The symptoms and treatment of left lower lobe pneumonia

Left lower lobe pneumonia refers to focal diseases, which is due to the presence of a virus, fungus or bacteria affecting the lower respiratory tract. Left-sided pneumonia occurs much less frequently than the right. This is due to the peculiar structure of the bronchial tubes. The disease can be transmitted by airborne droplets, or be the effect of a previous illness, surgical intervention, and decreased immunity in patients receiving certain medications. Often, chronic diseases of the respiratory tract can cause pneumonia.

Symptoms

At the initial stage of its development, left lower lobe pneumonia does not differ from other types of pneumonia as the symptoms are similar. This pathological process initially it may be asymptomatic, which is very dangerous, especially for infants or small children.

The characteristic signs of pneumonia, which is localized in the lower lobes of the left lung is:

• fever (over 38 degrees);
• chills;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• pain in left lung or left breast (where there is a pathological process);
• increase chest pain when inhaling;
• sweating;
• nausea;
• vomiting;
• cough, sometimes with detachable sputum, which may be present in streaks of blood.

Diagnosing left lower lobe pneumonia, based only on symptoms is impossible. To find out the cause of the inflammatory process, in addition to the General examination, which includes listening to the chest of the patient for the presence of rales and bronchial breathing are uncommon, the doctor appoints additional blood and sputum (if separated). The most common and effective method of detecting pneumonia is a lung x-ray.

If during the cough the sputum does not occur, the sample you take for analysis with bronchoscopy. This analysis, as the study of the sputum will reveal the true cause of the disease, as quite often under the guise of pneumonia may be hiding a completely different disease.

Treatment of pneumonia

Treatment starts with correct diagnosis and determine the cause of the pneumonia. Only afterdetermine the main causative agent and its sensitivity to drug drug prescribed treatment. The sensitivity of the pathogen (virus or bacteria) to antibiotics determined by bacterial culture. This analysis requires some time, therefore, before receiving culture results, the doctor prescribes a standard set of drugs. Antibiotics are a shared spectrum. After the result of the sowing, with the definition of agent and its sensitivity to the drugs, the doctor prescribes an antibiotic to a narrow spectrum.

To identify the causative agent of lobar pneumonia in this way is considered the most "reasonable", especially in the case of children.

Left lower lobe pneumonia, like other forms of pneumonia, it is preferable to treat in a hospital, especially in children.

Sometimes hospitalization is the decisive factor for human life. Despite great advances in the treatment of various types of pneumonia, there are cases when the disease ends in death. For this reason, if you experience symptoms that indicate the presence of inflammation or other abnormalities of the respiratory process from the norm, you should immediately contact a doctor.

The effectiveness of treatment with antibiotics is monitored for 48-72 hours. During this time, medications can improve the condition of the patient. If after this time the patient retains all the same symptoms of the disease or they increase, the disease is treated other drugs.

The main drugs which are of the second and third generation antibiotics for treatment of left lower lobe pneumonia include:

• levofloxacin
• cephalosporin;
• amoxicillin;
• sulfamethoxazole;
• azithromycin.

If the treatment is working, antibiotics used for 2 weeks. During this time, the disease disappears. But in some situations the treatment can be extended if as a result of illness complications occurred or failed to find the desired antibiotic by reason of insensitivity of the pathogen to a particular group of drugs.

In addition to the main treatment, aimed at the destruction of the pathogen, the patient is prescribed a bronchodilator medication. They promote expectoration, as diluting it, and it boosts the immune system of the patient.