Sluggish pneumonia: causes of development, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Main causes of the disease

The cause of inflammatory processes in the lungs can be:

• pathogenic microorganisms. Most often, the disease develops when pneumococcus enters the body. The problem is also caused by chlamydia, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae and other bacteria;
• viruses. Pneumonia can develop as a complication of influenza virus, herpes, chickenpox virus, parainfluenza or adenovirus;
• fungi. In rare cases, candida and aspargella become the cause of the disease. For these reasons, the disease occurs in people with low immunity, HIV-positive people, suffering from bone marrow or stem cell pathologies;
• parasites. This occurs when roundworms, pork tapeworms, and pulmonary flukes enter the body.

Factors that increase the risk of developing pneumonia without symptoms include:

• Abuse of antibacterial drugs and their use without the knowledge of a doctor.
• Immunodeficiency. This problem does not allow the immune system to fully fight the pathogen and respond to it with an increase in temperature.
• Inflammatory processes in the nose and oral cavity and pharynx of a chronic form.
• Obstructive bronchitis and bronchial asthma.
• Lack of vitamins in the body.
• Work in hazardous industries.
• Frequent stress and overwork.
• Bad habits.
• Respiratory viral disease.
• Adverse weather conditions.

All these reasons lead to dysfunction of the immune system, as a result of which it cannot fully resist infection and pneumonia develops in adults without fever, often accompanied by complications.

Causes

There are many reasons for sluggish pneumonia. Most often, inflammation develops as a secondary infection after respiratory diseases or influenza, which were complicated by tracheobronchitis .
Quite often, the disease is diagnosed during outbreaks of influenza epidemics in the autumn-winter period. This is explained by the fact that influenza greatly reduces immunity and therefore pathogenic microflora easily penetrates the respiratory tract. Due to this, influenza is often complicated by purulent otitis media, peritonitis or whooping cough. In almost all cases, low-grade pneumonia is caused by pneumococci. Focal inflammation can be primary or secondary. There are many predisposing factors that can influence the development of pathology. People who suffer from acute or chronic systemic diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus or cancer, are especially predisposed to this type of pneumonia.

There are cases when sluggish pneumonia develops in long-term bedridden patients. This occurs due to impaired ventilation of the organ and congestion. In this case they speak of stagnant form.

This disease can be suspected if the patient’s temperature rises sharply during the recovery period and a hysterical cough appears.

How inflammation can protect

Imagine a broken limb or a deep cut on a finger. Literally within minutes after injury, the wound site becomes red and swollen, accompanied by pain.

For what?

This is a powerful protective process through which our immune system works. During injury, special pattern recognition receptors with the help of inflammatory cytokines stimulate the production of immune cells, which, in turn, lead to a number of physiological processes - such as dilation of blood vessels, increased permeability, accumulation of leukocytes and plasma at the site of injury, and an increase in the number of pain receptors.

On the one hand, it is painful and inconvenient. On the other hand, each component of inflammation performs essential functions to preserve our life:

-Dilation of blood vessels is necessary to deliver leukocytes and plasma to the site of injury, which destroy pathogens and monitor the inflammatory process.

-A tumor at the site of injury is the result of the accumulation of plasma and leukocytes there and a sign that they are working to restore damaged tissue.

-Pain and temporary restriction in the use of the damaged organ allow us to treat it with care and prevent it from being used until recovery.

In other words, inflammatory processes are an important part of our immunity and a condition for maintaining life and health. True, under one condition: if these processes are localized in time.

The effectiveness of the inflammatory process depends on the speed of its initiation, as well as prompt neutralization after it has completed its function.

How does pneumonia manifest without fever?

Typically, pneumonia is suspected when there is a significant increase in body temperature. It can jump up to 40 degrees. But does pneumonia exist without this sign? If the disease has a hidden course, then there is a slight increase in temperature and people often do not pay attention to it.

But there are other symptoms of pneumonia in adults that should prompt you to visit a doctor.

These include:

• general weakness and malaise;
• severe headache;
• runny nose and nasal congestion;
• chest pain;
• shortness of breath;
• increased sweating;
• drowsiness.

Pneumonia without fever may have different symptoms in adults. It develops as a result of weakened immunity. The pathological process is especially severe in children and the elderly. They are more likely to experience complications and are much more likely to die than others.

