Is Pneumonia Contagious When on Antibiotics?

Deaths due to pneumonia were very common a few decades back. Advancement of science and technology has helped to find out effective medicines for pneumonia. Though pneumonia is considered as treatable condition, it is still a potentially dangerous condition which causes the death of around 60,000 people every year. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat pneumonia.

Causes of Pneumonia

The most common and serious cause of pneumonia is bacterial infection. It is also caused by infections from fungi and viruses. Pneumonia in adults is mostly caused by the bacterium streptococcus pneumoniae while pneumonia in children of 2-3 years of age is usually caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae. It is observed that pneumonia and influenza with common cold, go hand in hand. Pneumonia can be acquired at schools, hospitals or offices by inhaling foreign matter. People with weak immune system usually catch infections of the lungs easily.

Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia

• Chest pain
• Sweating
• High fever
• Shaking chills
• Shortness of Breath
• Cough with thick, yellow or greenish sputum
• Fatigue
• Headache, Muscle pain

Is Pneumonia Contagious

Pneumonia itself is not a contagious disease. Pneumonia is actually hard to catch, it cannot spread from person to person but bacteria and viruses causing this disease can be contagious. People when exposed to bacterial or viral infection are likely to catch the symptoms of normal cough and cold. It is not true that each person, exposed to the virus or bacteria, develops pneumonia. Whether the microorganism will cause pneumonia or not will depend on the state of that individual's lungs and overall health. It will depend upon the susceptibility and immunity of that individual. The infection can be transmitted through infectious secretions. So proper care and cleanliness is required to prevent transmission of infection.

Is Pneumonia Contagious When on Antibiotics

As mentioned above, cold and flu like symptoms may appear when you come in close contact with a person diagnosed with pneumonia. The person with pneumonia will be administered a certain dosage of antibiotics to cure the problem. If antibiotics are suddenly stopped, no one can assure you that there are no microorganisms present in the respiratory track of the patient. It is quite possible that the infection might still continue to be contagious. It is generally assumed that the infection will be contagious for anything between 10-14 days after stopping the dosage of antibiotics. Pneumonia patients are expected to take the prescribed doses of antibiotics properly.

Babies generally suffer from a mild form of pneumonia, walking pneumonia and the babies can 'walk around' with the disease. If the question "is pneumonia contagious to babies" is lingering in your mind, then the answer is 'no' again. Babies if catch the infection, may develop cold and fever from the affected person but not pneumonia itself and such babies would not be as sick as the affected person who is contagious.

As mentioned above, there are different types of pneumonia and pneumonia actually is not contagious. Pneumonia caused by toxins or smoke is not contagious while mycoplasma pneumonia or walking pneumonia is contagious. Pneumonia can be contagious for 48 hours or 2-3 days after starting antibiotics. Walking pneumonia is contagious for 2-3 days of taking antibiotics. However, if you take antibiotics immediately on the onset of the symptoms of pneumonia, then the contagious period reduces.

Sometimes the symptoms are overlooked considering them as symptoms of common cold and flu. It is necessary to take antibiotics as early as possible and this does not happen because of a long incubation period and because many people do not realize they have it. If you notice flu-like symptoms which do not disappear within a week, consult your physician. Always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and it is better to avoid long-term exposure in crowded areas. Avoid contact with a patient with pneumonia unless the patient is on antibiotics. The most important thing is that you should always wash your hands before eating, drinking, after the use of the restroom so that microorganisms will not enter into your body.