What are symptoms of phenomena: Pneumonia – Symptoms and causes

20.09.202321.06.2023 by alexxlab

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Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention

“Walking” pneumonia is a non-medical word that describes a mild case of bacterial pneumonia. Often the child is not sick enough to stay home. He or she can still walk around with little difficulty.

Pneumonia is spread by infected people who carry the germs in fluid droplets in their throats, noses or mouths. The infected person coughs the germs into the air. Your child breathes in the germs or comes in direct contact with the infected person’s saliva or mucous by touching something. It is possible to catch pneumonia from someone who does not know he is sick. Pneumonia cannot be “caught” by walking outside without a coat.

Pneumonia occurs most often during the cold months when children spend most of their time indoors in close contact with other people. Children under the age of 2 are at highest risk for pneumonia. Almost everyone fully recovers with proper medical care.

Signs and Symptoms
Fast, difficult breathing	Severe, shaking chills	Muscle aches
Cough	Chest pains	Loss of appetite
Fever	Tiredness, weakness	Nausea or vomiting

Pneumonia caused by a virus is often less severe than when caused by bacteria. The symptoms usually start out like the flu. They slowly get worse over a few days.

Pneumonia caused by bacteria can come on suddenly with a high fever, fast breathing and coughing.

Both types of pneumonia can cause the child’s cough to last for weeks after the fever has stopped.

Diagnosis

The health provider can usually diagnose pneumonia based on the time of year and the child’s symptoms by watching the child’s breathing and by listening to the lungs. To check for bacterial pneumonia, a chest X-ray, blood and other tests may be done.

Treatment of Pneumonia

Pneumonia caused by bacteria is treated with an antibiotic. Symptoms should improve within 12 to 36 hours after starting the medicine.

It is important to take the full course of antibiotic as prescribed. Stopping the medicine early may cause the infection to come back. It may also make the medicine not work as well for your child in the future.

Pneumonia caused by a virus cannot be treated with antibiotics. Viral pneumonia usually goes away on its own.

Things That You Can Do to Help Your Child at Home Are

Control the fever with the proper medicine and right strength for the age of your child. Fevers lower than 101° F do not need to be treated unless the child is uncomfortable (see Helping Hand HH-I-105).
Give your child plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
See that your child gets lots of rest.
Do not give over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines or other OTC medicines without asking the health provider first. The child needs to cough and bring up the phlegm. Coughing is the body’s way of clearing the infection from the lungs.
Avoid exposing your child to tobacco smoke or other irritants in the air.

Preventing Pneumonia

Keep vaccinations up-to-date. All children, starting at 2 months, should begin a series of vaccines that prevents the bacterial type of pneumonia.
All children 6 months of age or older should get a flu vaccine yearly even if they have an egg allergy.
Teach children to cover their noses and mouths with facial tissue or a sleeve of their shirt when sneezing or Throw away tissues after use.
Teach and practice good hand washing (Picture 2).
Wash surfaces that are touched often (like toys, tables and doorknobs) with soap and water or wipe them down with a disinfectant.
Keep the home smoke free.

If your child has a weakened immune system or is at high risk because of a chronic condition of the lungs, heart, or kidneys, ask the child’s health provider if other vaccines are needed.

When to Call the Doctor

You should call your child’s doctor if your child:

Has trouble breathing or is breathing much faster than usual
Has a bluish or gray color to the fingernails or lips
Is older than 6 months and has a fever over 102°F
Is younger than 6 months and has a temperature over 100.4°F.
Has a fever for more than a few days after taking antibiotics

When your child should stay home and return to school or childcare

A Child Should Stay Home from School or Childcare If He

Has a fever over 100 °F.
Feels too ill or does not have the energy to take part in school or childcare activities.

A Child Can Return to School When He

Is fever-free for 24 hours
Has the energy to return to his regular routine
Eats and drinks well

It might take weeks for your child to get all his energy back. Some days will be better than others. Allow your child to resume activities gradually.

Pneumonia (PDF)

Pneumonia – Better Health Channel

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Summary

Read the full fact sheet

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, caused by bacteria or viruses.
Anyone of any age can be affected, but children under the age of four years are very susceptible.
Certain people can be immunised against one of the most common types of bacterial pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a type of lung infection, caused by a virus or bacteria. The lungs are filled with thousands of tubes, called bronchi, which end in smaller sacs called alveoli. Each one has a fine mesh of capillaries. This is where oxygen is added to the blood and carbon dioxide is removed.

If a person has pneumonia, the alveoli in one or both lungs fill with pus and fluids (exudate), which interferes with the gas exchange. This is sometimes known as ‘consolidation and collapse of the lung’.

