How to Avoid and Treat Pneumonia
Have you ever had pneumonia? If so, you probably remember all too well the symptoms - coughing, fever, chills and problems breathing. So how can you avoid this nasty illness? And if you do happen to come down with pneumonia, what can you do to make it go away – as quickly as possible? Keep reading for the answers to those very questions . . .
I’m very familiar with pneumonia – not because I’ve suffered it myself (knock on wood) but because my husband comes down with it every single year. It’s become so predictable that he doesn’t even have to visit the doctor – he just calls the clinic and they phone in his prescription. It’s kind of like his version of the “death and taxes” certainty – he always knows pneumonia is coming.
I’m joking around a bit here, but pneumonia is nothing to mess with. In 2003 pneumonia was ranked with influenza (the flu) as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. That’s no joke!
What exactly is pneumonia?Pneumonia is an illness that occurs when the lining of the lungs becomes inflamed due to infection by bacteria, a virus, or fungus, such as those that exist in mold, and exposure to chemicals. Symptoms (mentioned above) mimic those of the flu. In severe cases of pneumonia, intense chest pains can develop and a greenish or brown mucus can be coughed up.
When the lungs become...
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