Pneumonia

Pneumonia generally refers to an infection of the lungs, which can be caused by a variety of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Often pneumonia begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat). When this happens, symptoms of pneumonia begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat. Usually symptoms of pneumonia vary, depending on the age of the child and the cause of the pneumonia.

Some common symptoms include fever, chills, cough, unusually rapid breathing, breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds, vomiting, chest pain, abdominal pain, decreased activity, loss of appetite (in older children) or poor feeding (in infants) and in extreme cases it could lead to bluish or gray coloring of the lips and fingernails.

There are several ways to prevent pneumonia. One is to get all your shots because one of them can prevent a type of pneumonia called pneumococcal pneumonia. Getting a flu shot can also help guard against getting pneumonia, particularly in kids who have asthma or certain other lung conditions. Getting enough rest is also very important since lack of sleep can make it hard for your immune system to fight infections. Antivirals like Ribavirin are used for the treatment of Influenzal pneumonia.