Pneumococcal infection

Pneumococcal infection serves as a causative agent for several diseases in people who are formed as a result of ingestion of the bacterium of the same name. Most often, children are found because of weak immunity, but in adults it is often possible to meet the symptoms of these microbes in the body, which in future grow into pneumonia, meningitis, otitis and other ailments.

Symptoms of pneumococcal infection

The incubation period of the disease develops from one to three days. After that, one or several diseases manifest themselves in a person:

Since the moment the bacterium enters the manifestation of the initial stage of the disease, virtually no symptoms appear. The main areas of infection are the mucous membrane in the airways and mouth.

Under certain conditions (poor immunity, hypothermia, overfatigue, frequent stresses), it becomes easier for bacteria to enter the body and start multiplying in it.

Treatment of pneumococcal infection

Treatment of diseases that develop as a result of pneumococcal infection is carried out in several ways:

  1. Basic therapy. Immediately there is hospitalization, based on the symptoms. Only with acute respiratory manifestations, patients remain at home. Be sure to adhere to bed rest until the elimination of complications. During the entire treatment, a simple diet is observed and a large amount of water is consumed.
  2. Etiotropic therapy. Depending on the specific infection, antibacterial drugs are selected. Usually it takes several days to determine the active substance that will cope with the disease - everything depends on each organism individually.
  3. Restoration of the immune system occurs due to the use of bronchodilators, diuretics, drugs for microcirculation and others.
  4. Symptomatic therapy is carried out, proceeding specifically from those or other indicators of the body.

Diagnosis of pneumococcal infection

There are several basic methods for determining this infection:

Pneumococcal otitis media

Separately it is necessary to say about the otitis caused by this bacterium. The thing is that most often, because of the latent form, the ailment is manifested not only by the inflammation of the middle ear, but also related areas. For example, in 85% of the case, along with hearing organs, pneumococcus spreads to the throat and nose. As a result, in addition to problems with hearing, there are pains in the throat. In addition, it often turns into sinusitis, which manifests itself with a stuffy nose, pain in the upper part of the face and general fatigue. To treatment are suitable in a complex, separately considering all the symptoms.

Prevention of pneumococcal infection

There are several options that can help prevent the emergence of an illness due to this infection:

  1. Vaccination. It is prescribed to people of two years and older. Depending on the age, different vaccines are used. Immunity to diseases appears only two weeks after the procedure.
  2. In addition, you can protect yourself from pneumococcus at home, leading a healthy lifestyle, taking vitamins, exercising, doing exercises and exercising hardening. All these are good tools for improving the immune system, which, if ingested, can easily cope with it.