How long does the temperature last for pneumonia in children and adults

06 July 2023, 11:33 | Health 
фото с e-news.com.ua

The temperature in pneumonia is one of the symptoms indicating the development of an inflammatory process in the body.. The occurrence of pathology is associated with the influence of microorganisms - bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and other pathogens that enter the lungs from the outside, mainly by airborne droplets..

Fever is one of the main symptoms of pneumonia. Inflammation can develop as a complication of other diseases, including the common cold.. The disease is most often diagnosed in patients living in areas with a cold and damp climate, in the autumn-winter period, and also against the background of a reduced immune system response..

Symptoms of pneumonia In most cases, pneumonia is accompanied by symptoms such as:.

weakness, malaise;

temperature rise to 39–40 degrees;

headache;

shortness of breath when walking;

dry cough, eventually flowing into a wet, sometimes with the release of bloody sputum;

chest pain.

At the beginning of inflammation, the temperature does not exceed subfebrile indicators (38 ° C) in the evening, and by morning it is restored to normal. Such fluctuations in patients with strong immune defenses can be observed within 14 days, while signs of pathology will appear only in the form of a dry cough and sore throat..

In order to avoid the development of complications, it is recommended to consult a doctor in cases where fluctuations in body temperature during the day are noted for 5 days..

What temperature is considered normal for pneumonia Characteristic for inflammation of the lungs are the values \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bon the thermometer, varying from 37 to 38 ° C. An increase in these indicators to 39-40 ° C indicates an increase in the inflammatory process and the ineffectiveness of the therapy used..

It should be borne in mind that if the temperature rises to 41 ° C, especially in a child, it is imperative to call an ambulance. This condition is considered critical and requires emergency medical attention..

High body temperature aggravates the course of pneumonia. In this regard, patients are advised to monitor the course of fever and report its fluctuations to a pulmonologist..

In general, it is impossible to determine with accuracy the number of days during which the fever will remain in pathology.. It is known that this process is influenced by the causative agent of infection..

With a mixed etiology of pneumonia, for example, when a bacterial infection is attached to a viral one, the fever lasts longer. However, there are cases when inflammation develops against the background of simultaneous entry of pathogens of different origin into the lungs, then the fever will persist even with the use of effective drugs.

How long does the temperature last with pneumonia? The duration of fever with pneumonia depends both on the form of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient's immune system, and on the effectiveness of the selected therapy.

Form of pneumonia.

Features of the flow.

Focal.

The inflammatory process takes place in a separate lobe of the lung and does not affect the entire organ; in this case, subfebrile body temperature can be monitored up to 38 degrees for 5 days.

bilateral.

The infection affects both lungs at the same time, while a slight increase in the readings on the thermometer (ranging from 37 to 38 ° C) can be recorded within a few weeks. In such cases, careful and detailed diagnosis is required, since the inflammatory process can spread to nearby organs..

In elderly patients and in patients with reduced immunity with focal pneumonia, body temperature may remain within normal limits and not increase at all..

Elevated temperature as a protective reaction of the body Considering that the protective function of the immune system is manifested through the heat to the focus of infection, with an unexpressed fever, expectant tactics may be recommended instead of emergency use of antipyretic drugs.

The development of pathogenic microorganisms leads to the production of endogenous and exogenous substances in the respiratory tract - pyrogens.. They are also a product of the immune system, and it is their appearance that causes the development of fever..

In cases where the body temperature is kept within the subfebrile range, the metabolism is accelerated, and the body manages to suppress the bacteria, viruses or fungi that caused the infection.. A temperature above 39 ° C indicates that the body cannot cope with the neutralization of the pathological process on its own and it is then that it becomes necessary to take antipyretic drugs.

High temperature on the background of antibiotic therapy If the high temperature during pneumonia persists during antibiotic treatment, this indicates that the therapeutic effect of the drugs used has not yet occurred. Fever may persist for up to 3 days after starting antibiotic therapy.

After the end of the course of taking antibiotics, repeated symptoms of fever should not occur. If fever appears immediately after the end of the course of antibiotic therapy, this indicates an early end of treatment or the development of a focus of chronic inflammation in the lung tissue. Normally, after complete recovery, repeated phenomena of fever should not occur..

A sharp increase in temperature some time after the end of treatment may indicate a resumption of inflammation in the lungs.. Of great importance in this case is the timely appeal to the doctor for advice and the early start of treatment aimed at the complete elimination of the focus of pathogenic microorganisms..

Pneumonia without fever Pneumonia without fever is considered especially dangerous, because in the absence of this symptom, the patient may delay seeking medical help and continue to lead a normal life.. It is during this period that inflammation, imperceptibly for the patient, will actively develop, which will either lead to the transition of the disease to a chronic form, or to the appearance of complications..

In what cases and how to bring down the temperature with pneumonia Treatment of pneumonia can be carried out at home only with a mild course of the disease, when it is enough to use drugs according to the scheme drawn up by the doctor.

If body temperature remains elevated for 5 days or sharply increases to maximum values, hospitalization is indicated. It is important to consider that self-medication in such cases can lead to death..

It is possible to bring down the fever only after consultation with a pulmonologist, prescribed drugs. In addition to medicines, traditional medicine can be used to combat fever, on the recommendation of a doctor..

The most effective of them are wiping the torso with a towel soaked in a solution of vinegar and water, oral intake of rosehip broth, cranberry or raspberry fruit drinks, thyme or linden tea, lemon drinks with honey, currant juice.

In case of fever, it is recommended to drink a drink from lemon with honey. In case of pneumonia, the causative agents of which are several pathogens at once, for example, bacteria and viruses, a combined intake of antibacterial and antiviral agents is necessary to eliminate them..

Many patients fear side effects from taking too many medications, especially when given to children.. It should be taken into account that the overflow of the inflammatory process into a chronic form in the absence of adequate therapy is considered more dangerous than the possible side effects of drugs..

Diagnosis of pneumonia The first manifestations of pneumonia are similar to those in acute respiratory diseases, therefore, only a pulmonologist can accurately determine what kind of pathology the patient has and choose an effective treatment during differential diagnosis..

To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor. In addition to an external examination, anamnesis, including patient complaints, X-ray examination of the lungs, general and clinical blood tests, studies related to determining the causative agent of the disease are of particular importance for the selection of effective therapy..

For this purpose, an analysis of the separated sputum is carried out, and if, according to its results, it is not possible to accurately determine the nature of the microorganism, a biopsy of the lung tissue is shown.. In cases where bacteria are the cause of the disease, an analysis is additionally carried out for the body's resistance to various groups of antibiotics..

Determining the severity of the course of pathology Body temperature is one of the important criteria for determining the severity of the course of pneumonia. The disease is classified as follows:.

mild degree: up to 38 °С;

medium degree: 38–39 °С;

severe degree: above 39 ° C.

TreatmentTreatment of the disease should be comprehensive and aimed not so much at eliminating heat, but at eliminating the pathogens that caused it to appear.. First-line drugs for pneumonia, depending on the etiology of pathogens, are antibiotics, antiviral or antifungal agents..

As a symptomatic or auxiliary treatment, the doctor may prescribe antipyretic, analgesic and antitussive drugs, vitamin complexes, as well as traditional medicine.

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