Therefore, even if there is no fever with pneumonia, but there are other manifestations, it is necessary to urgently consult a specialist. Especially if you are bothered by a cough with the discharge of green sputum. If you have pneumonia without fever, but with a cough, it is much easier to identify the problem.

This disease usually occurs in people who have not fully recovered from their cold. At the beginning of the development of the disease, the cough will be weak, but gradually it intensifies and the amount of sputum increases. With pneumonia in adults with these features, additional symptoms may occur:

• Extreme thirst and poor appetite.
• Increased sweating even with minor exertion.
• Breathing problems due to impaired lung function.
• Redness of half the face on the side of the affected lung.
• Chest pain while moving.

Coughing allows you to narrow the range of possible diseases and speeds up the process of diagnosis than in the case of pneumonia without a cough. But not all patients immediately go to the doctor.

Many people try to eliminate the problem with the help of folk remedies and medications. These methods may bring relief, but the inflammatory process will not eliminate.

Therefore, it is better not to self-medicate, but to seek help while there is still a chance of recovery.

Classification of chronic pneumonia

According to morphological characteristics, chronic pneumonia is divided into:

1. Interstitial – sclerotic processes are observed in the alveolar walls, as well as in the connective tissue structures of the parenchyma. Lymphatic and blood vessels are affected. In this case, the sputum may contain blood clots, the patient has a high temperature, and weight rapidly drops.
2. Carnifying – leads to the fact that the connective tissue grows pathologically into the lumen of the alveoli. In this case, gas exchange is disrupted and respiratory failure may develop.

Regarding the prevalence of inflammation, chronic pathology can be:

1. Focal is the most common form, which is accompanied by localization of the infiltrate in a certain part of the lung. Nearby tissues are not involved in the pathological process.
2. Lobar is the most severe form. Several lobes or even half of the lung are affected. The clinical picture is clear, symptoms arise abruptly and do not stop for a long time. Patients with this form of pathology require urgent hospitalization and emergency medical care.
3. Segmental - in this case, several parts of the lung are affected at once. Clinical signs are quite scarce, the patient’s condition is easily confused with a cold, as a result of which the pathology is diagnosed in advanced stages.

Clinical forms of the disease:

• without bronchiectasis;
• bronchiectasis.

According to the intensity of the inflammatory process:

• remission – compensation phase;
• low-grade inflammation – subcompensation phase;
• exacerbation – decompensation phase.

Diagnostics

The sluggish course of chronic pyelonephritis is detected by laboratory tests. In the absence of clinical symptoms, blood tests show signs of an inflammatory process - an increase in ESR, leukocytosis, the appearance of immature neutrophils.

Normochromic anemia - a drop in hemoglobin concentration together with a decrease in the number of red blood cells, as well as the albumin fraction of serum, indicates the likelihood of renal pathology. However, without urine tests it is impossible to make a reliable diagnosis.

The following symptoms indicate pyelonephritis:

• Organoleptics - transparency, color, smell.
• Density, chemical composition of sediment.
• Concentration of microorganisms.
• Alkalinization of urine. However, during pregnancy, as well as the predominance of plant and dairy products in the diet, an increase in urine pH is also observed.

Kidney inflammation pyelonephritis

Ultrasound reveals forming purulent or infiltrated areas in the kidneys. The monitor screen shows a deformed capsule and dilated pelvis. The organ is hypertrophied, the thickness of the parenchymal layer is reduced. The scan reveals abnormal kidney mobility, the presence of stones in the urinary tract, pathologies of the urinary reservoir, and polycystic disease.

When inflammation kills

The inflammatory process has a price. It performs a powerful protective function, but for this purpose means are used that can cause physical harm to us. Inflammatory processes destroy damaged and infected own tissues, use free radicals to neutralize them, and are characterized by a high level of oxidative stress.

In the short term, a healthy person has resources that neutralize damage, such as nutrients: antioxidant vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, endogenous antioxidant substances and systems.

What happens if the inflammatory process drags on?

Potentially dangerous processes for one’s own tissues become chronic and sluggish. Gradually, the body's resources to neutralize them are depleted, and the process that was a protective mechanism now begins to cause damage to the body.

