How to Treat Pneumonia

How to Treat Pneumonia

When the lungs become inflamed due to a virus or infection you can suffer pneumonia, a condition that hinders breathing capacity and, in many cases, requires hospitalisation. Treatment may differ as it will always depend on the type of pneumonia that you have caught as well as the progress of the patient. However, there are some general rules on how to cure it. In this OneHowTo article we'll tell you how to treat pneumonia, suggesting both traditional medical procedures and home remedies that can help you to feel better.

Steps to follow:
1

Pneumonia is a respiratory disease which involves an infection and inflammation of the alveolar spaces in the lungs due to various germs. It is a severe and very common disease that affects 1 in 100 people. Treatment of this condition differs depending on the cause of its appearance but, as a rule, there are some medical guidelines which help to decrease the symptoms.

2

Whenever a patient has pneumonia it should be treated with antibiotics. For this reason it is vital that you see a doctor when you notice the first symptoms to prevent the disease from getting worse. To learn how to detect it, in this OneHowTo article we tell you what the symptoms of pneumonia are.

Treatment for pneumonia is administered by antibiotics, since they have the ability to halt the development of the disease and destroy the organisms and bacteria that have caused it. In order to attack it effectively, it is important to take this medication with maximum intervals of 4 hours once you have been diagnosed with the disease. This is because it has been shown that if it is spotted earlier, there is less chance that it will get worse.

These antibiotics are always prescribed by a medical professional and can be taken orally (when the treatment is for an outpatient). However, if the patient needs to be admitted to hospital, the most common way is to administer the medicine intravenously at first and then once the patient improves, change to oral administration. The duration of pneumonia treatment always depends on the patient's health status and their development but in general we can say that the timings are usually as follows:

  • If hospitalisation is not required, duration is usually between 7 to 10 days.
  • If the patient needs to be admitted, the duration is longer, often between 10 to 15 days.

However, these figures may vary depending on the patient and the type of pneumonia that they are experiencing. The best thing to do is to follow the guidelines established by the physician.

3

There are also some home remedies for pneumonia which, although do not completely cure the disease, work perfectly as complements so you notice a faster improvement and reduced discomfort. The most effective remedies for treating this respiratory disease are:

  • Make an oxygen bath. To do this, mix half a cup of bicarbonate of soda, 1/4 cup coarse salt and 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide. Pour this mixture into your daily bath and soak for at least 15 minutes. This bath will loosen mucus and help get rid of the disease faster.
  • Bath vapours are also recommended for relieving pneumonia. So, you should go twice a week to a sauna and stay inside for at least 20 minutes. You'll see how the sauna softens the mucus and helps to get rid of it more quickly.
  • Ginger is a natural ingredient that has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties that works seamlessly to treat pneumonia as a supplement to the medicine prescribed by the doctor. To make the most of its benefits you should make ginger tea and drink 3 cups a day. You'll see how you'll start feeling better, bit by bit.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Treat Pneumonia, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.