Dealing with Pneumonia: Dos and Don’ts for Better Health

If you have mild or less severe pneumonia, you do not need to go to the doctor, but in many serious cases it is right to take treatment for it. That is why you should go to the doctor if you experience symptoms of pneumonia, so that you can know the severity of the problem. You can do the following first aid for pneumonia-

• It is very important to rest when you have pneumonia, so that our body can use its full strength to fight the disease, that is why if you have pneumonia, do not go to work or outside. Staying at home does not mean that you start doing household chores. It is very important to take complete rest in pneumonia. If your child has pneumonia, do not send him to school or let him go out of the house. 
• Pneumonia can cause you to cough, which is a good thing, because it removes mucus from your lungs. However, due to coughing you are not able to rest properly and you start having other problems. The best way to reduce cough is to gargle with water. For this, add half a teaspoon of salt to a glass of water and mix it well. Now gargle with this mixture 3 to 4 times a day. Remember that the salt grains should dissolve well in water, otherwise they can rub on your throat and increase the problem. If you want, you can also gargle with water without salt. 
• You are not advised to take cough medicines, because they are not effective in pneumonia. In such a situation, you can take salt and honey in warm water. This will give you relief to a great extent. 
• In pneumonia, one should take as much liquid as possible so that there is no shortage of water in the body. By doing this, the body will get an adequate amount of liquids and mucus will also come out of the lungs, so drink as much water as possible. If you want, you can also take soup. 
• Fever occurs in pneumonia, so keep checking the fever again and again and if you want, you can also take medicines available at medical stores for this, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. 
• You can also apply hot compress to reduce the body temperature. Applying cold compress causes sudden change in body temperature, and you may shiver. For hot compress, soak a towel in lukewarm water and squeeze it. Now place it on your forehead. Doing this process repeatedly during the day will give you a lot of relief. Body shivering is common in pneumonia and it usually gets cured when the fever subsides or in a few days. 
• When you have pneumonia, you also start having difficulty in breathing and it is also possible that you start feeling breathless. For this, if you want, you can install a humidifier in your home or office or you can also take a bath with hot water. If you have an inhaler, use it when you feel breathless. 
• It is also important to take care of cleanliness in pneumonia, so wash your hands frequently and clean the things thoroughly, which you touch frequently. While coughing, cough into your elbow instead of your hand, so that the germs do not spread. 
• Smoke of any kind can damage your lungs, so do not go to smoky places or polluted air. 
• If you smoke, try to quit this habit. If you are not able to do this, then at least do not smoke cigarettes at all until the pneumonia is cured and do not stand near a person who is smoking cigarettes because the smoke of his cigarette can also harm you. 
• You may also have chest pain from pneumonia. This pain may start suddenly or may continue for some time. However, chest pain can be easily cured by taking some simple measures. Ginger is considered very good for chest pain. To take it, boil a glass of water and add some ginger to it. Now let this water boil on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes. After this, filter the water and add honey and lemon to it as per taste. You have to drink this mixture hot. The more times you drink this mixture in a day, the more benefits you will get. 
• Medicines available at medical stores can be used for pain. However, before taking any medicine, consult your doctor and follow the instructions given on the medicine packet. Apart from this, if you have or have had problems like asthma, kidney disease, indigestion or stomach ulcers, do not take any medicine on your own. 
• If you are taking painkillers, then eat a full meal before that so that you do not have side effects like nausea. Consult a doctor before giving any medicine to children. 
• Drinking alcohol in pneumonia can be dangerous for you, so if you have a habit of drinking alcohol, try to quit it. If you are not able to do this, then at least do not drink alcohol until the pneumonia is cured. 
• Once the symptoms of pneumonia are cured, do not start doing all the work or physical exertion immediately because the symptoms of pneumonia can come back. Even after recovery, take complete rest and take precautions.

(Read more - Pleurisy)

Although you do not need to go to the doctor for pneumonia, because it can be cured by some easy methods. However, you must go to the doctor if you experience the following symptoms -

• Having a cold and cough continuously for five or six days. 
• Chest pain. 
• Difficulty in taking deep breaths. 
• Pain while breathing. 
• Having high fever and fever not getting cured. 
• Vomiting. 
• Feeling heaviness in the chest. 
• Feeling faint on standing. 
• Feeling cold and shivering. 
• Coughing up too much and coughing up mucus. 
• Blood in the cough. 
• Breathlessness increases as the day ends. 
• Sneezing. 
• Cough not getting cured for many days. 
• Running nose. 

(Read more - Bronchiectasis)

Proper care and treatment is very important when you have pneumonia. Consult a doctor immediately and take antibiotics or other medicines prescribed by them regularly. Rest and drink enough water and fluids to keep the body hydrated. Nutritious food, such as fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich food, strengthens the body. Avoid cigarettes, dust, and pollution as these can aggravate lung problems. Inhaling steam and gargling with warm water provides relief in breathing. Contact a doctor immediately if the symptoms do not improve. Pneumonia can be prevented by vaccination and adopting a healthy lifestyle.