Why does my back hurt with pneumonia?

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a disease in which the process of destruction of lung tissue occurs. It can be caused by viruses, fungi or bacteria. Sometimes pneumonia occurs in patients who remain in bed for a long time.

In some cases, the infection is transmitted from a sick person, mainly by airborne droplets. Some experts attribute prolonged hypothermia to the cause of the disease. In case of chronic pathologies of the heart, lungs or decreased immunity, it is quite difficult to diagnose it. The disease develops quickly and requires the use of a variety of therapeutic methods. Pain from pneumonia varies in intensity and duration.

Every patient should know the signs of pathology in order to seek medical help in time. Pneumonia is especially dangerous for its complications for young children, as well as the elderly. If they are diagnosed with an illness, such patients are subject to mandatory hospitalization.

This pathology is sometimes caused by microorganisms located in the nasopharynx. If they move into the very depths of the respiratory organs, they cause the development of inflammation. When the body's defenses decrease, the patient is diagnosed with serious pneumonia.

The disease progresses differently, depending on the age of the patient, the state of the immune system, the causative agent of the infection, the presence of chronic pathologies and the treatment process. Sometimes complications arise if immunity is reduced or the correct treatment tactics are absent.

With timely treatment, the disease is completely cured, leaving no negative consequences.

What hurts when a person has pneumonia?

If a person suffers from pneumonia, he needs to know what hurts when he has pneumonia. This disease is considered quite dangerous and unpredictable. Incorrect treatment tactics and late detection of the disease can lead to death. The symptoms of pneumonia are similar to those of similar respiratory diseases, making it difficult to diagnose without the necessary medical tests.

Treatment of the disease takes a long time and depends entirely on the degree of damage, the patient’s age and his state of health.

What is pneumonia and what are the prognosis of the disease?

A disease in which the destruction of lung tissue occurs is called pneumonia. It can occur due to a virus, fungus or bacterial infection. Inflammation begins due to certain factors. In rare cases, pneumonia can occur as a result of prolonged bed rest.

Due to the fact that the center of infection is the person himself, the disease is considered contagious and spreads by airborne droplets. In case of chronic diseases of the nasopharynx, heart, and decreased functioning of the immune system, the disease is quite difficult to diagnose. Pneumonia develops quickly and is much more severe, requiring the use of additional treatment methods.

This disease can also be caused by microorganisms located in the nasopharynx or pharynx. Due to the fact that they move into the very depths of the respiratory tract, the process of inflammation begins. With weak immunity, a sick person may develop pneumonia of a more serious nature.

Pneumonia can occur in different ways, since the nature of the disease depends entirely on the age criterion, the state of the immune system, the causative agent of the infection, the presence of chronic diseases, as well as the technology for treating inflammation. Pneumonia can cause complications if the pathogen is sufficiently resistant to the effects of medications or the immune system is reduced. Pneumonia is especially dangerous for infants, especially if its causative agent is Pseudomonas aeruginosa or staphylococcus. With timely and correct treatment, the prognosis improves significantly.

When treatment of the disease is started in a timely manner and the course is correct, pneumonia ends in complete recovery. As a rule, after pneumonia, changes in the lung tissue may remain, expressed by a decrease in a segment of lung tissue, as well as their wrinkling. Very often the disease is eliminated.

Risk factors and clinical picture of pneumonia

Any person can be infected with the disease under certain unfavorable factors, even if he is completely healthy. The following categories of people are most susceptible to this disease:

• elderly people (over 60 years old);
• children under 2 years of age, children with a weakened immune system;
• patients who abuse alcohol, drug addicts, smokers;
• patients with diabetes mellitus, patients with heart disease, hepatitis;
• patients with tuberculosis, bronchitis or asthma;
• people with epilepsy and head injuries.

Every person suffering from pneumonia should clearly know that they can suffer from pneumonia in order to detect the disease in time. The disease makes itself known initially with a sore throat and congestion in the nasal passages. Further, the disease can manifest itself in 2 ways:

In the case of extrapulmonary manifestations, the initial place is intoxication syndrome, which includes symptoms such as:

• increased body temperature up to 39° C, accompanied by chills;
• weakness in the body, aches;
• headache;
• pain in muscle tissue and bones;
• poor appetite, nausea, and in some cases vomiting;
• insomnia, confusion;
• tachycardia, pale skin.