It is chronic systemic inflammatory processes that underlie aging and lead to the development of chronic diseases, including cancer.

Also, chronic inflammatory processes are a constant activation of the immune system, which in the long term leads to a malfunction of its functioning. One of the manifestations of this failure is the loss of the key ability of the immune system to recognize its own tissues and distinguish them from others and, as a result, an attack on its own tissues - that is, the development of autoimmune diseases, the number of which is growing in developed countries at a rapid rate.

Thus, it is inflammatory processes that trigger the development of diseases with completely different symptoms.

Alzheimer's disease - inflammatory cytokines activate chronic inflammatory processes that destroy neurons.

Asthma - inflammatory cytokines lead to an autoimmune reaction in the airway mucosa.

Autism - inflammatory processes lead to an autoimmune reaction, as a result of which the development of the right hemisphere of the brain is disrupted.

Depression - inflammatory processes affect the neural network, disrupt the balance of neurotransmitter production,

Eczema is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and liver, complicating detoxification processes.

Rheumatoid arthritis - inflammatory processes destroy joints and synovial fluid.

Heart attack - chronic inflammatory processes lead to the development of atherosclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis - inflammatory cytokines destroy the myelin sheath of nerve endings.

This list can be continued and it turns out: if you want to get to the cause of the disease, look for the source of inflammatory processes and their root cause.

Treatment in adults

During the period of exacerbation of the disease, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, as well as:

• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• immunostimulants;
• immunomodulators.

In case of complications of the disease with bronchiectasis, bronchosanitation and physiotherapy are prescribed. During the treatment period, the patient must:

• observe a special regime;
• Healthy food;
• avoid colds;
• any other inflammatory processes in the body.

Once the remission phase has been achieved, the patient should:

• it is mandatory to undergo medical examination twice a year;
• do fluorography;
• take a blood test.

Vaccination against pneumonia is indicated for persons who are at risk:

• with chronic pathologies of the respiratory tract;
• before surgery;
• with a weakened body.

Prevenar will protect the body from pneumonia for five years. The vaccine only works against pneumococcal (the most common) infection and has no effect on viruses.

What is unacceptable during treatment

Sluggish pneumonia cannot be treated independently. It can drag on, greatly weaken the body and lead to serious complications. This disease must be treated with antibiotics (if the cause is bacteria). Mustard plasters, warming up in a bathhouse and sauna will not help, and in case of heart disease they can lead to a worsening of the condition. If you endure pneumonia on your legs, it means that you should expect new diseases in the future.

Symptoms of sluggish pneumonia in children

Typically, children have symptoms of low-grade inflammation that resemble those of a cold. That is, it is simply unrealistic to immediately say that the baby has low-grade pneumonia.

With indolent pneumonia in children, symptoms will manifest themselves in the form of: elevated temperature, especially in the late afternoon and night. But the temperature, as a rule, will remain at around 37 and not rise. As already mentioned, only in the evening and at night it can jump to 38. The following will definitely accompany the baby:

• sore throat;
• cough;
• runny nose;
• weakness and so on, that is, a standard list of cold symptoms.

As a rule, sluggish pneumonia in children manifests itself against the background of recovery, that is, the appearance of a sudden illness after recovery.

It was already mentioned above that such the emergence of a new disease can also attract complications to other organs, which will be quite difficult to treat. In addition, such treatment will continue for about two months.

Normal low-grade inflammation goes away in about two weeks, everything will depend on the intensity of treatment.

Another characteristic symptom of this disease is cough and shortness of breath, as with bronchitis. As a rule, a child’s cough gets worse in the evening. In any case, to find out what your child is sick with and how to treat him further, you must definitely contact a pediatrician.

Treatment

When carrying out therapy, it is necessary to pay great attention to increasing immune defense and restoring bronchial patency. The difference between chronic pneumonia and sluggish pneumonia is a favorable outcome. With proper treatment, it ends in recovery. But if pneumonia tends to recur and is severe, then there is a risk of it becoming chronic.

