What's the difference between bacterial pneumonia and a bacterial infection of the lungs?

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What's the difference between bacterial pneumonia and a bacterial infection of the lungs? I need to know asap, any help would be amazing.
if the effects are the same, not much. they will kill you if left untreated.  (+ info)

My son has Respiratory syncytial virus and bacterial pneumonia?

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Has any one else had a kid with rsv or bacterial pneumonia? How did you cope with it and what happened?
I had a son with pneumonia, just treat is as directed. I would advise that until winter illness season ends, I would tell all sick people to stay home. Especially if the child was a preemie!  (+ info)

What's the difference between viral and bacterial pneumonia?

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I can't believe I'm this old and still can't seem to get this right. My mother-in-law (she's 80 and lives with us) is in the hospital with pneumonia, apparently developing it rather quickly. She has had several trips to the ER about her back (sciatica) recently, and someone said she could have gotten it there.

What I can't seem to get through my head is which one is contagious ... it's viral, right? I don't know which one she has yet (hubby finding out now), but if it's viral then my next question is going to be what should I do to protect my kids and me, who are home with her all day lol.
The most common way you catch pneumonia bacterial or viral is to breathe infected air droplets from someone who has pneumonia. Another cause is an improperly cleaned air conditioner. Yet another source of infection in your lungs is spread by an infection from somewhere else in your body, such as your kidney. Your risk of catching pneumonia is determined by the specific bacteria, virus, or fungus, the number of organisms you inhale, and your body's ability to fight infections.

Germs are spread both by aerosolized droplets that you breathe in (such as from a sneeze), and through body fluids left on surfaces like counter tops and door handles. If you avoid people who are coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands frequently, you can reduce your chances of catching a virus.

I would suggest keeping everything sprayed with a antibacterial agent of some sort, but make sure it does not hurt your mother-in-law. Cleaning everything with Pine Sol, strict hand washing, and make sure your mother in law covers her mouth when coughing or sneezing. You could also buy face masks and gloves for you and your children until she is no longer contagious. I would ask the doctor also how long your mother in law will be contagious

Hope this helps.  (+ info)

why does the bacterial pneumonia is more severe than the viral pneumonia?

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What is the difference of the two types of pneumonia?
Exactly the opposite from the first poster, actually - viruses cannot be treated, bacterial infections can. However, bacterial pneumonia usually occurs in peoples whose immune systems are already compromised, making them more difficult to treat. Because viral pneumonia can lead to bacterial pneumonia (by weakening the immune system to allow opportunistic pathogens to take hold), it is often seen as less severe (because it's often the predisposer rather than the severe issue).  (+ info)

My wife was diagnosed with Bacterial Pneumonia yesterday. How can i help take care of her?

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She said she didnt feel well, so i took her to the hospital and they diagnosed her with Bacterial Pneumonia. Should i be worried? Is she going to be okay? How can i help take care of her? She says she needs to go back today, but the doctor told her to stay home and rest.

I have never had Bacterial Pneumonia, so i dont know what she is going through. Who can i help her?
I once had bilateral pneumonia, and I have never felt as ill as I did then. It was truly miserable and I feel for you wife. At first,
the doctor at a walk-in clinic prescribed an antibiotic in the penicillin family - this had absolutely no effect (probably had a resistant strain of bacteria), two days later, when I felt like I was near death, my husband took me to the ER. I was given
an immediate injection of Rocephin and a quinolone antibiotic to take at home. Within 24 hours I was improved but was weak for several weeks following that. Your wife needs lots of help and attention. Please make sure you help her change her nightclothes, as these become saturated pretty quickly with the fever and chills. Dehydration can set in very quickly with pneumonia - please take plenty of fluids to her - maybe some Gatorade to help with electrolytes. If she isn't improved by tomorrow (or even tonight) I would take her to the ER. She may need a different type of antibiotic. Good
luck - and please watch her carefully. Pneumonia used to call for immediate hospitalization, and it makes me angry that the insurance companies have swayed physicians from doing this.

Please go with your wife's intuition and not the doctor's. If she is feeling worse - get her back to a clinic.

