Viral Pneumonia

Introduction

Go to your hospital's emergency department or call your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms:

• Shortness of breath, either at rest or with just a little exertion
• Severe chest pain  
• Severe weakness
• Coughing up blood
• Vomiting so much that you are dehydrated  

Self-Care at Home

If you've been diagnosed with viral pneumonia, you need to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

If you overexert yourself when you are sick, even with a virus, you can prevent your immune system   from fighting off the illness, and possibly get even sicker.

You can use over-the-counter medicines to reduce fever  , body aches, and cough. Although some medicines can help you feel better, you still need rest. These medicines won't cure you, and your body still needs rest to have the energy to fight the infection and to heal itself.

Follow-up

Your doctor may urge you to come back for another checkup in one to four weeks if you are receiving treatment at home.

You may need a repeat chest x-ray when your symptoms have improved. A second x-ray will show that the pneumonia is not cancer, even if some varieties of illness can resemble it.

Prevention

Germs can spread through bodily fluids left on surfaces like doorknobs and counter tops, as well as by aerosolized droplets that you breathe in (like when you sneeze). If you avoid people who are coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands frequently, you can reduce your chances of catching a virus.

During episodes of the common cold, rest and fluids can help stop pneumonia from getting worse.

Travel to endemic areas can increase your chances of developing influenza or SARS. If you develop a severe respiratory illness after travel to these areas or are taking care of someone who has, contact your doctor immediately, and avoid spreading this illness to others by washing hands frequently and avoiding coughing or sneezing near others.

Influenza pneumonia. is less likely to strike you if you have a flu vaccination each fall.

If you have never had chickenpox, you can get a shot to prevent it.By doing this, you lower your risk of contracting varicella pneumonia.

Outlook

The majority of people recover rapidly and without any lung injury. You are at a greater risk for developing complications if you are very old or very young, or if you have a weakened immune system   or lung chronic heart or disease.