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Check whether you need to take malaria prevention tablets – if you do, make sure you
take the right antimalarial tablets at the right dose, and finish the course
Diagnosis – seek immediate medical advice if you develop malaria symptoms, as long
as up to a year after you return from travelling
21. Pneumonia:
Pneumonia is swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both lungs. It's usually caused
by a bacterial infection.
At the end of the breathing tubes in your lungs are clusters of tiny air sacs. If you have
pneumonia, these tiny sacs become inflamed and fill up with fluid.
Symptoms of pneumonia
The symptoms of pneumonia can develop suddenly over 24 to 48 hours, or they may come
on more slowly over several days.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include:
a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-
stained mucus (phlegm)
difficulty breathing – your breathing may be rapid and shallow, and you may feel
breathless, even when resting
rapid heartbeat
fever
feeling generally unwell
sweating and shivering
loss of appetite
chest pain – which gets worse when breathing or coughing
Treating pneumonia
Mild pneumonia can usually be treated at home by:
getting plenty of rest
taking antibiotics
drinking plenty of fluids
If you don't have any other health problems, you should respond well to treatment and soon
recover, although your cough may last for some time.
As pneumonia isn't usually passed from one person to another, it's safe to be around others,
including family members.
However, people with a weakened immune system should avoid close contact with a person
with pneumonia until they start to get better.
For at-risk groups, pneumonia can be severe and may need to be treated in hospital.