In most cases, pneumonia is an infectious pathology and is caused by various bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens. Despite the rapid development of medicine, the emergence of new effective drugs and methods of treatment, the mortality from this disease remains quite high. In general, the development of life-threatening complications in pneumonia is associated with untimely started treatment due to late diagnosis. Therefore, it is recommended to know everyone what the first symptoms and signs of pneumonia are.
The first signs of pneumonia in adults
Initial clinical manifestations of the disease occur when a certain number of pathogens accumulate in the airways, which, when multiplying, cause damage and destruction of cells. When the body tries to remove dead cells from the lumen of the bronchi and alveoli of the lungs, symptoms such as:
- Persecution in the throat ;
- cough.
Cough, depending on the type of pathogen and some other factors, can have a different intensity, while in most cases at first it is dry, obtrusive, constant. Later, when the immune system is connected to the fight against microorganisms, mucus secretion in the bronchi is activated, and the cough passes into the mucous, with the mucosal secretion and then the purulent-mucous sputum.
The following manifestations also appear, which also relate to the first signs of pneumonia in women:
- elevated body temperature (from 37 to 39-40 ° C);
- dyspnea;
- wheezing in the chest;
- headache;
- weakness;
- increased sweating;
- pain in the chest with a deep breath, a cough.
Often, pneumonia occurs as a complication of the common cold or viral respiratory tract infections. In this case, it is possible to suspect the development of pathology if the patient's condition deteriorates sharply on the 5-7th day of the disease, even with the previous improvement.