In the case of ARVI, gradual intoxication of the body occurs, discomfort appears in the nasal cavity and throat, fever begins in the first days of the disease. When a doctor listens to the lungs, no wheezing is observed, and the X-ray is clear. As a rule, pneumonia occurs with fever and cough, but this is not in all cases.

Other manifestations include a cough, which over time may produce sputum. In turn, sputum can be in the form of mucus or with the presence of pus. In severe cases of pneumonia, the sputum may contain blood. When coughing, pain is felt in the chest and back in the affected area. In case of progressive respiratory failure, shortness of breath may occur when inhaling and exhaling.

Even with pronounced symptoms, medical confirmation of the diagnosis is necessary. During the examination, the doctor listens to the chest area, detects the presence of wheezing and dullness of sounds. Pneumonia must be confirmed using x-ray. To do this, you need to undergo a CT scan and perform a blood test. In addition, the doctor may order a sputum test to identify the causative agent of the infection. After this, the doctor prescribes the necessary medications. In case of complications of the disease, it is necessary to use bronchoscopy, echocardiography or ultrasound.

What does pain in the back, side, abdomen and chest mean with pneumonia?

The presence of pain in the side during illness indicates inflammation of the lower lobe of the lung and damage to the pleura.

Since the process involves the pleural membranes, which contain a large number of nerve plexuses and vessels, the patient may experience pain in the chest, radiating to the back and abdomen.

With pneumonia, pain can be similar to the sensations that occur with acute radiculitis or acute myocardial infarction.

In order to distinguish pneumonia from other diseases, it is important to remember that a feature of the inflammatory process in the lungs is its connection with the breathing process and the type of cough. Among additional clinical manifestations, the patient may develop fever.

Complications after pneumonia and their treatment

The disease can cause complications if you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner or if the treatment is incorrect. Possible complications of the disease include the following:

• dry and effusion pleurisy;
• pleural empyema;
• destruction of lung tissue;
• sepsis;
• multiple organ failure syndrome.

Exudative pleurisy is manifested by the concentration of fluid (exudate) of infectious origin in the pleural area. During the complication, the patient's chest and side hurt, heaviness in the side may be felt, and shortness of breath increases.

In order to facilitate the breathing procedure, the patient has to repeatedly take a position in which his hands rest on a hard surface. In addition, during inflammation, a dull pain is felt, radiating to the lower chest area, and breathing may be weakened. During illness, patients cannot lie down, so they sleep in a sitting or semi-sitting position.

Dry pleurisy is an independent form of complication resulting from the inflammatory process of the pleura. When it occurs, fibrin threads fall out between the layers of the pleura, and then they stick together. As a result, the patient feels a sharp pain in the chest when breathing. In addition, pain is felt in the back and side. If the pain is too strong, the patient has to take only shallow breaths.

A timely visit to your doctor, correct adherence to all prescribed rules of therapy and timing of medication use will allow you to cure the disease much faster. Prevention of the disease depends on how correctly the disease is perceived by people.

Among the methods of treating the disease, antibiotic therapy is distinguished. The following drugs are distinguished: Ceftriaxone, Cefuroxime, Roxithromycin and others. To reduce pain in the chest, medications that have an anti-inflammatory effect are prescribed. As an addition to general therapy, the doctor prescribes drugs that dilute sputum (Ambroxol) and beneficial vitamins, frequent drinking, and bed rest. For preventive purposes, you should stop smoking, get vaccinated against influenza, and also harden yourself.

Types of pneumonia

Many people do not take this pathology seriously, considering it a common cold. However, experts are aware of its cunning. The disease is especially dangerous for infants and the elderly. The mortality rate in this category of patients is 15-20%. Experts note that the disease is presented in three types.

Acute pneumonia or lobar pneumonia

The pathology is very dangerous, and it occurs suddenly. The patient develops severe chills, then the temperature rises to 40 degrees. With the development of unilateral pneumonia, the side hurts with a dull pain, with bilateral pathology - the chest and back in the area of ​​the shoulder blades. Any physical activity can cause heavy breathing, and attacks of dry cough occur that do not stop for half an hour.

