Pneumonia is a serious medical condition characterized by an infection that causes the air sacs in either one or both lungs to inflame. In some cases, the sacs may fill with pus or fluid. More than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with pneumonia each year and being that it’s a serious infection, and medical attention should be promptly sought.
This is especially true for more at-risk pneumonia patients, such as seniors, infants and young children. Here at DuPage Immediate Care, our urgent care facilities are ready to treat bacterial pneumonia and viral pneumonia.
Bacterial Pneumonia
This type of pneumonia is caused by many bacteria; the most common is Streptococcus pneumoniae. It’s best treated with antibiotics, as this medicine is ideal for targeting and eliminating the bacteria that drives the infection. According to the American Lung Association ALA, most healthy people recover from pneumonia in 1 to 3 weeks if treated appropriately.
Viral Pneumonia
Viral pneumonia is caused by many viruses; the most common ones are adenoviruses, influenza viruses, chickenpox and other. Anti-viral medication can help alleviate some symptoms associated with the illness. Most patients with viral pneumonia feel better over the course of several weeks.
Common Signs/Symptoms of Pneumonia
If you’re not feeling well, there are several signs and symptoms to watch out for that may indicate Pneumonia. These include:
- Fever/ Chills
- Noticeable shortness of breath
- Heavy sweating
- Chest pain, especially with deep breaths
- Nausea/ Vomiting/ Diarrhea
- Aches/Fatigue/ Headaches
- Cough
Diagnosis/Treatment
Our urgent care facility can help properly diagnose pneumonia and put you on the path to a full recovery. Our diagnosing capabilities include blood and sputum sampling to determine what type of pneumonia it is. We carefully analyze these samples and then send them out to our lab for diagnosis. In more dire pneumonia cases, a bronchoscopy may be necessary. Bronchoscopies are lung biopsies that allow medical professionals to more closely examine the throat, larynx and other parts of the lung.
If the diagnosis is a bacterial pneumonia, our urgent care center will start treating it with antibiotics. If the diagnosis is either a viral pneumonia, our medical professionals may prescribe anti-viral medications. At DuPage Immediate Care, we’re able to provide IV antibiotic therapy and other treatments to address symptoms such as chest X-rays, though these are typically conducted to rule out pneumonia.
Contact our urgent care center today for more information.
