What is the incubation period for viral pneumonia? This is the main question of this article, to which you will find the answer here. In general, this is one of the most dangerous diseases for those who have significantly reduced immunity.
What is this disease? The main signs of viral pneumonia in adults
The disease is characterized by an acute inflammatory process. This is what affects the lower respiratory tract. Viruses are considered the main causative agent of pneumonia.
How is viral pneumonia transmitted? Airborne way. Thus, it can be easily infected.
Pneumonia is caused by herpes viruses of the 1st and 3rd group, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial, B and A, adenoviruses.
Disease develops within days of infection.
In addition, viruses of diseases such as chickenpox, measles can provoke the disease.
After 6 days, pneumonia combines with a bacterial infection. This isindicates that the disease is getting worse. The disease becomes viral-bacterial.
Signs of the considered viral pneumonia and colds at the beginning of the disease are very similar to each other. Therefore, sometimes they are confused.
The main symptoms of the disease include:
- severe headaches;
- increased body temperature;
- shortness of breath and shortness of breath;
- dry cough and chills;
- profuse nasal discharge - runny nose;
- chest pain;
- severe weakness of the whole organism;
- body aches;
- red eyes;
- wheezing, which is clearly audible when listening to a specialist;
- signs of poisoning such as vomiting and nausea;
- blue extremities due to frequent and severe coughing.
During an illness, a person cannot fully perform any work. His body is completely weakened.
Signs of viral pneumonia can appear all together or one by one. Each subsequent period of the disease is different. This factor is influenced by individual manifestations of the virus.
Viral pneumonia gets worse every day. If you do not treat the disease and think that this is just a common cold, then subsequently pus may appear in the sputum. This suggests that a bacterial infection has also begun to develop.
Pneumonia: incubation period, what is it?
The duration of this moment depends on factors such as the age of the patient, the state of he alth of the person, the individual characteristics of the body and the type of virus that caused thisailment.
Typically, viral pneumonia has an incubation period in adults of about three days. It also happens that the symptoms of the disease appear much later. In pneumonia, the incubation period passes without any signs. Sometimes there may be a slight increase in body temperature in the patient.
Sometimes some people ask questions like: “Is pneumonia contagious or not? Is the incubation period dangerous for other people? If the answer to the first question was already given at the beginning of the article, then the second can be answered in the same way. If a patient with viral pneumonia, the incubation period of which has not yet ended, sneezes or coughs towards another person, then he will infect him too. Together with the sputum and saliva of the patient, a huge amount of bacteria is released. The moment someone nearby inhales them, they will also get sick.
How is viral pneumonia transmitted yet? You can get infected not only by airborne droplets, but also by household. In the case when the virus gets on any objects, it will live in an active form and be dangerous for several hours. Therefore, if a person touches such a dish, and then rubs his eyes, he will become infected with this disease.
Thus, in pneumonia, the incubation period is the period of time in which a person does not suspect that he is sick. In this case, he can transmit this virus to the people around him. Therefore, you should follow the rules of hygiene, namely, for example, when sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with your hand.
What is SARS?
This name applies to the aggregateinfectious and inflammatory lesions of the lung tissue. In this situation, the causative agents are chlamydia, mycoplasmas, legionella and viruses. Based on which microorganism is the source of the disease, they talk about this type of pneumonia. Thus, there are 4 types of this disease. In SARS of the viral type, the pathogen is referred to as the coronovirus.
Specialist can confirm the diagnosis only after a series of laboratory tests. Antibiotics are mainly prescribed for treatment.
SARS has an incubation period of 3 to 10 days. In the beginning, the disease develops like a common cold.
How is the disease diagnosed?
Only a doctor can accurately determine viral pneumonia and prescribe the right treatment. He studies the epidemiological situation and anamnesis. Next, you will need to pass a general blood test and undergo an X-ray examination.
Most outbreaks of viral pneumonia occur in winter. At this time, a large number of people also suffer from SARS. The disease considered in the article is characterized by varying degrees and forms of respiratory failure.
In the presence of pneumonia on the x-ray, you can see small focal shadows and increased interstitial pattern in the lower lobe of the lungs. In addition, the specialist studies bronchial washings and sputum.
The doctor examines all tests and excludes other diseases that have similar symptoms. After thatit denotes the type of virus that caused the disease.
What are the features of pneumonia without fever?
This type of disease is much more dangerous and can lead to bad consequences. Here, the person does not know that he has contracted viral pneumonia because there is no increase in body temperature.
The patient has a slight malaise. Usually no one does anything about it, which leads to the aggravation of the situation.
Pneumonia without fever appears due to weakened immunity, taking a large amount of antibiotics, frequent use of cough tablets and the presence of a constant focus of infection in the lymph nodes.
The main signs of this type of disease are weakness and lethargy, wheezing, pallor of the skin, severe fatigue and excessive sweating, muscle pain.
Duration of disease treatment
The recovery of the patient depends on factors such as the severity of pneumonia, the body's response to antibiotics and the type of pathogen.
In general, the disease is treated from 7 to 21 days.
The doctor determines whether the patient needs to go to the hospital. If the patient has a mild or moderate condition, then treatment can be carried out at home.
A mandatory condition for this is a mandatory and constant visit to the patient. In severe cases of viral pneumonia, the patient must be treated in a hospital.
As a rule, antibiotics and corticosteroid drugs, cough tablets and antipyretics are prescribed for illness. The patient should alsodrink more water.
Medicines are prescribed by a doctor. It all depends on the degree and severity of the disease. In this case, you can not self-medicate. All recommendations of a specialist must be followed.
How is antibiotic treatment going?
When a viral pneumonia is combined with a bacterial infection, in this case, the doctor prescribes these medications. The antibiotic is selected depending on the age and severity of the patient's condition. Medicines are administered intramuscularly, orally, or intravenously.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are mainly used for treatment.
Folk remedies for viral pneumonia
The main method of treatment is, of course, the use of medicines prescribed by a specialist. But folk remedies can also be used.
Herbs have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and vasodilating effects. They help fight the virus.
So, coltsfoot helps a lot. To do this, you need 2 tablespoons of leaves. They are poured with a glass of boiling water and allowed to brew for 30 minutes. The decoction must be taken three times a day for a quarter cup.
Also, an infusion of agave is also used. The crushed leaves are transferred to a glass dish. A few tablespoons of honey and a cup of red wine are also added here. Received insist 7 days. Then consume one tablespoon before meals.
For viral pneumonia should be consumeddecoctions of herbs such as marshmallow, lungwort and elecampane.
Consequences and complications of the disease
Viral pneumonia is considered one of the dangerous diseases. With untimely treatment, there can be sad consequences, even death.
Other complications of the disease include meningitis, sepsis, inflammation of the heart muscle, abscess and pulmonary edema, broncho-obstructive syndrome, toxic shock.
What will be the consequences of viral pneumonia depends on the condition of the patient's body and the severity of the disease. In order to avoid the listed complications, at the first signs it is necessary to consult a specialist and receive proper treatment.
Disease prevention
In order to minimize the risk of contracting viral pneumonia, you should follow a few simple rules.
It is necessary to regularly vaccinate against this disease. In the diet of any person should be only he althy food, which contains a large number of trace elements and vitamins. You should also have a timely and complete rest, regularly take walks in the fresh air.
When visiting crowded places, it is necessary to use antiviral ointments, avoid crowded places during epidemics.
To strengthen the immune system, take vitamins and exercise regularly.
Thus, if you follow a few simple tips, the risk of getting sick will be very small. But ifnevertheless, the first signs of the disease appeared, in order to avoid complications, it is necessary to consult a specialist.