The patient may cough up blood when blood vessels in the lungs burst. A high temperature does not leave a person for 14 days, then a crisis occurs. With a strong immune system, the disease goes away on its own. In some cases, pneumococci affect the heart and blood vessels; poor lung function does not provide the brain with the necessary amount of oxygen. If the patient is not provided with timely medical care, death occurs.

Sluggish or focal pneumonia

The patient has a temperature of 38 degrees, which lasts 3-4 days. He feels lethargic, has headaches and has no appetite. The patient's pathology is not life-threatening. It appears as a complication after acute respiratory infections, colds, bronchitis, and flu.

Chronic pneumonia

Occurs due to early cessation of therapy in acute forms of the disease. Sometimes it continues for months, then fading, then resuming again. The inflammatory process in the lungs does not stop, so pulmonary emphysema occurs and scars appear on the lung tissue. The supply of organs with sufficient oxygen is disrupted.

Croupous pneumonia must be treated in a hospital, and for focal pneumonia, therapy can be carried out at home. The diagnosis must be made in a timely manner. Proper treatment helps to get rid of pain and prevent complications in the future. As a rule, after an illness, changes may remain in the lungs, which is manifested by a decrease in a segment of tissue and its wrinkling.

Where does pain occur during pneumonia?

The intensity of pain during pneumonia depends on the form of the pathology and the age of the patient. Based on its location, one-sided or two-sided pneumonia can be diagnosed. Experts determine the form of pathology based on its characteristic features:

• with unilateral pneumonia, the pain syndrome is localized on the side where the lung is affected and intensifies when coughing;
• during an attack, the patient grabs the chest in the area of ​​the source of the disease;
• diagnosing the pathology is quite difficult when it is located in the lower lobe of the lung;
• bilateral pneumonia gives pain in the chest, which completely covers it;
• it can be shingles in nature, and intensify with inspiration or during coughing attacks;
• with a complicated course of the disease, the inflammatory process spreads to the pleura;
• Pain in the ribs and back appears when the disease progresses unnoticed or is diagnosed late.

When analyzing the condition, it is necessary to diagnose other signs of pneumonia that can characterize its severity.

Pain due to pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung tissue of an infectious nature. This serious disease is widespread among the population, especially young children and the elderly. Patients often ask questions: “Do the lungs hurt with pneumonia?” and “Does your back hurt with pneumonia?” The answer is yes, moreover, such symptoms are a distinctive feature of pneumonia from other diseases of the respiratory system. The intensity, nature and location of pain can help make a diagnosis and speed up the patient’s recovery.

Causes of pain with pneumonia

Pneumonia begins in the same way as any respiratory disease. A sore throat, runny nose and hoarseness do not seem like a threat at first, but soon inflammation develops and the disease moves to a new stage. Characteristic symptoms of pneumonia are:

• increased body temperature;
• dyspnea;
• cough;
• weakness, fatigue;
• increased heart rate and respiratory rate, which may increase as the disease progresses;
• chest and back pain.

A frequent headache with pneumonia indicates a deterioration in the patient’s condition and a prolonged state of hypoxia. The intensity of symptoms may vary depending on the age and condition of the person. Thus, loss of consciousness and delirium often occur in older people.

The main sign of inflammation, which provokes the appearance of pain during pneumonia, is a cough. This is a reflex act, which is a protective mechanism of the respiratory system from pathogenic microflora and other elements. At the second stage of inflammation, when abundant exudate is released, an intense cough begins, aimed at freeing the lungs from excess mucus. Very often this phenomenon is accompanied by painful sensations, as the muscles of the diaphragm are constantly contracting. The location of the pain (chest or flank) may indicate the form of the disease.

With prolonged nonproductive cough, the infection can spread to the pleura. The development of such an inflammatory process can affect whether the back hurts, especially if pneumonia is severe. With a protracted form, which is accompanied by a strong, intense cough, there is also a high likelihood of back pain. Since the patient often has to take a forced position, the muscles are in constant tension. A large amount of lactic acid accumulates in them, and pain appears.

If your lung or back hurts after suffering from pneumonia, this is the first sign that the disease has not passed without a trace and complications have arisen.

