Lung infections can have various origins. These infections are potentially serious and sometimes require urgent treatment. Here is the short discussion about the symptoms, causes, complications and treatments.

What is a lung infection?

The term “lung infection” can refer to any infectious disease affecting the lungs. They are also called pneumopathies or pneumonia. They affect the pulmonary alveoli, unlike bronchopathies or bronchitis which affect the bronchi. Broncho pneumopathies or bronchopneumonia affect both the bronchi and the lungs and are particularly common in small children.

Viral cause: flu, chickenpox

A lung disease often has a viral cause. Influenza can, for example, be the cause of pneumonia, more often than measles and herpes viruses. After entering the bronchopulmonary system, these viruses multiply very quickly and cause infection. Viruses can also enter the lung through the blood, such as the chickenpox virus in the latter case, if you have pimples on the skin, it is very likely that you have them on the lungs.

Bacterial cause: pneumococcus, Koch’s bacillus, Candida

Certain bacteria are the cause of a pulmonary infection: this is the case with pneumococci. There are about ten different types, which are responsible for rapidly developing and severe infection. Another cause of pneumonia is bacteria in the Legionella family, as is Koch’s bacillus, which causes tuberculosis. A pneumopathy can also be linked to a fungus of the Candida type, but this is less common, except in the immunocompromised subject, and specifies the pulmonologist.

False food route

Pneumonia can be linked to a wrong road. The bronchus becomes blocked and the underlying lung becomes infected. We see this in particular in the elderly. Some cancers can cause such bronchial obstruction or pneumonia.

Treatments: treat a lung infection

The treatment of lung infection depends mainly on its cause. We treat according to the germ. In the case of pneumonia of bacterial origin, antibiotic treatment is prescribed for example cipmox 500

Symptoms: fever, fatigue, cough

Symptoms of lung disease differ depending on the origin of the infection. A high fever is thus observed in the event of infection with a pneumococcus. Overnight, the fever rises to 40 degrees, the patient may cough up blood and feel severe chest pain.

It is necessary to start treatment urgently. An infection linked to the influenza virus will also cause high fever and fatigue, except in the elderly who can keep a normal temperature. On the other hand, tuberculosis is not necessarily responsible for a rise in fever above 38 ° C. A strong coughis part of the characteristic symptoms of pneumonia, as well as sputum and sometimes chest pain, discomfort or shortness of breath in cases of severe congestion, or weight loss.