Symptoms of pneumonia: how to detect pneumonia early?

Pneumonia symptoms can be confused with flu, nasal allergies… If not recognized early, the disease progresses very quickly, even endangering life.

Early signs of pneumonia can be so mild that you barely notice it, but can easily get worse quickly. How the body reacts to pneumonia depends on the type of germ that causes the disease, the age and overall health of the person.

So what are the signs of pneumonia in adults and infants? Please refer to the following article.

Who is susceptible to pneumonia?

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Anyone can get pneumonia symptoms, but certain people are at higher risk. These subjects include:

Children under 2 years old.
People 65 years of age and older.
People who have had a stroke, have problems swallowing or are completely paralyzed.
People who are recently or are currently hospitalized, especially on a ventilator.
People with respiratory infections such as colds or flu.
People who smoke, use certain recreational drugs or drink too much alcohol.
People with weakened immune systems due to illness or use of medications such as steroids or cancer drugs .
People exposed to lung irritants such as environmental pollution, dust and some chemicals.
People with certain chronic diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes or heart failure.

Symptoms of pneumonia in adults and children

Signs of pneumonia may or may not be typical.

Typical symptoms of pneumonia

Symptoms of pneumonia in children are more difficult to detect than in adults due to non-specificity. Likewise, in adults over 65 years old, signs of pneumonia are quite faint and few compared to younger people.

Typical signs of pneumonia in infants and young children

Children under 1 year old may not show any signs of lung infection. However, children may still show the following signs of pneumonia:

Vomit
Cough, fever
Exhausted
Poor eating and breastfeeding due to difficulty breathing

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Symptoms of pneumonia in children over 1 year old may be more obvious. After a runny nose and mild cough, children’s pneumonia can suddenly worsen with the following symptoms:

Fever: Sometimes the only sign of pneumonia in children is fever.
Nasal flaring, intercostal retraction, chest indrawing: These symptoms are often signs of difficulty breathing in children.
Wheezing: Wheezing is quite common, especially in viral pneumonia .
Cyanosis: This is a symptom that shows a bluish-purple discoloration of the skin or mucous membranes, tissues near the skin surface, nose and fingers, which means the child is lacking oxygen , not getting enough oxygen. oxygen in the blood.
Vomiting: This pneumonia symptom is often due to the child having difficulty breathing.
Cough: Symptoms can be a dry cough or a cough with phlegm. Phlegm can be clear, white, yellow-green or even bloody.
Increased respiratory rate (tachypnea): Increased respiratory rate is an important warning sign of pneumonia in children.

Typical symptoms of pneumonia in adults

People over 65 years old tend to have fewer symptoms than younger people, and when they seek medical attention, it’s often when the disease has begun to get worse.

You need to see a specialist immediately when signs of severe pneumonia appear in adults such as:

Fever: Pneumonia can cause fever or not, depending on the person. However, if you have a fever above 38.5ºC with cold symptoms, consider seeing your doctor as this may indicate you have a bacterial infection ( bronchitis or pneumonia).
Chest pain: You may feel pain, throbbing under the sternum, and heavier chest when breathing deeply or coughing.
Frequent cough: Symptoms of cough are phlegm with phlegm that can be green, yellow or accompanied by blood. This warning shows signs of pneumonia, the presence of blood means you may have a serious infection.
Fatigue, muscle pain: Pneumonia can make your body tired with fever, causing muscle or joint pain.
Difficulty breathing: This sign of severe pneumonia in adults makes the patient feel like they cannot get enough air to inhale even if they try. However, this can only happen when the body is very active.
Sweating, chills: You may feel chills even in a warm room or under a blanket. You may also sweat and shiver so much that your teeth chatter.
Headache: This symptom rarely occurs and often appears when you have a fever.
Cognitive changes: Occur more commonly in adults over 65, who may experience delirium or confusion.
Lower-than-normal body temperature: This symptom often occurs in adults over 65 years old and in people with compromised immune systems.
Gray or bluish skin color: This often occurs around the mouth due to not getting enough oxygen in the blood. You may also have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

2. Atypical pneumonia symptoms

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Signs of pneumonia or symptoms of atypical pneumonia are often more difficult to recognize than typical pneumonia. In fact, you can function normally without too many health problems. Anyone can get atypical pneumonia, but mainly people under 40 years old.

Symptoms of pneumonia are not typical in children

The first symptoms in children can be like a cold or flu, often starting with fever, sore throat and headache. Dry cough symptoms may be worse at night. Some other symptoms include: