Pneumonia can be defined as an inflammation of the lungs which is caused by the bacterial infection or viruses.

Causes of Pneumonia -

The main causes of pneumonia are given below -
1) bacteria
2) different- different chemicals
3) Viruses
4) Mycoplasmas
5) fungi( including Pneumocystis)


Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of the pneumonia are depending upon its cause ( like it is a bacterial pneumonia or some other type of pneumonia). Some main symptoms of pneumonia are given below -
1) fever
2) feel vomiting
3) chest pain
4) in severe cases, gray or blush color of lips.
5) Rapid breathing
6) chills
7) breathing with some sounds

Treatment for pneumonia

In Most of the cases of pneumonia there is no need to hospitalization, only home care are sufficient. Antibiotics are very useful to treat the bacterial pneumonia but not for viral pneumonia. People who feel some breathing problem because of pneumonia may need extra oxygen. Person who is very sick may require intensive care treatment.
rimantadine or amantadine are used for the treatment of viral pneumonia( viral pneumonia is caused by influenza A) and oseltamivir or zanamivir are used for the treatment of viral pneumonia which is caused by influenza A and influenza B.
These are beneficial if treatment is started within 48 hours of the onset of the symptoms.

Prevention

There is some prevention method -
1) Smoking cessation
2) Testing pregnant women for Group B Streptococcus and Chlamydia trachomatis
3) Vaccinations