Which specialists treat pneumonia

Cough medicine can calm a cough, helping you rest more easily, but sometimes coughing can help remove fluid from your lungs. Aspiration pneumonia treatment will depend on the severity of the symptoms, but usually, we use antibiotics to help eliminate the infection. Our internists may need to wait for your test results before prescribing antibiotics as some bacteria are resistant to specific antibiotics. Aspiration pneumonia can be severe if you wait too long for treatment as the infection can spread to other areas of the body, especially to the bloodstream.

Abscesses can form in the lungs, and particularly severe infections may scar the lungs. Make sure you take any drugs prescribed and that you complete the course of antibiotics. Resist the temptation to go back to work or school too soon, as this could result in a recurrence of your pneumonia. If your symptoms are especially severe or you have other health problems, you may need to stay in hospital. That way, we can monitor your heart rate and breathing closely.

During hospital treatment, you can be prescribed intravenous antibiotics. Respiratory therapy can deliver specific medications into your lungs, and the specialist may show you breathing exercises to maximize oxygenation. If needed, oxygen therapy will maintain the oxygen level in your blood, and you can be given oxygen through a face mask or nasal tube.

Your doctor will help you formulate the right treatment plan. Many cases of pneumonia are preventable with a vaccine. In addition to vaccination, ensure you wash your hands frequently with soap and water and maintain a healthy lifestyle to protect your immune system. The treatment prescribed by our internal medicine doctors will depend on the type of pneumonia.

Your doctor will decide which antibiotic will work best for you. In most cases, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics without first identifying the exact organism causing the illness. If you don't get better with your first antibiotic, your doctor may add a second antibiotic to cover other bacteria that are not being treated with the first one.

Or you may have more testing to identify the specific organism that is causing the pneumonia. Sometimes doctors use two antibiotics when first starting treatment. More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to certain antibiotics, making them less effective. An example of this is MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , which is resistant to many types of penicillin.

To help fight antibiotic resistance, ask your doctor how to take your antibiotics correctly , such as always finishing your prescription. In most cases of pneumonia in young, otherwise healthy people with strong immune systems , treatment can be done at home.

Antibiotics, rest, fluids, and home care are all that you need in order to recover. But people who are having trouble breathing or have other lung problems may need more treatment. Sometimes you may need oxygen or medicines you breathe using an inhaler or nebulizer to help shortness of breath and wheezing symptoms.

If home treatment does not help, if symptoms get worse, or if signs of complications of pneumonia develop, you may have to go to the hospital. Hospital treatment for pneumonia may include:. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: E. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.

Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Topic Overview What is pneumonia? What causes pneumonia?

What are the symptoms? Symptoms of pneumonia may include: Cough. You will likely cough up mucus sputum from your lungs. Mucus may be rusty or green or tinged with blood.

Fever, chills, and sweating. Fast breathing and feeling short of breath. Chest pain that often feels worse when you cough or breathe in. Fast heartbeat. Feeling very tired or very weak. How is pneumonia diagnosed? How is it treated? How can you prevent pneumonia? Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.

Cause Viruses, bacteria, a fungus, or in rare cases parasites or other organisms can cause pneumonia. In most cases, the specific organism such as bacteria or virus cannot be identified even with testing. Many types of bacteria may cause pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae is sometimes less severe and called "walking pneumonia. How do you get pneumonia? You may get pneumonia: After you breathe infected air particles into your lungs. After you breathe certain bacteria from your nose and throat into your lungs.

During or after a viral upper respiratory infection , such as a cold or influenza flu. As a complication of a viral illness, such as measles or chickenpox. If you breathe large amounts of food, gastric juices from the stomach, or vomit into the lungs aspiration pneumonia. This can happen when you have had a medical condition that affects your ability to swallow, such as a seizure or a stroke.

Symptoms Symptoms of pneumonia in otherwise healthy people often start during or after an upper respiratory infection , such as the flu or a cold. Symptoms may include: Cough, often producing mucus, also called sputum, from the lungs. Fever, chills and sweating, which may be less common in older adults. Fast, often shallow, breathing and the feeling of being short of breath. Chest wall pain that is often made worse by coughing or breathing in.

Feeling very tired or weak. In children, symptoms may depend on age: In infants younger than 1 month of age, symptoms may include having little or no energy lethargy , feeding poorly, grunting, or having a fever. In children, symptoms of pneumonia are often the same as in adults. Your doctor will look for signs such as a cough and a faster breathing rate.

What Happens After you've been infected with a pneumonia-causing organism, it takes as little as 1 to 3 days or as long as 7 to 10 days for symptoms to appear.

