Sciencewood Ramesh Kumar P | Page 58

Pg.no. 58  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.