In this case, it is necessary to undergo an x-ray to rule out other diseases, such as osteochondrosis or arthritis.

Where does pneumonia hurt?

The intensity and location of pain depends on the form of the disease. According to the degree of damage, they distinguish between unilateral and bilateral pneumonia. Differences in pain by type of disease:

Unilateral pneumonia. Constant aching pain in the chest on the side of the inflamed organ, which intensifies when coughing. Where exactly it hurts depends on the location of the lesion, since with pneumonia there can be several of them. During intense paroxysmal coughing, the patient may grab his chest and take a forced position. If the inflammation is localized in the lower lobe of the right lung, diagnosis of the disease becomes more complicated, since pain in the right hypochondrium is characteristic of cholecystitis and appendicitis.

Bilateral pneumonia. The pain can be girdling, radiate from the front throughout the chest, or radiate to the back to the area under the shoulder blades. The intensity of the sensation increases with a deep breath or a strong cough.

Pneumonia with complications. If treatment is not carried out in a timely manner, the infection can spread to the pleural membrane of the lungs and cause its inflammation. Depending on the type of pleurisy, different symptoms appear. With dry pleurisy, a sharp burning pain occurs in the side, which can radiate to the back. If the disease is accompanied by a large discharge of exudate (exudative pleurisy), pain occurs only at the beginning, after the fluid increases, only heaviness in the side remains.

Patients who have had pneumonia sometimes experience so-called phantom pain. They are not pathological in nature and are purely psychosomatic in nature. The duration of the disease and late diagnosis can influence whether the ribs and back hurt, especially with hidden long-term pneumonia.

Chest or back pain is an important diagnostic indicator for pneumonia. It is important to consider not only its location, but also the symptoms that accompany it. This will eliminate inflammatory diseases of other organs and systems.

Sources used: vlegkih.ru

Why does it hurt in the back, side, stomach and chest?

When pneumonia occurs, the patient experiences negative sensations that are associated with the current disease. These include: pain in the chest and back, stomach and head. They have different characters.

Pain in the back and under the shoulder blade

A distinctive feature of the disease is pain in the back. When such complaints are added to a severe cough, the patient urgently needs to consult a specialist.

In some cases, the symptoms of pneumonia are confused with bronchitis, so back pain will help clarify the correct diagnosis. Such sensations also occur with bacterial pneumonia. Therefore, when inhaling, a sharp and severe pain syndrome occurs. When coughing, the condition worsens sharply.

Factors that cause back pain are divided into several groups.

Constant muscle tension due to coughing . Loads appear that can be compared with training for athletes. Pain occurs due to the accumulation of lactic acid and disappears as the cough decreases.

Coughing causes constant muscle tension

Respiratory infections. Sometimes they involve the pleura. It has a large number of nerve endings that lead to back pain.

Associated symptoms

With diseases of the ENT organs, pain in the ribs during coughing can be accompanied by various symptoms. Depending on the disease, they are as follows.

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Of course, if there is pain when coughing, and even more so if, in addition, the temperature rises, chills occur, and breathing becomes difficult, it is best to immediately consult a specialist.

Pain following pneumonia

Pain due to pneumonia, which appears in a patient after recovery, occurs frequently and has several causes:

Inflammation of the heart muscle occurs with bilateral pneumonia

• if the pathology occurs with complications, then adhesions form in the pleural area, so they provoke sharp stabbing pains;
• intensity depends on the type of pleurisy;
• when dry, there is a burning pain that radiates to the back;
• with wet pleurisy, pain occurs only at the initial stage of the disease, then the amount of fluid increases and discomfort is felt only in the side;
• if adhesions are found in the lungs themselves, then the pain becomes sharp;
• when the treatment was incorrect, a decrease in the body’s defenses leads to the occurrence of a purulent process (abscess);
• with bilateral pneumonia, inflammation of the heart muscle occurs, and pain may appear only on the left side.

This complex disease bothers the patient even after treatment. You need to understand that pain is usually associated with coughing and breathing, as well as with other characteristic symptoms.

