Pneumonia?

[quandrea]

Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, physical contaminates (esp older people with a poor swallow that inhale food into their lungs), and inhaled chemicals (hence the fog machine).



Pneumonia is simply an inflammation of the lungs. Pneumonia, in itself, is not contagious. It is what causes it that may be contagious (viruses, bacteria, and rarely, parasites).

And never in all my life have I been taught that it lives in all of us

Pneumonia bacteria are present in some healthy throats. When body defenses are weakened in some way, by illness, old age, malnutrition, general debility or impaired immunity, the bacteria can multiply and cause serious damage. Usually, when a person's resistance is lowered, bacteria work their way into the lungs and inflame the air sacs.

From Berkeley county health dept

 

[wdwmom2]

It doesn't. But there are certain strep and staph bacteria which live in our mouths and nasal passages. Most of the time these strains don't cause a problem, but occasionally they do. When that happens, you need an antibiotic to kill the bacteria.

I agree. But strep and staph don't equal pneumonia. That's what I was commenting on, that the pneumonia lives on our bodies. Can staph and strep cause pneumonia, sure. But they can cause a lot of other things too.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

My son has gone from cold, to sinus, to bronchitis, to pneumonia is as many days as diagnosis's.

He has had pneumonia too many times for a young adult.

For the cough, he finds that using Tessalon Pearls is good during the day and Robitussin with Codeine at night.

He always knows he has pneumonia because of the night sweat/chills. He can feel fine all day and when that hits during the night he knows. We go for xrays now before the doctors appointment.

Hope both of your sons feel better soon, but if the one with bronchitis gets the night sweats, don't feel bad about calling and getting an xray done. Trust me better safe than sorry!

Healing prayers being sent.

 

[frostedpink]

Unfortunately my DD has had pneumonia several times.

In November she had an ear infection that turned into pneumonia a week or so later.

I don't understand that one....can bacteria from your nose infect your ears, then move down into your lungs??

First she was on Amoxicillin which seemed to knock the ear infection out immediately. But, obviously didn't prevent the pneumonia from forming, so I wondered if it was a different bacteria strain that was resistant to the amox.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

My DD got pneumonia last last year when she was 5. After reading all the replies it seems she had a milder case but it was very scary. She had a run of the mill cold (so we thought) and she seemed to be getting better as the coughing had died down. 5 days later she went to school like usual, I got a call from her nurse saying she had thrown up at school. I got her home and her temp was 103! We did the motrin/tylenol cycle, gave her tepid baths, etc. She was very lethargic and sleepy and just a little "coughy". I got her into the doc who listened to her lungs and took a blood oxygen level which was in the low 90's. She pit her on strong antibiotics, she felt better on the 2nd day of the meds but it took a full week for her to be back to herself. She missed 8 days of school. I found that when I took her outside in the fresh air she felt much better. I don't ever want to go through that again, the first 3 days were very scary.

Does anyone know if the pneumonia vaccine can be given to kids?

 

[wdwmom2]

Pneumonia bacteria are present in some healthy throats. When body defenses are weakened in some way, by illness, old age, malnutrition, general debility or impaired immunity, the bacteria can multiply and cause serious damage. Usually, when a person's resistance is lowered, bacteria work their way into the lungs and inflame the air sacs.

From Berkeley county health dept

From the National Institute of Health http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pnu/

There are bacteria that can cause pneumonia that live on our bodies, that I agree with. But pneumonia itself is not a bacteria. It is a condition, an inflammation of the lungs CAUSED by the bacteria, virus, chemical, etc. But these same causes of pneumonia can also cause other things. They are not limited to causing pneumonia.

I do agree it often happens when a person's resistance is compromised.

ETA: are you sure you are not talking about Streptococcus pneumoniae? That is a bacteria, and yes it can cause pneumonia. But it also causes otitis media, bacteremia, meningitis, peritonitis, and sinusitis. It can colonize in the throat and nose of people without causing any symptoms.

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/pneumococal/Pages/PneumococcalDisease.aspx

 

[quandrea]

From the National Institute of Health http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pnu/

There are bacteria that can cause pneumonia that live on our bodies, that I agree with. But pneumonia itself is not a bacteria. It is a condition, an inflammation of the lungs CAUSED by the bacteria, virus, chemical, etc. But these same causes of pneumonia can also cause other things. They are not limited to causing pneumonia.

I do agree it often happens when a person's resistance is compromised.

ETA: are you sure you are not talking about Streptococcus pneumoniae? That is a bacteria, and yes it can cause pneumonia. But it also causes otitis media, bacteremia, meningitis, peritonitis, and sinusitis. It can colonize in the throat and nose of people without causing any symptoms.

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/pneumococal/Pages/PneumococcalDisease.aspx

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

I have had pneumonia five times, yes five. Apparently once you get it once, it is easier to get it again. The experience has varied from not even knowing I was sick to being at death's door. About 8 years ago I got the pneumonia shot (probably not the technical name, but that's what the doc called it) and I haven't had it since.

The second time I had it, the doctor couldn't hear a rattle and sent me home thinking it was the flu (military hospital). I almost died before they x-rayed me and found the problem. There isn't always a rattle. All of my cases were secondary infections from colds or the flu.

 

[si-am]

My husband was diagnosed with "walking pneumonia" this past summer and I came down with an awful case of it a week later, except mine was not mild. My temp was 103 for 3 days straight; I couldn't get out of bed except for my trip to Urgent Care. It was awful.

I had it twice as a child, too.

Bronchitis is no fun, either, though. Ugh.

 

[debknight]

Unfortunately my DD has had pneumonia several times.

In November she had an ear infection that turned into pneumonia a week or so later.

I don't understand that one....can bacteria from your nose infect your ears, then move down into your lungs??
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Yes to your question -- our eyes, ears, nose, throats, and ultimately lungs, are all connected!

 

[LoveMMC]

My 8month old DS has it now we are in the hospital for a week.

 

[tigercat]

I have had it so many times I can't remember how many. My DD and I seem to get it so easy. I have been hospitalized as well as sent home with antibiotics. I have a puffer that I am to start using as soon as I get a cold symptom. It comes on sudden sometimes and sometimes comes as I have a cold. My DD is just now getting over a bout of it. I told her she wasn't allowed to visit until she was over it as I didn't want it. One year I had it 4 times, once with the H1N1 flu. Not fun.
It does take a long time to really get over it. You feel tire for a while. Be careful with it as it is not something you want to fool with.
tigercat

 

[LilyWDW]

I have had aspiration pneumonia. It stunk. Without too much detail I got it while recovering from a horrible stomach bug. You can most likely guess what happened from there.

For me the big clue was feeling like someone was sitting on my chest. I couldn't take a full breath and even shallow breathing led to coughing fits. It finally got bad enough that I headed to the doctor.

I was out of work for quite awhile between the two illnesses. The best part? I came down with the stomach bug on Thanksgiving... and I worked as a retail manager. In other words, I couldn't work Black Friday.

 

[Syrreal]

So sorry to hear about the kids being sick. Neither pneumonia or bronchitis is any fun.

DS had pneumonia when he was 4. He was out of school for 3 weeks.

I had walking pneumonia for 4 months. I was never actually sick though. Had some allergies which turned into bronchitis that 3 days later was pneumonia. 6 antibiotics, 4 cough medicines, inhalers, etc later and I was ok. I felt exhausted all the time but once the coughing stopped I generally felt fine just couldn't do much.