Unilateral pneumonia is an inflammatory ailment that affects only one lung, while alveoli are exudated and the functional tissue of the organ is damaged. In the elderly and newborns, pneumonia is especially difficult. The symptomatology of the disease depends on the cause that provoked the malaise. Microorganisms that cause the development of colds are transmitted by airborne and household methods. The source becomes an infectious person or thing that he has touched. This explains the occurrence of epidemiological outbreaks of acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, influenza, parainfluenza and other ailments that can provoke unilateral pneumonia of the secondary type. The therapeutic scheme is selected based on the type of pathogen.
Clinical manifestations
The list of symptoms that occur with this disease includes:
Chills
- hyperthermia;
- chills;
- severe wet or dry cough;
- chronic fatigue;
- excessive sweating;
- loss of appetite;
- pain in the sternum;
- cardiopalmus;
- dyspnea;
- discoloration of the skin.
Body temperature with unilateral pneumonia rises sharply. There is no cough if the infection has not entered the upper respiratory tract. Painful sensations occur when inhaling. Such pneumonia is considered less dangerous than the bilateral form of the disease. Despite this, it is strictly forbidden to ignore the signs of pneumonia.
The main symptoms
Pneumonia has no age limit. The symptoms that appear in a child are different from the clinical symptoms that appear in adult patients. Babies suffer from high body temperature, it can last for several days. Breathing with pneumonia is accompanied by wheezing in the lungs and “grunting”. The child does not eat, his nails and nasolabial triangle turn blue . These signs indicate the transition of infection to the lower segments of the affected organ.
Right-sided form
According to statistics, the right lung with pneumonia is affected more often than the left. This is due to the structural features of the parenchymal organ. The bronchi located on the right are directed downward. Therefore, in this area, conditions are favorable for the vital activity of harmful microorganisms, they develop faster than on the opposite side of the organ.
There are fewer blood vessels in the right lung than in the left. Because of this, medications prescribed by a doctor do not give the maximum positive effect. To get rid of pneumonia, the patient is prescribed complex therapy. Medicines are selected taking into account the nature of the infectious infection. The most common causative agents of unilateral pneumonia are fungal infections, streptococci and pneumococci.
Right-sided pneumonia is a dangerous disease, this is due to the accelerated replication of pathogens and the absence of specific symptoms. The circumstances that aggravate the patient’s condition include polymorphism. With this phenomenon , foci of inflammation of varying intensity are rapidly formed on the surface of the affected lung . Therefore, it is quite difficult to identify the disease at an early stage.
Left-sided form
With left-sided pneumonia, the patient develops the following symptoms:
Headache
- severe headaches;
- dry cough;
- hyperthermia;
- muscle pain.
The main difference between this type of ailment is the alternation of periods of remission and exacerbation. In this case, the lung can be affected in whole or in part. In the latter case, the doctor fixes individual foci in the already damaged segments of the parenchymal organ. During the acute phase, the body temperature can rise to 39-40 degrees Celsius.
The clinical picture is often complemented by discomfort in the sternum, incessant hiccups and constant irritation of the diaphragm. Left-sided pneumonia occurs less frequently than right-sided pneumonia.
Diagnostic procedures
To determine the type of disease, the doctor prescribes:
- auscultation – the degree of compaction of the parenchymal tissue, changes in breathing, wheezing;
- X-ray – the affected area, the number of foci of inflammation, the state of the lung;
- blood test (general, biochemical) – an increase in the number of leukocytes, identification of a stab shift;
- standard diagnostic procedures (OAM, bacterial seeding ) – assessment of general well-being.
Blood test
Thanks to a full-fledged diagnosis, the doctor receives information about:
- the type and aggressiveness of the pathogen;
- complications that have arisen;
- existing chronic ailments;
- the work of the immune system.
The result of the examination is to determine the exact cause of the ailment. A patient suffering from pneumonia is assigned to one of four groups. Patients in the first two (I and II) can be treated at home. People who are included in the latter (III and IV) are treated in a hospital under the direct supervision of the attending physician.
