Often after visiting a doctor, patients hear the diagnosis - left-sided lower lobe pneumonia. This disease is quite common and, with proper treatment, does not entail dangerous consequences. Nevertheless, it is important to diagnose it in time and draw up the correct treatment regimen. So what are the causes of pneumonia? What symptoms should a sick person pay attention to? Is it possible to somehow prevent the development of the disease?
What is an affliction?
To begin with, it is worth understanding the meaning of the term “left-sided lower lobe pneumonia”. As you know, the left lung consists of two lobes, and the right - of three. And each lung is divided into ten segments.
Pneumonia is a disease accompanied by inflammation of the lungs. The inflammatory process can be unilateral (left- or right-sided) or bilateral. ATdepending on the location, pneumonia can be total (the entire lung is affected), focal (there is only one or several small foci of inflammation), lobar (a certain lobe of the lung is affected) and segmental (the inflammatory process is limited to one or some segments). Sometimes you can hear the term "extrapulmonary left-sided lower lobe pneumonia" - as a rule, this means that the primary source of infection is located in other organs, for example, in the pleural cavity.
It is worth saying that the mortality among patients is about 5%. The fact is that left-sided lower lobe / focal pneumonia in the early stages can be hidden - patients seek help too late. And there is also a high probability of the spread of the inflammatory process to the heart.
It is worth saying that inflammation can have varying degrees of severity. There is another classification scheme - there is out-of-hospital left-sided lower lobe pneumonia (infection of the patient occurs by airborne droplets outside the walls of the hospital) and nosocomial, or nosocomial inflammation, in which the patient developed the disease during his stay in the hospital.
Main causes of pneumonia
The inflammatory process develops as a result of pathogenic microorganisms entering the body. Bacteria, viruses, fungi can act as pathogens. They can get from the external environment, as infections are transmitted by airborne droplets.
Of course, not alwaysthe penetration of the pathogen into the respiratory system leads to inflammation. Risk factors include smoking, a weakened immune system, and the patient's chronic illness, all of which increase the likelihood of developing pneumonia. In some cases, the infection enters the lungs along with blood flow from another source of inflammation in the body.
Case history: left lower lobe pneumonia and its symptoms
At the initial stages, this form of inflammation may be completely asymptomatic. Patients note only constant weakness and fatigue, drowsiness, decreased performance. In the future, the situation gets worse. There is a cough. Sometimes it is dry, but most often accompanied by sputum. As the disease progresses, the sputum becomes profuse, sometimes streaked with blood.
Patients complain of chest pains, especially on the left side (in the region of the heart). The pain is aggravated by coughing and taking a deep breath. Due to the lack of oxygen, patients often have bluish lips and general pallor.
The temperature is constantly rising, often rising to 40 degrees. Patients also present with general symptoms of intoxication, including body aches, severe chills, nausea and lack of appetite, vomiting, severe headaches, and often even loss of consciousness. Of course, each patient has a different set of symptoms, and in varying degrees of severity. Often, the symptoms of left-sided lower lobe pneumonia are confused with common pharyngitis or a cold, especiallywhen it comes to small children. This is the danger of pneumonia.
Features of symptoms depending on the pathogen
As already mentioned, left-sided lower lobe pneumonia can develop against the background of the activity of viruses or bacteria. The above symptoms are present in almost any form of pneumonia, but each pathogen has some characteristics.
For example, viral pneumonia is accompanied by a dry cough and constant shortness of breath. Patients complain of rapid fatigue, fever and severe weakness in the muscles. But with the bacterial form, the body temperature is not so high, although the heat, of course, is present. A person may have a strong wet cough, accompanied by sputum production.
Modern diagnostic methods
Proper and timely diagnosis is very important. When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor, because, despite the existence of powerful antibacterial drugs, pneumonia can still be fatal:
- The patient must definitely donate blood for analysis - during the study, you can notice an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as well as an increase in the number of leukocytes, which indicates an inflammatory process.
- Blood samples are tested biochemically, as well as sputum testing to detect the pathogen.
- Important for diagnosis and chest X-raycells, which makes it possible to identify foci of inflammation.
- In some cases, fiberoptic bronchoscopy is performed, which allows you to examine the patient's bronchi from the inside.
Left-sided lower lobe pneumonia: treatment with drugs
It should be said right away that it is dangerous to self-medicate in this case. Only a doctor can draw up an effective treatment regimen. If bacterial pneumonia is suspected, the patient is initially given broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and third- or fourth-generation cephalosporins.
During this time, specific tests are carried out, the purpose of which is to accurately determine the pathogen. If pneumonia has developed against the background of invasion by Legionella, pneumococcus, chlamydia, Haemophilus influenzae and mycoplasmas, the doctor may prescribe more effective narrow-spectrum antibacterial drugs. But it takes at least 3-4 days for tests, and with pneumonia, you need to act quickly.
For viral pneumonia, doctors prescribe antiviral drugs, in particular, Zanamivir, Remantadine, Acyclovir. Unfortunately, medications are only effective if taken within the first 48 hours after infection. In other cases, the patient is hospitalized and symptomatic treatment is carried out. Antibiotics for viral damage are useless, but they are still prescribed to prevent secondary bacterial complications.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as adjuvants, whichhelp eliminate fever and soreness. Therapy lasts about 2-4 weeks, depending on the severity of the disease.
Proper patient care
Pneumonia is a serious disease in which a sick person needs careful care. Patients are shown bed rest, a minimum of physical activity and the absence of stress. It is better for a person to be in a well-ventilated room, where wet cleaning is carried out regularly. If treatment takes place at home, the patient should be given a separate set of dishes to prevent the spread of infection.
Plentiful warm drink in case of inflammation is a must, as it helps to speed up the elimination of toxins from the body and prevent the development of dehydration. Eat patients need light, but high-calorie food.
When does a patient need hospitalization?
Quite often, left-sided lower lobe pneumonia is treated on an outpatient basis, at home. When is inpatient therapy necessary?
- All children under the age of three must be hospitalized.
- The patient should be sent to the hospital if there is severe shortness of breath, fever (up to 39.9 degrees) or, conversely, a decrease in temperature to 35.5.
- If during the tests a strong decrease in hemoglobin levels was found, as well as an increase in the level of urea and creatinine, treatment is best done in a hospital.
- Indications for hospitalization are impaired consciousness, a sharp decrease in arterialpressure.
- When complications (including pleurisy, myocarditis, arthritis) occur, the patient should be taken to hospital immediately.
Prevention measures
Acute left-sided lower lobe pneumonia is a dangerous disease that, if left untreated, leads to dangerous complications, including pulmonary edema, shock, sepsis, meningitis and pericarditis, and acute heart failure.
Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against pneumonia. Therefore, the only prevention is a he althy lifestyle. Proper nutrition, gradual hardening of the body, walking in the fresh air, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, regular exercise - all this strengthens the body, making it more resistant to pathogenic microorganisms.
All infectious and inflammatory diseases must necessarily respond to adequate treatment, and therapy must last until complete recovery. To strengthen the immune system, it is recommended to take a course of vitamin therapy twice a year. And, of course, at the first deterioration of he alth, you should consult a specialist, because you may have community-acquired left-sided lower lobe pneumonia.