Anyone of any age can contract pneumonia, but it tends to be common in children aged four years and under, and in the elderly. Pneumonia can strike suddenly or gradually. With appropriate treatment, you can expect to get better in around seven to 10 days.

Symptoms of pneumonia

The symptoms of pneumonia depend on the age of the person, the cause and severity of the infection, and any existing problems with immunity. Some of the symptoms may include:

rapid breathing
breathing difficulties
fever
general malaise
loss of appetite
abdominal pain
headache
chest pain
cough
blue colouration of the skin around the mouth (cyanosis), caused by lack of oxygen.

Causes of pneumonia

Pneumonia can be triggered by a cold or bout of flu, which allows the germs to gain access to the alveoli. In about half of all cases, no cause is ever found. Some of the micro-organisms that can cause pneumonia include:

Bacteria – symptoms include rust or green-coloured phlegm. Anyone of any age can be affected, but susceptible groups include babies, the elderly, alcoholics, and people recovering from surgery or coping with other illnesses (such as lung disease).
Viruses – symptoms are similar to a severe bout of flu. It is thought that around 50 per cent of pneumonia cases are caused by viral infections.
Mycoplasma (a special kind of bacteria) – symptoms can include white phlegm, nausea and vomiting. Pneumonia caused by mycoplasma organisms is generally mild, but recovery takes longer.

Diagnosis for pneumonia

If your child seems to be recovering well from a cold or flu, but then relapses, they may have a chest infection. See your doctor immediately, since pneumonia can be life threatening to babies and young children.

Pneumonia is diagnosed using a variety of tests, such as general examination and chest x-rays.

Treatment for pneumonia

In many cases, the person’s own immune system can deal with the infection, but antibiotics may sometimes assist recovery.

Treatment depends on the age of the individual and the type of infection, but can include:

hospital admission – for babies, young children and the elderly. Mild or moderate cases of pneumonia in people who are otherwise well can often be treated at home.
plenty of fluids – taken orally or intravenously
antibiotics – to kill the infection, if bacteria are the cause
medications – to relieve pain and reduce fever
rest – sitting up is better than lying down.

Immunisation for pneumonia

One of the most common types of bacterial pneumonia is pneumococcal pneumonia, caused by infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. There are vaccines against this strain that reduce the risk of infection.

It is recommended that certain people be immunised, including:

young children
older people over the age of 65 years
people with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, asthma or respiratory disorders
people with reduced immunity
people who have had an organ transplant
people who have damaged spleens or have had their spleens surgically removed
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50 years
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at two years of age and older who live in remote communities.

Where to get help

Your doctor
NURSE-ON-CALL Tel. 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
Lung Foundation AustraliaExternal Link Tel. 1800 654 301

Chest and lungs – PneumoniaExternal Link, The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.
What are the symptoms of pneumonia?External Link, NPS MedicineWise.
Community acquired pneumonia in adults – guidelineExternal Link, British Thoracic Society.

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Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 05-05-2018

Myxedema: symptoms, causes, treatment

Endocrinologist

Tananakina

Natalia Vasilievna

Experience 28 years

Endocrinologist, Candidate of Medical Sciences

Make an appointment

Myxedema is one of the endocrine diseases. Pathology develops as the volume of thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid gland decreases. With a stable negative state of the organ, the disease develops rapidly and reaches the degree of myxedema – an extreme form of hormone deficiency. Modern medicine has enough experience in diagnosing this pathology and is ready to offer a treatment course based on hormone replacement therapy, which allows stabilizing the patient’s condition.

Etiology

Myxedema is a mucous edema that develops against the background of hypothyroidism and iodine deficiency. A significant proportion in the total volume of patients are women in the period of age-related menopausal changes in the body, in whom the disease is diagnosed 5-10 times more often than in other age and sex groups. In rare cases, the pathology is diagnosed in young children, in whom myxedema is accompanied by a significant lag in mental and physical development.

Causes of myxedema and their classification

If hypothyroidism is detected in a patient in a timely manner, and effective treatment is prescribed, the lack of hormones can be compensated without consequences for the body. Otherwise, the patient’s condition worsens and symptoms of myxedematic edema appear. The causes of myxedema are the following conditions:

In the primary form of myxedema, the cause is primary hypothyroidism caused by disorders in the thyroid gland. The latter fact can be triggered by radiation, surgery, deficiency or excess of iodine.
The secondary form of myxedema is caused by disorders of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus involved in the production of thyroid hormones.
Pretibial myxedema is caused by an excess of iodine-containing hormones produced by an enlarged thyroid gland when multinodular toxic goiter is diagnosed.
Idiopathic form – a disease, it is not possible to accurately determine the causes of which. At the same time, the thyroid gland and other elements of the body’s hormonal system work stably, and there is no excess or deficiency of thyroid hormones in the patient’s blood.

