Symptoms of pneumonia in kids

What Is Pneumonia? Pneumonia is an infection of the What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Pneumonia? The signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include: • • • chills • fast breathing • breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds • working hard to breathe • vomiting • chest pain • belly pain • being less active • loss of appetite (in older kids) or poor feeding (in babies) What Causes Pneumonia? Viruses, like the flu or Less often, How Is Pneumonia Diagnosed? Doctors will do an exam to look for pneumonia. They’ll check the person’sappearance, breathing pattern, and vital signs. They'll listen to the lungs and might order a How Is Pneumonia Treated? People who have viral pneumonia do not need antibiotics. Antibiotics only work against bacteria, not viruses. Someone with viral pneumonia from the flu virus or Doctors treat bacterial pneumonia with an antibiotic taken by mouth. Usually, this can be done at home. The antibiotic they use depends on the type of bacteria thought to have caused the pneumonia. Some children might need treatment in a hospital if the pneumonia causes a lasting high fever or breathing problems, or if they need oxygen, are vomiting and can’t take the medicine, or have a lung infection that may have spread to the bloodstream. Hospital treatment can include How Can Parents Help? Kids with pneumonia need to get plenty of rest and drink lots of liquids while the body works to fight the infection. Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it's linked to a rare but ...

Common Pneumonia Symptoms • • Coughing up greenish, yellow, or bloody • • Feeling like you can’t catch your breath, especially when you move around a lot • Feeling very • Loss of appetite • Sharp or stabbing • • Fast • Lips and fingernails turning blue • Confusion (in older people) Bacterial vs. Viral Pneumonia Symptoms Bacteria and viruses are the most common causes of pneumonia. Fungi and parasites can sometimes cause it. When the cause is bacteria, the illness can come on either slowly or quickly. It tends to be more serious than other types. When a virus causes your pneumonia, you’re more likely to notice symptoms over several days. Early signs will look like the flu -- such as fever, dry cough, Pneumonia Symptoms in Children When kids have pneumonia, their symptoms might be harder to spot. They may have: • Rapid breathing • • Fever • Cough • • Symptoms in babies might be vague, like fussiness or trouble feeding. Pneumonia vs. Cold and Flu Symptoms It’s tricky, because pneumonia can be a complication of Cold symptoms tend to start slowly. You’re more likely to The top clue that you have the flu is that the symptoms come on strong, seemingly out of nowhere. You may have: • Fever above 100.4 F • Headache • Severe aches and pains • Extreme tiredness • Dry, hacking cough These symptoms tend to ease up in 2 to 5 days, but you might have a mild cough or When to Call Your Doctor Call your doctor right away if you or your SOURCES: McNeese State University: “Cold, Flu, Pneumoni...

In the United States, pneumonia is the most common cause of hospitalization in children. Even in hospitalized children, community-acquired pneumonia is most likely of viral etiology, with respiratory syncytial virus being the most common pathogen, especially in children younger than two years. Typical presenting signs and symptoms include tachypnea, cough, fever, and anorexia. Findings most strongly associated with an infiltrate on chest radiography in children with clinically suspected pneumonia are grunting, history of fever, retractions, crackles, tachypnea, and the overall clinical impression. Chest radiography should be ordered if the diagnosis is uncertain, if patients have hypoxemia or significant respiratory distress, or if patients fail to show clinical improvement within 48 to 72 hours after initiation of antibiotic therapy. Outpatient management of community-acquired pneumonia is appropriate in patients without respiratory distress who can tolerate oral antibiotics. Amoxicillin is the first-line antibiotic with coverage for Streptococcus pneumoniae for school-aged children, and treatment should not exceed seven days. Patients requiring hospitalization and empiric parenteral therapy should be transitioned to oral antibiotics once they are clinically improving and able to tolerate oral intake. Childhood and maternal immunizations against S. pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Bordetella pertussis, and influenza virus are the key to prevention. Clinical reco...

Maggie O’Neill is a health writer and reporter based in New York who specializes in covering medical research and emerging wellness trends, with a focus on cancer and addiction. Prior to her time at Health, her work appeared in the Observer, Good Housekeeping, CNN, and Vice. She was a fellow of the Association of Health Care Journalists’ 2020 class on Women’s Health Journalism and 2021 class on Cancer Reporting. In her spare time, she likes meditating, watching TikToks, and playing fetch with her dog, Finnegan. • Breathe in steam from hot water. • Get plenty of rest. • Relieve a stuffy nose with saline drops or nasal spray. Use a rubber suction bulb for young children. • Stay hydrated by drinking fluids. • Use a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten the air. • Use honey or lozenges to reduce coughing or soothe your throat. Do not give honey to children younger than 1 or lozenges to those younger than 4. In some cases, those people may develop complications like Bronchitis, or a chest cold, happens if the airways in your lungs swell and mucus develops in your lungs. Pneumonia occurs if the air sacs in your lungs fill with fluid or pus. Consult a healthcare provider if you develop a worsening cough with or without mucus. When To Reach Out to a Healthcare Provider The first step for treating a common cold is to do so at home. Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated by drinking fluids. Many people's immune systems can fight off a cold relatively easily and within a few day...

What is walking pneumonia in children? Walking pneumonia is a type of lung infection. It is a mild form of pneumonia that can be life threatening for some people. Children with walking pneumonia may feel very tired and run down. But they may still be able to do many of their normal daily activities. The illness is rare in children younger than 5 years old. What causes walking pneumonia in a child? Viruses or bacteria can cause walking pneumonia. The most common cause of the illness in school-aged children is the bacteria M. pneumoniae (Mycoplasma pneumoniae). It also causes bronchitis and chest colds. M. pneumoniae can spread easily among children. That is especially true when they are in close contact with one another, such as in the same household, at school, or at a camp. The germ can spread through airborne droplets from sneezing, coughing, or talking. It is most often spread in the fall and winter. What are the symptoms of walking pneumonia in a child? Children with walking pneumonia may have these symptoms: • Fever, often low grade • Severe tiredness (fatigue) • Headache • Skin rash • General feeling of sickness • Cough, dry to phlegmy • Ear infections • Croup • Sinus infection • Sore throat • Wheezing in children who have an airway problem such as asthma These symptoms may appear anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks after exposure to the viruses or bacteria. They may last from a week to a month. How is walking pneumonia diagnosed in a child? Your child’s healthcare provider c...