Therapy for pneumonia is complex. The following medications are prescribed:

• mucolytics for thinning sputum - Lazolvan, ACC, Mucaltin;
• bronchodilators - Berodual, Ephedrine, Eufillin;
• antibiotics – Cefpirom, Moxifloxacin;
• antihistamines to relieve swelling from the bronchi - Tavegil, Suprastin;
• immunostimulants – Anaferon, Cycloferon.

It is useful to use physiotherapy in addition to the main therapy for indolent inflammation. They are prescribed by the doctor depending on the patient’s well-being and the severity of the disease.

For lung pathology it is recommended:

• UHF to the chest;
• breathing exercises;
• paraffin therapy;
• electrophoresis with ascorbic acid, calcium, copper;
• magnetic therapy;
• acupuncture;
• physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy procedures are carried out under the supervision of a specialist, when the patient’s temperature normalizes and their well-being improves.

A popular way to help cure sluggish pneumonia is inhalation. They thin the mucus in the lungs and make it easier to cough up. A doctor should select medications for the procedure, especially carefully for people with heart disease and chronic lung pathologies. With the help of a special device - a nebulizer - inhalations are carried out better. The medicine is delivered slowly and deliberately.

For the procedures, agents that dilate the bronchi (Berodual, Berotek) are used. Medicines are also used to thin the sputum (Lazolvan,). Antibiotics (Dioxidin) effectively relieve inflammation.

To obtain a positive effect, it is better to carry out inhalations alternately with several drugs. First, bronchodilators (pre-diluted in saline). After 15 minutes, inhale the thinning agent. Rest for 15 minutes, during this time do a drainage massage. Then carry out inhalation with an antibiotic.

List of symptoms of low-grade pneumonia

Sluggish (a disease that lasts a long time without symptoms) pneumonia is an inflammatory process in the lungs that is not characterized by open symptoms.

These signs may appear after some time, when the person is already in the advanced stages of the disease, without knowing or suspecting it. Low-grade pneumonia is caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, just like regular pneumonia.

In addition to its asymptomatic appearance, it is also characterized by localized lesions of the lungs, in contrast to the usual one.

• Causes
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and complications

Diagnosis of the disease

Taking an anamnesis will help to suspect the onset of a secondary infection in the lungs after an acute respiratory viral infection. Percussion may not be informative. Pneumonia can be initially suspected by auscultation:

• hard breathing;
• various wheezing;
• pleural friction noise;

The localization of the identified symptoms will be located mainly in the lower parts of the lungs.

The main diagnostic methods are radiological. At the diagnostic stage, digital lung radiography or computed tomography can be performed to identify even small lesions. Basal opacities and increased pulmonary pattern are classic manifestations of pneumonia. As you recover, to monitor treatment in children, it is sufficient to perform a simple dynamic chest x-ray.

Blood and urine tests are taken not only to confirm the inflammatory process, but also to exclude possible other sources of secondary infection. If possible, ultrasound examination of the pleural cavities is performed to identify minimal fluid accumulations in reactive pleurisy.

Chronic pneumonia

If pneumonia is treated incorrectly, there is a risk of the disease progressing to a sluggish form. This usually happens if the patient stopped taking medications ahead of schedule or self-medicated. Exacerbation of chronic pneumonia occurs:

• while smoking (by inhaling toxic harmful substances);
• during a decrease in immunity (due to another disease);
• during pregnancy;
• in case of injury and blood loss;
• with age-related aging of the body.

Quite common cases are when patients suffered from acute pneumonia in middle age, and subsequently suffered from exacerbations of the chronic form until old age.

Therefore, if after treatment for pneumonia the cough does not go away or appears again, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Only with timely treatment can the healing process be accelerated.

Complications

Modern medicine classifies two types of complications after indolent pneumonia:

• lung complications;
• extrapulmonary complications.

With complications in the lungs, the tissue of the respiratory organs is damaged. Subsequently, the lung tissue can turn into airless compacted tissue, forming a scar.

If there is high activity of leukocytes in the blood, the risk of lung abscess increases.

Extrapulmonary complications are observed when exposed to infections. If inflammation occurs in the lymphatic vessels, then the development of diseases in the abdominal cavity, purulent formations in the brain and joints is possible.

If respiratory function is impaired, death is possible. Basically, this phenomenon occurs in patients who suffer from alcohol addiction. Death can also occur in severe cases of the disease.