Unpleasant sensations in the lungs sometimes occur for reasons unrelated to the disease and do not require special treatment:

• A rapid increase in lung capacity, which is often observed in adolescents.
• Athletes experience soreness in the chest muscles after heavy exertion.
• With costal neuralgia, a stabbing pain appears.

Costal neuralgia causes stabbing pain

In the absence of other symptoms, treatment of the disease is not required, so massage, rest and a visit to the bathhouse or sauna are prescribed.

Pain in the lungs after pneumonia

Pain in the lungs after pneumonia - what could be the reason? And the reason most often lies in insufficient attention to one’s health. Often we don’t even think about the consequences of untreated or “on our feet” pneumonia or ignored rules of rehabilitation after pneumonia. Alas, in our modern life, the first place for many is the availability of uninterrupted performance.

We go to work when sick, carry the virus “on our feet” and are very often proud of it. Pain in the lungs after pneumonia (pneumonia) is precisely the body’s reaction to our frivolous attitude towards this serious disease.

Symptoms of pain in the lungs after pneumonia

Patients are concerned about attacks that occur when inhaling and manifest themselves as minor tingling sensations or acute attacks. These attacks can sometimes be accompanied by shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat. In this case, the degree of pain depends on the severity of the disease, the efficiency and quality of its treatment.

The symptoms listed above most often indicate the presence of an adhesive process in the body.

Adhesions are pathological fusion of organs. Adhesions are formed as a result of chronic infectious pathologies, as well as mechanical injuries or internal bleeding.

A patient with pneumonia may experience fusion (adhesions) between the layers of the pleura, one of which lines the lungs, and the other the chest. When the layers of the pleura become inflamed or inflammation flows from the lungs to the pleura, fibrin is released, gluing the layers of the pleura to each other. The area of ​​glued layers of pleura is called the commissure.

Adhesions are divided into two types - single and multiple. In critical cases, they envelop the entire pleura, causing its displacement and deformation, thereby making breathing difficult. This pathology has a very severe course, sometimes aggravated by acute respiratory failure. Limited mobility of the respiratory organs, frequent acute attacks of pain during breathing, and the presence of mechanical obstruction require immediate surgical intervention.

Multiple adhesions in the pleural cavity can sometimes support a sluggish inflammatory process. This occurs if adhesions limit the inflamed area on all sides, forming a capsule around it.

Adhesive pathology, which causes pain in the lungs after pneumonia, is a fairly serious process, so the diagnosis and treatment must be determined by a doctor.

Doctors detect the presence of adhesions in the lung area using an X-ray examination of the chest organs, CT or MRI of the chest organs.

The course of therapy for adhesive pathology is prescribed by a doctor and depends on the degree of its manifestation. In the presence of adhesions in the lungs, drug treatment is most often prescribed, and surgical intervention is undertaken only when the patient’s life is in danger.

Who should I contact if I have lung pain after pneumonia?

Every person should remember that the lungs are the most important organ of human life, responsible for the circulation of oxygen in the body. Therefore, patients should abandon attempts at self-diagnosis and self-medication, as well as rely on intuition, knowledge in this area, and advice from unqualified acquaintances in the field of medicine! A general practitioner, family doctor, or phthisiatrician will be able to carry out the necessary diagnostics and prescribe treatment for you.

Treatment of lung pain after pneumonia

In modern medicine, the main methods of drug treatment of adhesive pathology in the lungs are heating and electrophoresis. Warming up the respiratory organs can be paraffin, clay or mud.

For the treatment of pain in the lungs after pneumonia, the speed of the patient’s reaction to the pain symptom, the patient’s consciousness and the urgency of the prescribed treatment play an important role. Only timely started therapy can guarantee complete healing of the patient. Proper rehabilitation will help eliminate complications after pneumonia and restore the body weakened by the infection. The main function of rehabilitation measures is to restore the respiratory system, eliminating the possibility of developing chronic bronchial and pulmonary pathologies.

To recover from pneumonia, those who have been ill are often recommended to visit medical health resorts, massage certain points of the chest, oxygen therapy for respiratory failure, electrotherapy, artificial ventilation, complete cessation of smoking, restorative and hardening procedures, physical therapy and physiotherapy. In addition, the patient needs to protect the body from colds, especially for two months after the illness, and to avoid being in places of occupational contamination.

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