Pneumonia

I am currently trying to keep my daughter away from Pneumonia and the hospital. She went from a sore throat and sore ears to a sinus infection to suspected pneumonia. She is on an antibiotic and steroid as well as OTC (over the counter) medications to help fight the infection and tame the symptoms. The threat of pneumonia can be scary. Being educated can help you and your child feel more comfortable and fight through it.

Pneumonia is a general term that refers to an infection of the lungs. Often, pneumonia begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat), with symptoms of pneumonia beginning after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat. A doctor can tell you have pneumonia by listening to your lungs or looking at a chest X-ray. http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/pneumonia.html

Speaking from experience a sinus infection or respiratory infection can head towards pneumonia pretty quickly. Some signs may include:

• Mild-moderate fever
• Sore Throat
• Headache
• Prolonged period of coughing
• Decreased activeness
• Loss of appetite
• Labored breathing
• Abdominal pain
• Any symptoms resembling the common influenza virus

TIPS:

1. Keep notes on what symptoms your child has, when they started and how they have progressed.

2. Ask questions...doctors can use a variety of terms like lung infection, upper respiratory infection, walking pneumonia, etc. Make sure you are clear and ask the difference and what to look for.