In the early stages of the development of the disease, there is no cough, but later it still appears. If this does not happen, the likelihood of developing a pulmonary abscess increases.
When the patient’s immunity is reduced, the body temperature remains within the normal range. This is very bad, since the body does not make any attempts to cope with the infection. However, cough appears even against the background of reduced immunity. It will act as a reflex response to irritation of the pleura.
Pneumonia without symptoms often occurs in the treatment of acute bronchitis. Such patients are forced to regularly take drugs to stop the inflammatory response, which negatively affects the functioning of the immune system. This affects the clinical picture of the disease, making it difficult to diagnose.
How to recognize the disease?
Despite the absence of obvious symptoms, pneumonia still makes itself felt, but the signs of pneumonia will not be as pronounced as in classic clinical cases.
The following body signals should alert:
Uncharacteristic pallor of the skin, bluish tint of the face and neck. It is not excluded the appearance of a painful blush.
Loss of strength, inexplicable fatigue, which becomes an obstacle to the performance of the usual work.
Drowsiness that does not go away after a night’s rest.
Shortness of breath, shortness of breath during physical exertion.
Rapid pulse. The heart rate can reach 90 beats per minute.
Pain or discomfort in the chest.
On examination, the doctor should pay attention to the uneven movements of the chest during breathing. That part of the body that is affected by the inflammatory process will lag behind. Retraction of the intercostal spaces is possible, but this sign is noticeable only in thin people.
Children become less active and mobile. The child wants to sleep all the time, gets tired quickly. These symptoms should not be left unattended by parents.
Allergist-immunologist Ilyintseva N.V. at Allegris Medical Center: cough or pneumonia?