1. Battling Bacteria
The best way to treat pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection is with antibiotics. Patients can receive antibiotics orally or intravenously in a hospital setting. Patients with double pneumonia may receive a course of intravenous antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics at home. It's critical that pneumonia patients finish all of the medicine prescribed by the doctor, even if the patient starts to feel better quickly. If a few microbes remain and begin to flourish, they may resist the usual antibiotics doctors prescribe for pneumonia.
2. Rest and Fluids
If a patient has pneumonia that developed from a virus, antibiotics won't be effective. The doctor may test the patient for the influenza virus, and if the patient tests positive, he may be a candidate for an anti-flu medication like Tamiflu. Patients with Varicella pneumonia may receive acyclovir. In most cases, the doctor will advise the patient with viral pneumonia to rest and drink ample fluids. Drinking water is important to prevent dehydration in patients with a fever, and staying hydrated helps thin the mucus in the lungs so patients can expel it through productive coughs.
3. Breathe
The lung inflammation pneumonia causes can leave patients with a low oxygen level when the fluid in the lungs blocks the sacs that transfer oxygen to the bloodstream. If a patient's oxygen level is below 88 percent, the doctor may prescribe supplemental oxygen until the patient recovers. Patients may require oxygen even after the lung infection clears, as the inflammation and accompanying low oxygen level can persist.
4. Fight Fungus
Fungal pneumonia is common in populations with a compromised immune system, such as patients managing an HIV infection. Some patients with fungal pneumonia are asymptomatic, while in others the infection can spread from the lungs to other organs like the skin or brain. Doctors manage fungal pneumonia by taking a sputum sample from a patient's cough and tailoring the drug to the specific microbe causing the infection.
5. Comfort Care
Pneumonia patients can experience pain from uncontrolled coughing that prevents them from getting the rest they need. In some cases doctors may prescribe a temporary cough suppressant, but some coughing is necessary for patients to expel mucus from the lungs. Doctors may suggest an over-the-counter or prescription pain reliever and fever reducer to control the achy feeling a high temperature brings. Patients can also apply a heating pad to the chest, which can relax spastic muscles and make breathing less painful.