I don't know how old your wife is, but if she is middle-aged or older she is at especially high risk. Also, if she has any heart problems, asthma, etc. this will make it more difficult for her to recover. I don't want to frighten you, but yes you should be very concerned, pneumonia is still the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. If I had continued on my original doctors instructions, I probably would have died.

Can you tell us exactly what medications were given to her?  (+ info)

What is the difference between bacterial pneumonia and viral pneumonia?

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Which is more serious? What causes each kind? How long do they normally last? Are they contagious?
I tried to Google these questions, but so many of the answers were confusing. I am hoping someone out there understand the difference.
You can't take anything for viral...it just has to leave your system on its own. Bacterial can be cured with antibiotics  (+ info)

How long does bacterial pneumonia last?

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I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA AND I WAS WONDERING HOW LONG DOES IT LAST AND WHEN SHOULD I START FEELING BETTER?
You didn't give me much to work with, so I'm giving you all of my suggestions if you are 15 - 95 years old!

Depends on a variety of things....
I assume you got put on antibiotics for it... so a few days after you start them (and take them properly) you should start to feel better. This is of course, if the bacteria that infected you is sensitive to that type of pneumonia, which unless you did a sputum culture (coughed up a goober into a cup for the lab to analyze), the doctor made an educated guess (which, for most types of bacterial pneumias isn't all that hard).

The next thing is, do you smoke? If you do, it will take you longer to heal. You've scalded the cilia out of your lungs which help pull all the crud out of there. Your airways will be more bronchospastic and smaller, making it even harder to cough the stuff out, and the smoke also adds to the contaminants in your lungs. Notice I didn't say cigarrettes... I'm talking about inhaling ANY type of smoke.

It also depends on your general health. If you are immunocompromised in any way (have had a transplant, HIV/AIDS, autoimmune disorders, chemotherapy), it will also take you longer, as well as if you are obese or have other lung problems (emphysema, asthma, bronchitis).

How to get better faster? Drink lots of clear fluids, as in water, juice, sports drinks (like gatorade), soup and veggies. Avoid caffeinated drinks (coffee and tea), alcohol, and salty foods (junk food) as these will all dehydrate you. Work on some good deep breathing exercises (opens up the bottom corners of your lungs, preventing atelectasis and improving cough), and quit smoking if you are.

Good luck!!  (+ info)

What is worse: bacterial or viral pneumonia?

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What type of medication cure both? What type is more contageous?

Physiology homework help!

Teacher said it was in the book but it is not!

Thank you!
Viral is worse because it is harder to care for. Antibiotics do not help it since antibiotics do nothing against viruses. Antibiotics cure bacterial pneumonia. Time and extra fluids are about it for viral.   (+ info)

What is the difference between viral pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia?

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Viruses are non living particles with that only have genetic material. They can't reproduce without you, because they inject their genetic material into your cell and reproduce in there.
Bacteria are living cells and they have genetic material as well as other cell parts such as ribosomes. They can be treated with antibiotics, but viruses can't. (Antibiotics=anti living, if something isn't living then you can't treat it with antibiotics)  (+ info)

Is Bacterial Pneumonia Treatable? If so,then why did Muppet creator Jim Henson die of it?

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It seems that condition(bac Pneumonia) should be looked for /detected by our "wonderfully advanced" medical professionals.
Bacterial Pneumonia is completely treatable. Like all infections though, it's different depending on the person. If someone had it for a while and didn't get to the hospital until they were almost dead it's hard to treat. This is beacuse pneumonia is really caused by the fluids in your lungs. The fluid gets in there because there is bacteria in your lungs that your immune system cells need to get to. When they get into your lungs, your immune system cells start fighting the bacteria and this causes a lot of fluid to build in your lung tissue. Fluid in your lungs is very bad beacuse you cant exchange gases/breath. Soo.. with all that crap, even if you start the patient on an Antibiotic to kill the bacteria in their lungs it might be too late beacuse of all the fluid already there.

Hopefully that makes sense, most people who are in good health come out of a bacterial pneumonia just fine! Just something to be worried about if you already have an underlying condition and you are immunocomprimised.  (+ info)

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