Symptoms

It is possible to talk about the development of the consequences of a lack of thyroid hormones on the basis of the following characteristic symptoms of myxedema:

Severe swelling of the skin and subcutaneous tissue on the face and body without signs of redness and loosening of the structure.
Puffiness of the face resembling a mask.
Simplification of facial expressions, immobility of features during conversation.
Difficulty in nasal breathing due to mucosal edema.
Hoarseness, hoarse voice due to swelling of the larynx, coughing.
Shortness of breath even with slight exertion.
Lethargy and drowsiness of the patient.
Muscle weakness, lethargy, memory problems.
Muscle and headaches.
Decreased appetite, high likelihood of signs of constipation.

For children, a lack of thyroid hormones causes a slowdown in development, a violation of the formation of teeth. Appearance acquires rough features: the eyes are deep set, the tongue is enlarged, the nose is wide and flat. Speech and self-care skills may be partially or completely absent.

Pretibial myxedema, which develops against the background of an excess of thyroid hormones, is characterized by thickening of the skin of the legs, hair loss and severe itching. Tachycardia develops, pain in the region of the heart increases, muscle weakness and instability of the emotional state are noted. Against the background of increased appetite, the patient’s body weight decreases.

Complications

The main danger of a long course of a severe form of myxedema in the absence of treatment is the onset of myxedematous coma. At risk are elderly patients and people with a weakened immune system due to acute infections, hypothermia, long-term hypothyroidism and chronic diseases. The list of coma symptoms includes a drop in body temperature, intestinal obstruction, slowing of the pulse and breathing, heart failure, and confusion. The probability of death for patients in this condition reaches 80%.

Diagnostics

A specialist can make a primary diagnosis already at the stage of collecting an anamnesis. Alarming factors are the patient’s drowsiness, decreased performance, headaches, noticeable dry skin, shortness of breath, and impaired nasal breathing. To confirm the assumptions of the endocrinologist, the following measures for the diagnosis of myxedema allow:

General and biochemical blood tests to clarify the content of proteins, cholesterol and iodine in the body, hemoglobin levels and ESR.
Hormonal blood test to clarify the content of thyroxine and triiodothyronine. With an increase in the level of hormones, experts speak of the primary form of the disease, with a decrease – of secondary hypothyroidism.
Thyroid scintigraphy, which allows you to establish the activity of glandular tissues. With a decrease in the absorption of radioactive iodine, the thyroid gland produces less hormones, and nodules form in its structure.
Ultrasound of the thyroid gland to exclude malignant tumors in its structure, calcifications and nodes. With hypothyroidism, there is often a decrease in the volume of the organ relative to normal sizes.

Course of treatment

The most effective for myxedema is complex treatment, which includes:

Hormone replacement therapy, thanks to which it is possible to compensate for the lack of thyroid hormones in the body.
A diet based on foods high in iodine. Salt and animal fats are kept to a minimum.
Symptomatic treatment aimed at reducing swelling. The patient is prescribed diuretics, diuretic herbs, wearing compression underwear. They allow to eliminate disturbances in the work of the heart, and nootropic substances are used to stabilize the functioning of the nervous system.
Glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory drugs that simultaneously suppress the negative effects of antibodies on the thyroid gland.

Strict adherence to the doctor’s prescriptions guarantees the preservation of a stable condition of the patient and a high quality of life. For the congenital form of the disease, the prognosis depends on concomitant factors, the measures taken to prevent myxedema, and the severity of hormone deficiency.

Diagnosis and treatment of myxedema in the clinic JSC “Medicina”

The first symptoms of myxedema and disorders in the functioning of the thyroid gland are a good reason to see a specialist. The clinic of JSC “Medicina” invites for consultation and treatment those who care about their health and intend to receive recommendations for the treatment of pathology. Diagnostic measures are carried out on the basis of the clinic, which speeds up the receipt of results and allows you to involve several specialized specialists in their interpretation at once. Each client is guaranteed an attentive attitude, the development of an individual treatment plan with its timely adjustment as necessary, if the process will give stable positive results. You can make an appointment through the clinic’s website or by calling the indicated phones.

Questions and answers

What can lead to the development of myxedema?

The pathological process in the body triggers hypothyroidism. In the absence of medical supervision and proper treatment, insufficient thyroid gland disease progresses rapidly and passes from the primary stage to more pronounced ones. In such cases, one cannot count on a favorable outcome of treatment, and the patient is prescribed lifelong therapy based on maintenance drugs that regulate hormone production.

What should be eaten with myxedema?