How severe pneumonia is and how long it lasts depend on: Your age and health. Older, sicker people usually have more severe cases. And their cases of pneumonia are more likely to cause complications, such as bacteria in the bloodstream bacteremia or throughout the body septicemia. Whether bacteria or a virus caused the pneumonia. Viral pneumonia usually is less severe than bacterial pneumonia. How quickly you treat it.

The sooner you treat pneumonia, the sooner symptoms go away. Your immune system. People who have impaired immune systems are more likely to have more severe pneumonia than people who have healthy immune systems. Going to the hospital If you have severe pneumonia, you may have to go to the hospital: In most cases of pneumonia you get in your daily life, such as at school or work community-based pneumonia , it is not necessary to go to the hospital.

Spreading pneumonia to others If your pneumonia is caused by a virus or bacteria, you may spread the infection to other people while you are contagious. Cigarette smoking is a strong risk factor for pneumonia in healthy young people. Have another medical condition, especially lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD or asthma. Are younger than 1 year of age or older than Have an impaired immune system.

Take medicine called a proton pump inhibitor such as Prilosec or Protonix that reduces the amount of stomach acid. Recently had a cold or the flu. You are more likely to have complications of pneumonia and need to go to the hospital if you: Are older than Have some other illness such as COPD, diabetes, or asthma , or have gone to the hospital for a medical problem within the last 3 months.

Have had your spleen removed or do not have a working spleen such as in sickle cell disease. Have an alcohol use problem. Have a weak immune system. Reside in a place where people live close together, such as a college dorm or nursing home. When should you call your doctor? Call or other emergency services immediately if you: Have chest pain that is crushing or squeezing, is getting more intense, or occurs with any other symptoms of a heart attack.

Have such bad trouble breathing that you are worried you won't have the strength or ability to keep breathing. Cough up large amounts of blood. Feel that you may faint when you sit up or stand. Call a doctor now if you have: A cough that produces blood-tinged or rust-colored mucus from the lungs.

A fever with shaking chills. Difficult, shallow, fast breathing with shortness of breath or wheezing. Call a doctor if your cough: Often brings up yellow or green mucus from the lungs and lasts longer than 2 days. Don't confuse mucus from your lungs with mucus running down the back of your throat from your nasal passages postnasal drip.

Postnasal drainage is not a worry. Occurs with a fever and brings up yellow or green mucus from the lungs not postnasal drainage. Causes you to vomit a lot. Lasts longer than 4 weeks. Watchful waiting Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach. Home treatment may be okay if: You have mild cold or flu symptoms nasal stuffiness, mild body aches or headache, mild fever. You cough up mucus that is running down the back of the throat from the nasal passages postnasal drip.

But a cough in which the mucus is definitely coming from the lungs rather than the nasal passages is a more serious problem, and you should contact your doctor. Exams and Tests Your doctor will usually diagnose pneumonia with: Your medical history. A physical exam. A chest X-ray, which is almost always done to check for changes in the lungs that may mean pneumonia and to look for other causes of your symptoms.

But an X-ray does not always show whether you have pneumonia, especially if it is done when you first get sick. In some cases, the X-ray results may: Suggest the type of organism bacterial, viral, or fungal causing pneumonia.

Show complications of pneumonia, such as infection of the heart muscle or the sac surrounding the heart. Show conditions that may occur with pneumonia, such as fluid in the chest cavity or a collapsed lung. Reveal another condition, such as heart failure, lung cancer, or acute bronchitis.

Lab tests for pneumonia The need for more tests often depends on how severe your symptoms are, your age, and your overall health. Mucus test If you are very ill, have severe shortness of breath, or have a condition that increases your risk such as asthma or COPD , your doctor may test your mucus.

Rapid urine test This test can identify some bacteria that cause pneumonia. HIV test In people who have impaired immune systems , pneumonia may be caused by other organisms, including some forms of fungi, such as Pneumocystis jiroveci formerly called Pneumocystis carinii. Other lung tests If you have severe pneumonia, you may need other tests , including tests to check for complications and to find out how well your immune system is working.

Treatment Overview Bacterial pneumonia Doctors use antibiotics to treat pneumonia caused by bacteria, the most common cause of the condition. You likely will not have to go to the hospital unless you: Are older than Have other health problems, such as COPD, heart failure, asthma, diabetes, long-term chronic kidney failure, or chronic liver disease.

Departments and specialties Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States, with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Displaying out of 8 doctors available Chandrasagar Sagar Dugani, M. James T. Gaensbauer, M.

Scott Keller, M. Robert W. Kirchoff, M.