Treatment of unilateral pneumonia
The therapeutic regimen for the treatment of pneumonia is selected based on the diagnosis and individual characteristics of the patient. Patients must follow the doctor’s recommendations, otherwise the risk of side effects increases. Self-medication for pneumonia is strictly prohibited. Patients of the fourth group are sent to the intensive care unit. This is due to the presence of complications.
Physiotherapy
The medical complex must include medicines, physiotherapy procedures and traditional methods. Thanks to the combined action, improvement occurs within a few days after the start of treatment. In the absence of the desired effect, you must consult a doctor. With unilateral pneumonia, the patient is prescribed strict bed rest and a special diet. Heavy food, alcoholic beverages, strong coffee should be excluded from the diet.
Breathing exercises, therapeutic massage and warming up are ranked among the most effective physiotherapeutic procedures. The treatment regimen for pneumonia for each patient is prescribed individually. After recovery, the patient is registered with a pulmonologist for 12 months.
Taking medications
The following drugs must be injected into the drug regimen for pneumonia:
- Antibiotics – prevent bacterial contamination.
- Antiviral – used for mixed and viral pneumonia.
- Infusion formulations – used to eliminate signs of intoxication, normalize acid-base and water-electrolyte balance.
- Expectorants – accelerate the excretion of phlegm.
- Antipyretic – reduce body temperature.
- Antihistamines – prevent allergic reactions.
- Bronchodilators – stop the process of bronchial obstruction .
- NSAIDs – relieve painful sensations.
- Low molecular weight heparins – prevent the destruction of parenchymal organs, improve blood circulation.
Bronchodilators
The treatment complex for pneumonia is recognized as effective if the patient’s well-being has improved markedly. Throughout the entire therapeutic course, the patient should regularly undergo control studies. Symptomatic treatment can quickly get rid of the characteristic signs of pneumonia.
Traditional medicine methods
There are quite a few unconventional treatments for the disease. Folk remedies used for pneumonia are prepared on the basis of medicinal herbs, fruits and berries. To relieve discomfort, products containing ingredients such as:
- Honey (1 kg), aloe juice (1 glass), birch buds (40 g), bluehead leaves (60 g), propolis oil (1 kg). Aloe juice is mixed with eryngium ( erythematosus ) and crushed buds. At the next stage, beekeeping products are added to the resulting mixture. The finished composition is placed in a water bath. The medicine for pneumonia is taken with hot milk.
- Hazelnuts, red wine. For the infusion, you will need 0.5 liters of wine and 500 g of nuts. They are pre-cleaned. After that, all that remains is to boil the mixture. The finished composition is drunk before meals.
- Milk, badger fat, beekeeping product. The last two components are added to the warmed milk. For one glass of the last ingredient, take one teaspoon of fat and honey.
Fig
Figs, raspberries, garlic and onions have medicinal properties. The list is supplemented with fennel, licorice, anise fruits and pine buds.
Forecast
The sooner treatment begins, the more chances of a favorable outcome. Pneumonia is a dangerous disease, ignoring its symptoms can lead to the development of serious complications. A person is considered healthy if no relapse has occurred within the 12 months that have passed after the relief of the inflammatory process.
Preventive measures
To avoid pneumonia, a person must:
- undergo regular medical examinations;
- comply with all sanitary and hygienic standards;
- strengthen the immune system;
- dress for the season.
These measures refer to non-specific prophylaxis of unilateral pneumonia. To increase the body’s defenses, you can vaccinate against the most common microorganisms.
Vaccination
Possible complications
Due undertreated sided pneumonia may experience lung abscess, pleurisy, and acute respiratory failure. The list of negative consequences also includes an allergic reaction, collapse of lung tissue, fluid accumulation in the lungs, otitis media and meningitis.
The clinical picture in most colds is similar. Serious pathological changes are often hidden behind symptoms characterized by low intensity. The later pneumonia is detected, the higher the risk of complications. In the absence of timely treatment, a fatal outcome is possible.