The key to successful treatment and stabilization of the patient’s condition is a diet with limited salt and animal fats. The emphasis in nutrition should be on foods with a high content of iodine: seaweed, fish, seafood, nuts. Additionally, the patient is prescribed iodine-containing supplements and multivitamin complexes.

Why is the protracted course of myxedema dangerous?

Lack of timely treatment can cause the onset of myxedema coma. The highest risk is in elderly patients, as well as those with signs of intoxication, recent hypothermia, acute infections, or long-term current deficiency of thyroid hormones. Symptoms of a coma are a slowing of the pulse and breathing, arterial hypotension, intestinal obstruction, heart failure, which in most cases causes death.

causes, symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment of thyrotoxicosis

Causes

Classification

Symptoms

Complications

Diagnosis

Treatment 9000 3

Prevention

Hyperthyroidism is a pathological condition that occurs as a result of excessive production of hormones by the thyroid gland. Another name is thyrotoxicosis, since in this case there is a toxic effect on the tissues of various internal organs, which suppresses their function. It is manifested by an increase in the thyroid gland and a violation in the work of other organs with corresponding symptoms.

This disease usually appears in people aged 20-45 years, and hyperthyroidism is 10 times more common in women than in men. Hyperthyroidism in children also occurs, approximately 20-25 cases per 100,000 children, and more often in girls. The disease is especially dangerous in newborns, as it can lead to irreversible complications, such as mental retardation. The congenital form occurs in 1-2 cases per 5000 newborns.

The thyroid gland is the most important among all other glands, since its hormones regulate the functioning of most organs and have a huge impact on the entire human body and the processes occurring in it. Almost everything depends on her work – from weight to mood. At the same time, about a third of the entire population has certain disorders in the functioning of the thyroid gland, but often do not pay attention to this organ, since it is difficult to associate its dysfunction with, for example, weight gain or loss of working capacity.

Causes and precipitating factors

One of the causes of hyperthyroidism is the overgrowth of thyroid tissue, due to which it increases in volume and begins to produce more hormones – thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). This can happen due to various diseases, for example, Graves’ disease, which is autoimmune in nature, and antibodies are formed in the body that stimulate the gland to produce an increased amount of hormones.

Also, the causes of the disease are nodular goiter and toxic adenoma, in which benign nodes form in the gland tissue. They can also synthesize hormones that turn out to be excessive for the body.

A disease such as thyroiditis causes the growth of gland tissue and inflammation, which also leads to an increase in hormones in the blood and the manifestation of symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

An excessive amount of iodine that enters the body with food, or the uncontrolled use of special iodine-containing supplements, can provoke the disease.

During pregnancy, a woman’s body needs an increased amount of thyroid hormones, so their synthesis increases by 30-50%, and this is normal. But in 2% of cases, this condition turns into a gestational form of hyperthyroidism, which requires treatment.

Emotional stress and psychological trauma play an important role in the occurrence and development of hyperthyroidism. An increase in the levels of adrenaline and norepinephrine increases the secretion of thyroid hormones, which leads to the disease. Constant stress in the modern world has become an important cause of the incidence of hyperthyroidism.

Inflammatory diseases in the neck and head can also cause the development of diffuse nodular goiter and disruption of the thyroid gland. Angina, sinusitis, laryngitis are especially dangerous.

Classification

There are many types of classification of this disease according to different criteria. So, according to the clinical form, there are the following types:

hyperthyroid reaction usually occurs during stress and a short-term surge of thyroid hormones;
small hyperthyroidism – when the level of T4 is normal or slightly higher, and T3 can be twice the norm, TSH – the pituitary thyroid stimulating hormone that regulates thyroid function – is usually normal or slightly increased;
moderate hyperthyroidism – here T3 and T4 are elevated, sometimes twice as high as normal, TSH also rises markedly;
significant hyperthyroidism – levels of T3 and T4 are increased by more than twice the norm.

In addition, there are various etiological forms of the disease, among which the most common are:

acute and subacute – associated with the destruction of the gland tissue and the entry of hormones that were present in the blood into the blood;
hereditary – a genetic predisposition that manifests itself under adverse circumstances;
postpartum – due to stress during pregnancy and childbirth;
iodine-induced – occurs when an excess of iodine entering the body;
iatrogenic or drug-induced – occurs when taking hormonal drugs;
traumatic – appears when the tissues of the gland are damaged and the hormones contained in them suddenly enter the bloodstream;
hyperproduction of TSH – occurs in diseases of the pituitary gland, causing an increase in the production of the hormone TSH, which in turn provokes an increase in the work of the thyroid gland;

There are also primary hyperthyroidism associated directly with the work of the thyroid gland, and secondary, when the work of the gland is disturbed due to diseases of other organs, such as the pituitary gland.