Walking Pneumonia - Symptoms and Treatment

Walking pneumonia, also known as Mycoplasma infection or atypical pneumonia, is an infection caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacterium. Basically, walking pneumonia is not as serious as pneumonia caused by typical bacteria, and therefore is referred to as 'atypical pneumonia' at times. A patient suffering from walking pneumonia does not have to be bedridden or hospitalized. Unlike normal pneumonia, a walking pneumonia patient can move around even when he/she is suffering from this disease. Out of the 2 million odd people diagnosed with walking pneumonia in the United States every year, around 70-75 percent are children belonging to the age group of 5 to 16 years.

Signs and Symptoms of Walking Pneumonia

Walking pneumonia is considered to be the least serious type of pneumonia, such that you may not even realize that you are suffering from it and continue with your routines as if you were suffering from common cold. Although walking pneumonia does not show noticeable symptoms in the initial stage, as time passes by, the patient can experience the following symptoms:

• Lethargy or tiredness - sudden decline in energy level.
• Cold - the severity of which will increase with time as the infection reaches the chest. (This differentiates walking pneumonia from common cold.)
• Sudden chills
• Mild to severe headache accompanied by fever and throat problems, such as rashes in throat.
• Annoying runny nose
• Pain in the abdominal region, ears, eyes, muscles and chest.
• Violent spasmodic cough with very little or no mucus.
• Sore throat due to cough.
• Shallow and rapid breathing due to fatigue.
• Weakness - which will stay for some days even after all the other symptoms have disappeared.

Prominent symptoms of walking pneumonia take almost 1-3 weeks to surface. This period is known as incubation period, and it starts with loss in energy levels as a result of which the patient feels exhausted. Before the incubation period, the infection seldom shows any obvious symptoms as a result of this most of the mild cases of walking pneumonia go unnoticed.

How is Walking Pneumonia Treated?

Even though most of the cases of mild walking pneumonia get cured on their own, you should immediately consult the doctor if any of the symptoms mentioned above are experienced for a considerable period. While walking pneumonia does not make you bedridden, it can be very annoying due to the great deal of discomfort associated with it, and hence opting for its treatment at the earliest is the best bet. Walking pneumonia is treated mainly with the help of antibiotics. Based on the patient's physical condition, doctor will decide the course of treatment that has to be followed. If the patient is still mobile and his/her condition has not worsened, then the doctor is likely to prescribe antibiotics in form of pills. If the patient's condition further worsens, then the doctor may opt for advanced steps such as the use of intravenous antibiotics for walking pneumonia treatment.

Is Walking Pneumonia Contagious?

Walking pneumonia is contagious, i.e. it spreads from a patient to a healthy person if the latter stays in contact with the patient for a long time. Airborne droplets of fluid from the nose and mouth (also known as respiratory secretion) act as the carriers for walking-pneumonia-causing Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria. In this manner, walking pneumonia can spread from one person to another when the affected person coughs, sneezes, laughs or talks.

Some Important Tips
Other than the treatment procedure recommended by doctor, you can also do your own bit to tackle this lung infection. Though simple, the tips given here are quite effective when it comes to a speedy recovery from walking pneumonia.

• As soon as you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should consult your doctor for further help. Though the symptoms of this infection are flu-like, medication meant for the treatment of flu won't be effective for walking pneumonia treatment.
• If you are diagnosed with walking pneumonia, follow the treatment regime prescribed by your doctor strictly. Even though walking pneumonia does not make a patient bedridden, and is mild, it still can get complicated if it's not given proper attention.
• It can be very effective in controlling the outbreak of the disease if a patient diagnosed with walking pneumonia uses a mask or covers his/her mouth and nose for a few days (especially when he/she is talking to a healthy person) - ideally till the time he/she recovers completely.
• You should not turn a blind eye to doctors advice, especially in context with the dietary habits. You should strictly avoid eating oily food or stuff that your doctor has asked you to avoid.

Walking pneumonia can strike at any time of the year, but it is most common in late summer and fall - and hence one has to be a bit cautious when it comes to these seasons. A person suffering from walking pneumonia should also take some precautions to make sure that he doesn't end up spreading the infection.

Keeping yourself well-updated about this minor lung infection and taking the necessary precautions is no doubt a wise thing to do. Simple preventive measures, like exercising regularly and maintaining proper hygiene, can help you keep this lung infection at bay. And lastly, it is always best to consult your doctor in case of any symptoms, because any infection if ignored has the potential to go out of control.