What is Walking Pneumonia?

What is Walking Pneumonia?

The term "walking pneumonia" is frequently used to describe pneumonia that isn't severe enough to require bed rest or hospitalization. It is also called mycoplasma pneumonia or atypical pneumonia. This is an illness that anybody can get. If the person infected with the bacteria sneezes or coughs it spreads rapidly through the air. It is an inflammation of the lung. It is the smallest self-replicating biological system known to mankind. It is also the reason of around seventy percent of pneumonias in school age children every year. It is dangerous for only those with weak or have compromised immune systems. It most frequently affects those below forty years of age. Unlike normal pneumonia, a patient affected by walking pneumonia can do everyday work and move around.

Walking pneumonia doesn’t reveal distinct symptoms in the early stage; with a passing time, the patient may get the following symptoms

• Muscle aches
• Fever
• Severe pain in, ears, eye, muscles, and chest and abdominal area.
• Rashes
• Sore throat developed by constant cough.
• Lethargy, sluggishness or reduction in energy levels.
• Occurence of sudden chills.
• Runny nose
• Cold (As the severity of cold increases, the pneumonia reaches the patient’s chest)
• Patient may have mild to severe headache, along with fever and throat problems
• Patient may experience low and rapid breathing at times.

The symptoms increase over a period of two weeks until the illness affects the lungs. Walking pneumonia is a mild form of the disease that used to kill thousands of people before the discovery of antibiotics and the pneumonia vaccination. It can be insidious as it is often confused it with influenza, and is given the wrong treatment leading to a more severe manifestation. Good hygiene is the main method to prevent spreading of the bacteria. Currently, there is no effective vaccine for the prevention of walking pneumonia.

If it is left untreated it can last for up to a month. With the proper types of antibiotics, the patient will be back to normal in five to seven days. Antibiotics that are generally prescribed for walking pneumonia include tetracylclines, clarithromycin and erythromycin. Along with antibiotics, the patient must take rest and fluids to get well quickly and maintain hydration. The only remnant will be a dry cough caused by replacement of the damaged ciliated cells. Avoid taking too many over-the-counter medications without your doctor’s approval. They may not be of much use anyway, since many of them are are used to alleviate conditions associated with colds or flus. Take things easy and use common sense. If you have a fever, place a damp rag on your forehead and other areas of the body that might feel hot. To help improve your cough, prop up your head on a pillow, making your body rest at an angle. This will help some of the fluid that is building up in your lungs drain out, making you feel better. Be happy that you don’t have the regular form of the disease, because chances are you would have to be in the hospital to recover from it. Don’t make the mistake of taking the disease for granted. You might not be suffering from regular pneumonia, but your body is still in a state of suffering, even if it’s not as serious.