HYDERABAD - As it winter season a large number of children are being affected by pneumonia, with cold, cough, fever, sore throat and difficulty in breathing. Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by bacterial or viral infections. It may affect deeper lung tissues than bronchitis, which is airway tube inflammation, and can have symptoms such as fever, breathing problems and chest pain, showing up as a white shade in lung chest X-rays.
Talking to APP on Friday, Paediatrician Dr. Zulfiqar Shaikh informed that Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs and it causes cough and fever and can make breathing difficult. Severe pneumonia can be deadly.
He said most infected children and adults will develop flu-like symptoms that will clear up on their own after a few days, but some may develop into more serious inflammation of the lungs requiring treatment and, in some cases, hospitalization may be needed.
About the treatment for pneumonia in kids he said that its depends on factors like the child’s overall health condition, age, cause of the infection, and severity of the illness. For bacterial infection, an antibiotic is given to the patients.
In serious cases where the child has developed severe breathing issues, the patients must be hospitalize for proper treatment.
This can include IV fluids, intravenous antibiotics, nebulizer treatments and more.
Children with mild pneumonia can take at least two to three weeks to get better. However, kids with a serious infection can take up to eight to nine weeks to recover from pneumonia, Dr Zulfiqar said .
He said that risk of getting pneumonia can be reduce by obtaining a pneumococcal and influenza vaccination, frequently washing your hands, Keeping your distance from sick individuals. Maintaining a nutritious diet will also strengthen kids’ immune system and reduce risk of contracting pneumonia.
Paediatrics also suggest home remedies like giving your child plenty of healthy fluids such as broth and soups and using a saline nasal drop can be effective, too
