Inflammation of the lungs (medical name - pneumonia) varies in the degree of infection with a pathogen - a virus, bacterium or fungus. Signs of pneumonia in adults largely depend on age, immunity, and the form of the disease.
There are three forms of pneumonia with their own symptoms. The course of the disease without temperature only complicates the diagnostic process. Often, patients do not suspect pneumonia and are in no hurry to get qualified medical care, putting themselves in mortal danger.
To understand the causes that can cause pneumonia in adults without fever, as well as identify other symptoms, consider the types of this disease.
Viral pneumonia
At the onset of the illness, the symptoms of viral pneumonia can be similar to those often associated with the flu, other than the occurrence of dry cough that does not produce sputum. It may also be accompanied by fever and headache. After two or three days, these symptoms may worsen.
Adults with viral pneumonia may experience:
- Sore throat;
- Loss of appetite;
- Muscle pain.
Influenza virus is a common cause of viral pneumonia in adults, which tends to become more complicated in people with heart and lung diseases and in pregnant women.
Influenza can cause pneumonia, but can also predispose people to bacterial pneumonia - another good reason to get an annual flu shot.
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) pneumonia is usually a mild infection that clears up after about a week or two. This type of pneumonia can be more severe and more common in older people.
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is a type of pneumonia caused by a virus that causes a cold. This virus was first identified in 2003, when there were about 8,000 cases of the disease in the world. Since then, cases have become less common, but this form of viral pneumonia can be deadly for older people.
Bacterial pneumonia
Influenza can cause bacterial pneumonia, so it is necessary to be vaccinated against influenza every year. Cough, especially productive with sputum, is the most pronounced symptom of bacterial pneumonia as a result of the presence of bacteria, namely:
- Pneumococcal - sputum-colored rust;
- Pseudomonas, Hemophilic and Pneumococcal species - can produce green sputum;
- Klebsiella - sputum-colored currant jelly.
Signs of bacterial pneumonia can be the following:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Hyperthermia (fever, as a rule,> 38 ° C) or hypothermia (<35 ° C);
- Tachypnea (rapid, shallow breathing (> 18 breath / min));
- Use of auxiliary respiratory muscles;
- Tachycardia ((> 100 beats / min) or bradycardia (<60 beats / min));
- Central cyanosis;
- Change in mental state.
The severity increases with age after 65 years.
Fungal pneumonia
There are three types of pneumonia mushrooms:
- Coccidioidomycosis;
- Histoplasmosis;
- Cryptococcus
Most people breathe in these mushrooms and do not get sick, but if your immune system is weak, then pneumonia can develop. There is a fungus that can cause infections in people with HIV and AIDS. The symptoms of pneumonia caused by fungi are often similar to other forms of pneumonia, including fever, dry cough, shortness of breath and fatigue.
This type of pneumonia usually affects people with weakened immune systems. As a rule, patients experience high fever. If you have flu symptoms that persist and worsen despite treatment, consult your doctor.
The doctor can listen to your lungs, the cracking when you inhale, which are heard only with a stethoscope. In order to confirm the diagnosis and determine which microbe causes the disease, a chest x-ray should be taken, and a blood test should be taken if the doctor suspects that you have pneumonia.
Main symptoms of pneumonia in an adult without fever
The sooner the primary signs of pneumonia appear, the sooner you can make an accurate diagnosis and then begin treatment. Experts cannot name the strictly defined first symptoms of pneumonia. The initial manifestations of this disease are similar to other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract.
Symptoms of acute and chronic bilateral focal pneumonia vary greatly. However, the disease can be identified by the characteristic features of its manifestation: pain in the chest and cough. The most common symptoms are:
- Weakness;
- Drowsiness;
- Heavy breathing, with a whistle;
- Earthy complexion;
- With small loads, shortness of breath;
- Pulse is increasing;
- Heart rhythm disturbed;
- It is difficult to take a deep breath;
- Chest pains when turning the body to the right, left;
- Excessive sweating, especially at night;
- Decreased appetite.
At the beginning of the illness, a dry cough appears, annoying, sometimes mild. With the development of inflammation, a cough may become wet with mucous sputum (yellow, greenish or rust-colored).
During coughing and deep breathing, the patient has pain, tingling in the chest, and then back pain, wheezing, and shortness of breath may occur.
Symptoms without cough and temperature
Sometimes in patients with the latent nature of the disease, the temperature is maintained at around 37 ° C or not at all. Even with a sluggish disease course, pneumonia cannot develop asymptomatically. To avoid complications, it is necessary to know the causes of the main symptoms of the disease without coughing and fever:
- White bloom on the tongue;
- Dry mouth;
- Cardiopalmus;
- Painful complexion, with one blush on his cheek;
- Weakness and lethargy.
If you know how the disease manifests itself in adults, then you can find it at the first stage of development. However, in the clinical picture, the disease may be atypical. Inflammation of the lungs without symptoms such as cough and fever makes diagnosis much more difficult.
Symptoms of severe pneumonia
- Vomiting;
- Diarrhea;
- Labored breathing;
- Excessive sweating;
- Rapid breathing;
- Rapid pulse;
- The bluish tint of the lips and nails due to lack of oxygen in the blood.
Diagnosis and treatment
During the first examination, the doctor asks the patient to obtain information about the possible causes of the disease. The doctor then analyzes the existing symptoms to identify signs of the disease in adults: listens to the lungs. Even if there are obvious symptoms of inflammation on the face, the doctor may require additional diagnostic data:
- Radiography of the chest organs - pneumonia in the image is determined by shading;
- Blood test;
- Analysis of urine;
- Analysis of sputum, which allows to determine the susceptibility of the pathogen to antibiotics;
- Assessment of the degree of respiratory failure;
- Bronchoscopy - research of the bronchi with a special preparation;
- Computed tomography of the lungs.
A patient is prescribed for treatment:
- Antibacterial drugs (usually tablets, and in severe cases - injections);
- Cough drops;
- Febrifuge;
- Detoxification agent;
- Immunostimulating therapy;
- Physiotherapy.
To prevent possible complications, the doctor may prescribe a special diet.
Complications of pneumonia
What is the danger of late diagnosis of pneumonia? If it is not treated in time or treated incorrectly, then the consequences can be the most unpredictable. Common complications of pneumonia:
- Acute respiratory failure;
- Pulmonary edema;
- Abscess (purulent inflammation) or gangrene;
- Empyema and pleurisy (membrane inflammation);
- Meningitis;
- Severe heart disease (myocarditis, pericarditis, endocarditis);
- Infectious-toxic shock and sepsis (blood infection).
The risk of these dangerous complications increases significantly with advanced cases of pneumonia, when treatment is started too late or the therapy is not properly administered.
In men, the risk of severe complications of pneumonia is much higher than in women.
This is due to the physiological difference and greater mobility of women.
Prevention of pneumonia
There are a number of steps you can take to prevent illness:
- Stop smoking. Chance to get the disease increases if you smoke;
- Avoid people with infections that can sometimes lead to illness;
- Keep away from people with colds, flu, or other respiratory infections;
- If you have not had measles or chickenpox, or have not received vaccinations from them, avoid people who have these infectious diseases;
- Wash your hands well. Good hygiene helps prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria that can cause disease;
- Air the room. Disinfect the room with an ultraviolet lamp for (disinfection) for 10 minutes and then ventilate. Do not stay in the room during disinfection.
Be healthy!
For more information about the symptoms of pneumonia, see the following video.
