We confuse these symptoms with food poisoning. They could mean lung disease

Pneumonia is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses. The clinical picture of the disease is very diverse and includes several symptoms. Many of them are not related to the respiratory system. Therefore, it is easy to downplay these symptoms. Many attribute this to completely different reasons, such as food poisoning.

Gastrointestinal complaints and pneumonia

Pneumonia can cause symptoms from systems other than the respiratory system. Occasionally, patients develop gastric complaints such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or constipation. Why is this happening? The nature of the symptoms largely depends on which factor is responsible for the development of the disease. Some types of bacteria, such as Legionella pneumophila, can cause inflammation in the alveoli of the lungs, accompanied by digestive problems.

Other unusual symptoms of pneumonia

Is it possible to have pneumonia and not know about it? Certainly. Sometimes it happens that the signs of infection are not expressed and resemble a common cold. The patient is apathetic. Has a depressed mood and refuses to engage in normal activities. He feels “broken” inside. He lacks energy. He gets tired faster and needs more time to recover.

Such “asymptomatic” pneumonia often occurs in children. The immune system of a young person has not yet matured and has not developed those protective mechanisms that we deal with in adults. Therefore, do not underestimate any changes, even the smallest ones, in your baby’s behavior. Particular vigilance and caution should be exercised in relation to the elderly. They, too, may experience disease in unusual ways and experience unusual ailments. First of all, we are talking about palpitations and cognitive impairment (delusions, not recognizing loved ones, problems with memory, etc.). These symptoms are often mistaken for dementia.

Typical symptoms of pneumonia

The catalog of “classic” symptoms of pneumonia includes, among others:

• elevated body temperature, which often reaches up to 40 degrees Celsius,

• chest pain that gets worse with breathing

• joint and muscle pain,

• weakness,

• cough,

• chills,

• excessive sweating,

• dyspnea,

• sensation of secretion in the lungs.

The most vulnerable to the development of the disease are children and the elderly (due to reduced immunity). Other contributing factors to infection include: smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet (malnutrition or obesity), diabetes mellitus, poor oral hygiene, working under difficult conditions (such as in a highly polluted environment), heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

How to diagnose and treat pneumonia?

The diagnostic process for pneumonia is based primarily on the medical history, physical examination, and imaging. Your doctor may order a chest x-ray. The course of treatment depends on what caused the infection. Most often, therapy consists in administering antibiotics to the patient, as well as protective drugs that prevent the destruction of the “healthy” bacterial flora of the digestive tract.

It is worth noting that improperly treated or underestimated pneumonia can lead to many complications in the form of sepsis or septic shock. This condition poses a serious threat not only to health, but also to the life of the patient.

Sources: viamedica.pl