what are the causes of pneumonia and what are the symptoms?

Question

one of my cousin's lungs is cloudy in the X-ray, she is about 16yrs old, doctors here are still contemplating whether its pneumonia or Tuber-colosis. So don't know what to do?

Answer 1

Pneumonia - is an inflammation of the lungs that's usually caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms.

Pneumonia can be difficult to spot. It often mimics a cold or the flu, beginning with a cough and a fever, so you may not realize you have a more serious condition. Chest pain is a common symptom of many types of pneumonia. Pneumonia symptoms can vary greatly, depending on any underlying conditions you may have and the type of organism causing the infection :- viz : Bacteria, Viruses, Mycoplasma, Fungi, Pneumocystis carinii-

CAUSES-

Your lungs are two spongy organs surrounded by a moist membrane (the pleura). Each lung is divided into lobes — three on the right and two on the left. When you inhale, air is carried through the windpipe (trachea) to your lungs. Inside your lungs, there are major airways called bronchi. The bronchi repeatedly subdivide into many smaller airways (bronchioles), which finally end in clusters of tiny air sacs called alveoli.

Your body has mechanisms to protect your lungs from infection. In fact, you're frequently exposed to bacteria and viruses that can cause pneumonia, but your body normally prevents most of these organisms from invading and overwhelming your airways. For example, the nasal cilia screen out a lot of organisms but can't stop all from getting into your airways. Sometimes — for reasons that aren't always well understood — these microorganisms can get past your body's defenses, finally finding their way into your lungs' air sacs.

There, white blood cells (leukocytes), a key part of your immune system, begin to attack the invading organisms. The accumulating pathogens, white cells and immune proteins cause the air sacs to become inflamed and filled with fluid, leading to the difficult breathing that characterizes many types of pneumonia. If both lungs are involved, it's called double pneumonia.-

Answer 2

The term pneumonia refer to any respiratory illness that causes fluid to collect in the lungs. Pneumonia can be caused by viruses, and bacteria. It can also be caused by illnesses like CHF (Congestive Heart Disease). Viral and bacterial pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics. Tuberculosis is a much more sever illness. It's caused by the a bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. A simple skin test would diagnose it. It can be very resistant to antibiotics. Three are also some very distinct symptoms that should tell the two part. Often the person with tuberculosis will cough up blood. That very seldom happens with pneumonia. The x-rays would also be different. Where pneumonia should fluid on the lungs, tuberculosis shows scarring.

If she has more than one doctor, and they can't decided between pneumo and TB within a couple of days, her family needs to start looking for new health care providers.

Answer 3

A cloudy x-ray usually indicates that there is fluid in the lung(s). TB shows up on an x-ray as a spot or scar tissue. Unless, she was tested for TB via an injection in the forearm, and the result was positive, then this means that she may have been exposed to TB. But, when this happens, a chest x-ray will confirm or rule out Tuberculosis ( TB ). She should be evaluated by a Respiratory Doc (specializes in lung disorders). I hope that this helps and that she gets well soon.

Answer 4

There are several causes of pneumonia. It can be cause by virus, bacteria, or aspiration ( such as vomiting or choking). Treatment depends on the cause. Coughing and fever are usually the symptoms along with just feeling bad. It can be confirmed by x-ray. Hopefully the doctor has ordered culture of your cousin sputum and it takes several days for cultures to come back so you know what type it is. Treatment is usually started when diagnosed, but may change when the cultures are back. Tell your cousin to hang in there and follow the treatment her doctor recommends.

Answer 5

Hopefully your cousin gace a sputum specimen in order to find out what bacteria might be colonizing in her lungs.

Answer 6

* High fever
* high cough

Answer 7

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