Inflammation of the lungs can have a different etiology, as it occurs due to various reasons. Chlamydial pneumonia appears when the lungs are damaged by a certain pathogen – chlamydia. This type of disease has its own characteristics of treatment, so it is necessary to undergo a doctor’s consultation and a number of examinations.
Clinical manifestations
Chlamydial pneumonia begins with a common cold, as the nasal mucosa is often the first to be affected. After this, the disease acquires other symptoms: dry cough, intoxication, headache and weakness. After 1–2 weeks, the patient’s temperature rises, and when inhaling, a faint wheezing and whistling sound is heard. The voice also changes and the cough becomes moist. As the disease progresses, pus and blood clots appear in the sputum . Inhalation pain is characteristic of moderate to severe chlamydial inflammation. The patient has poor appetite and sleep, and the children become capricious. Adults should be attentive to these manifestations of the disease and take children to the doctor.
Causes of the disease
Chlamydial pneumonia appears when the following pathogenic microflora enters the lungs :
- Hlamidofila ( Chlamydophila ). This group of pathogens causes resistant and persistent forms of pneumonia. The acute form of the disease quickly transforms into chronic inflammation, but the symptomatology is not very pronounced and proceeds rather mildly. Relapses are common and affect people of all ages. However, chlamydophilic infection is usually diagnosed in adults.
- Chlamydia trachomatis ( Chlamydia trachomatis ). This is a typical obligate pathogen that develops in the organs of the genitourinary system and causes chlamydia. It should be noted that these microorganisms are characterized not by airborne transmission, but by oral-genital contacts. Chlamydia trachomatis causes complicated pneumonia, accompanied by severe symptoms and complications. When infected, the patient requires urgent therapy, since the risk of death is high. As a rule, this disease is diagnosed in newborns.
- Chlamydia psittaci ( Chlamydia psittaci ). The lethality of this form of pneumonia is even higher than that of chlamydia trachomatis . It is especially dangerous for human life due to the occurrence of interstitial inflammation. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets. At risk are people of specific professions, for example, laboratory workers.
Chlamydia
Chlamydiae are an inhomogeneous group. Means that each type of infection has its own modes of transmission and methods of treatment. For this reason, before pneumonia therapy, it is necessary to pass tests and undergo examinations.
Development mechanism
There are several ways of transmission of the disease:
- airborne;
- household: hugs, kisses, handshakes;
- sexual: oral-genital contacts;
- perinatal: from woman to child through the placenta;
- descending: infection during passage through the birth canal.
In the human body, chlamydiae have two forms: elementary and reticular bodies. The first type is dangerous because it can survive in the external environment, and when it gets into a cell, it accelerates metabolism and begins to divide.
The pathogenesis of chlamydial inflammation is quite simple. The cycle lasts a couple of days, during which the cell membrane is destroyed and pathogens begin to infect neighboring cells. Chlamydiae in elemental form can be in the human body for a long time without severe symptoms.
Diagnostics
Adequate treatment depends on the correct diagnosis, therefore, a medical examination cannot be neglected. It allows you to determine the exact causative agent of pneumonia and to limit the range of drugs.
Which doctor to contact
First, the patient should come to an appointment with a therapist, and if the child is sick , he must be registered with a pediatrician. The doctor will conduct an initial examination and draw up a clinical picture of the disease. Also, the doctor will write out directions for further examinations and general medications against pneumonia.
The patient should see a pulmonologist – he is the one who treats diseases of the respiratory system. In addition, it may be necessary to consult a psychotherapist, immunologist, nutritionist and other specialists, depending on the patient’s condition.
Required analyzes
First of all, blood is donated for biochemical analysis, due to which the amount of IgG antibodies to infection and changes in blood counts are calculated . A sputum test is also used, with the help of which the laboratory assistant determines the sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics.
The second important study is radiography. It allows you to detect inflammation, determine its localization and the extent of damage. If necessary, the patient is given a referral for PCR, CT and MRI.
MRI
Treatment methods
Only a doctor should be engaged in the therapy of chlamydial pneumonia , since self-medication is often only harmful due to the fact that the patient does not have the necessary information about the disease.
The treatment regimen consists of 3 points: medicines, physiotherapy and traditional medicine. In severe pneumonia, the patient is admitted to the hospital because he cannot receive qualified care at home.
To get rid of chlamydia, the patient is prescribed antibiotics. Macrolides are especially often used , since they are effective and have a smaller list of contraindications, which is important for young children, pregnant and lactating women. In addition, the doctor prescribes remedies for the symptoms of chlamydial pneumonia: antitussives and expectorants, pain relievers, antiseptic, immunomodulatory drugs.
Electrophoresis
The list of physiotherapy procedures includes chest massage, exposure to heat, electrophoresis, inhalation, magnetotherapy and UV radiation. Special breathing exercises give positive results.
As alternative medicine, decoctions and infusions are common to relieve signs of disease. They are based on medicinal herbs to help kill pathogens and reduce inflammation. However, they need to be treated under medical supervision.
Forecast
As a rule, with early therapy, chlamydial pneumonia does not threaten a serious deterioration in health, and the patient recovers quickly. However, mortality in the elderly is observed in 6-10% of cases due to weakened immunity and the risk of concomitant diseases.
The defenses of the infant’s body are also not able to provide adequate resistance, so it is necessary to carefully monitor the health of the child. In adults , the risk of complications or death is increased with smoking or chronic inflammation.
Preventive measures
To prevent the occurrence of chlamydial pneumonia, you should lead a healthy lifestyle and move more. It is also necessary to normalize nutrition, since an imbalance of nutrients leads to a weakening of the immune system. Psychology plays an important role, because against the background of an oppressed psyche, health problems often begin.
Chlamydial pneumonia is a dangerous disease that must be treated immediately. At the first sign of inflammation, you need to see your doctor to get proper treatment. During therapy, it is important to follow the prescribed dosages exactly and not to use methods not approved by the doctor.