What is the treatment for pneumonia?
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Treatment at home
Treatment at home may be fine if you are normally healthy and the pneumonia is not too severe.
- Antibiotics are prescribed when pneumonia is suspected. Bacterial infection is the common cause of pneumonia and antibiotics kill bacteria. Antibiotic treatment usually works well, and you can expect to fully recover. Symptoms settle over a few days if the treatment is working. You may feel tired for a week or so after the infection has cleared.
- Have lots to drink to avoid dehydration.
- Take regular paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease fever and pain.
- You may need stronger painkillers if chest pain develops due to an inflamed pleura (pleurisy).
- Let a doctor know if symptoms do not improve over the next two days.
Hospital treatment
Hospital admission may be advised if you have severe pneumonia, or if symptoms do not quickly improve after you start antibiotic treatment. Also, if you are already in poor health, you are more likely to be treated in hospital.
- A chest X-ray may be taken to confirm the diagnosis and the extent of the infection.
- Blood tests and sputum tests may be taken to find which bacterium is causing the pneumonia. This helps to decide which antibiotic is best to use. Sometimes the bacterium that is causing the pneumonia is 'resistant' to the first antibiotic. A switch to another antibiotic is sometimes needed.
- Sometimes oxygen and other supportive treatments are needed if you have severe pneumonia.
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Lisa Jackson, about 1 year
i know someone who had pneumaonia and it really helped me understand what it was
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