Pneumonia: Treatments, Remedies That Every Nigerian Should Know

[PressRoom]

Pneumonia is swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both lungs. It's usually caused by a bacterial infection. Most cases of pneumonia can be treated at home. However babies, children, and people with severe pneumonia may need to be admitted to hospital for treatment. Here is an examination of the various treatments for Pneumonia.

Home Treatment: If being able to be treated at home, treatment usually includes:

• Antibiotics - given by mouth as tablets or liquid. These medicines are used to treat bacterial pneumonia. It may take time to identify the type of bacteria causing your pneumonia and to choose the best antibiotic to treat it. If your symptoms don't improve, your doctor may recommend a different antibiotic.
  
  
• Pain/Fever relieving medications: You may take these as needed for fever and discomfort. These include drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Paracetamol also helps reduce fever.
  
  
• Cough medicine: This medicine may be used to calm your cough so that you can rest. Cough medicines aren't recommended as there's also little evidence they are effective. If you want to try a cough suppressant, use the lowest dose that helps you rest. A warm honey and lemon drink can help relieve discomfort caused by coughing.
  
  
• Rest.

Hospital Treatment: If hospital treatment is required, treatment usually includes:

• Antibiotics given intravenously (via a drip into a vein)
  
  
• Oxygen therapy - to ensure the body gets the oxygen it needs.
  
  
• Intravenous fluids - to correct dehydration or if the person is too unwell to eat or drink.
  
  
• Physiotherapy - to help clear the sputum from the lungs.

Some home remedies that may also prevent you from getting sick include:

• Getting enough rest
  
  
• Quitting smoking: This is extremely important than ever to stop, as smoking damages your lungs.
  
  
• Eating a healthy diet
  
  
• Avoiding heavy use of alcohol
  
  
• Vitamin C and warm fluids (such as tea) may also help by keeping mucus in the lungs loose.

READ: Pneumonia: Causes And What Puts Your Life At Risk
Pneumonia: 15 Symptoms Every Nigerian Should Know

PS: This information put together as a guide are culled from health-related articles on websites, journals, and videos.