and stress.

Read more on the subject here: Artificial coma for pneumonia?