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NEED HELP please! What does pneumonia "look" like?? Can it be treated at home?

2K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  Starflower 
#1 ·
I had flu symptoms about three weeks ago- sore throat, body aches, headache, stuffiness, low grade fever- which passed within a couple days. BUT the cough has been recurring....again and again...for weeks now. It's horribly bad in the morning when I first wake up, like a really dry, loud, barking cough. It dissipates throughout the day, and by the afternoon I'm not coughing at all. But then I go to sleep and it comes back with a vengeance. And it seems to be getting worse.


I woke up this morning with tightness in my chest and I am struggling a bit to breathe in deeply. I can feel congestion in my lungs that wasn't there before. I am 27 weeks pregnant...so concerned about pneumonia. I'm trying to weigh the benefits/risks of going to the ER to get checked out, since there is H1N1 in my area and my immune system is already weakened. Plus, I have four kids and don't want to bring anything home unnecessarily. KWIM?

Since I've never had pneumonia, and have no idea how it's treated, especially if it's *viral*, I'm kind of at a loss. I normally avoid doctors like the plague, and try my best to treat things naturally at home. I've been using elderberry, GSE, and olive leaf extract. What else can I do? Should I go see a doctor??? If you have any knowledge in this area, please share your wisdom. Risks? Benefits? I need help making a decision!!

THANKS
 
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#2 ·
Hey mama, I'm sorry you are feeling yucky. Here are the symptoms of my pneumonia and early signs I had.

I did not have the flu or a cold first. My pneumonia was not a secondary condition but a stress induced case I believe.

The first sign I had before I got sick was a crackling type noise in my lung when I breathed out hard. I noticed it during meditation. It was the phlem breaking up when I exhaled.

Few days later, out of the blue, I got really really sick. I felt fine all day and I went to the store and all the sudden fell ill. So bad I had to leave right away and went straight to bed. I had a fever and severe body aches. I woke up in tthe middle of the night so sick I passed out several times.

Hubby to me to the ER because I was so sick. Flu test negative and x ray positive for bacterial pneumonia. I was really sick for 5 days.

The crackling noice in my lung got worse over the 5 days. So bad that you could hear it sitting next to me.

My right lung is still not the same.

Try the breathing method. Like a yoga type breath, breathe in and then out all the way and see if you hear or feel anything deep in your lung.

Everyone I know with pneumonia has been very very sick with high fever and lethargic.

You can start silver. Its safe while preggy.

Hope that helps
 
#3 ·
I can't answer your question regarding pneumonia but I had
similar situation with flu and then cough this year.

I had flu early summer and cough would lag till end of summer.
the same exact symptoms.

I never found or sick any med help but I found few tricks that
helped me...:

1. first and foremost keeping my cheast super cozy at all times.
I got super cozy vest really thick and comfy cotton with some
cotton like fur inside and wore it ALL The time. it was making
me very comfortable and cough would be less prominent.

2. I noticed that I had immediate cough if the temperature
of the surrounding changed. If I went out or inside I would cough.
so I tried to keep myself warm enough so it would not affect me so much
and it helped too. warm robe at home .. etc..
I tried never cheel myself a bit as this would bring on cough

3. upon going to bed I got huge attack of cough..
so I spread a thick blanket over the sheet and that helped
upon lying down not into the coldness of a bed but upon
cozy blanket.. once I warmed up in the bed I could let
it go but I rearly did.

4. socks for sleeping. yeah, funny but getting my feet cold
in the bed would mean instant coughing.

5. I don't like electric blankets especially if you are pregnant
but maybe you could put one under the sheet, warm up the
bed before you get inside, then turn it off and get inside and
sleep on it? or warm bottle to warm up bed before you get into bed.
but I owuld not sleep with it especially preggo.

6. warm milk.
every time I was caughing I would drking cup of warm milk.
that would bring some serious relelief. If I would not have
milk around, anything warm. somehow stomic radiated
warmth to the lungs and that was helping.

7. keeping arms undercovers when in bed.
as strange at it sounds, everytime I would put my arms
out I would cough and as long as they were under the comforter
(down comforter btw.. super warm toasty) I would stop
coughing instantly.. my husband had flu and cough and
the same worked for him. strangely as it sounds.

8. for tightness in breathing try excersizes.. take deep breaths
and hold air in.. and then let go.. that somehow help
and somehow amazingly enough would make me cough
at first even more..

9. for tightness of breath again.. loose your bra or if you can't
loosen it at least. It is amazing how big difference it made.
On days I would wear bra I just could not breath next moring..
on days I would not wear bra.. next morning I would be okay.

10. do not vacum plastic carpets. I have few of them at home
and at this time my lungs wer so sensitive.. the carpets
shoot int he air by means of vacum tinny tinny pieces of
threads like niddles and they bother the lungs...
if someone else vacums do go upstairs and wait till the dust settles.
we had carpeted flooring and this is the worse kind when you
have any issue with lungs. I noticed that as long as I did not
vacumed I was not too bad but any vacumming.. forget it..
If I needed to have floor vacumed I got this vacum that
is a roller that you charge with batteries.. and it did the trick
the rest had my hubby do when home.

11. I had my cough for 2 months plus.
It did not seem to be getting better at all..
and then finally we went to the ocean for few days
and this did the trick. in the old days folks did travel to the
water resorts by the ocean for help in different health issues..
it held true to me twice in my life..

right the next day after we got back - NO COUGH.

I was stunned because for 2 months people were running away
from me in the grocery stores as I barked like a dog
in a flue season.. so you got the picture.

hope this will give you few ideas of self help.

Of course I would do your research of what is it and
how to deal with it since you are preggo.

I guess you can have some tests done as to what is it
and then proceed accordingly. I never had done anything
as this is very typical in h1n1 that peole have cough
for long time after it ends.

as long as I had no fever which I never had again
I was not worried that much. but then again
you are pregnant and you have to be super careful
maybe my tips will be useful as how to help yourself
on everyday basis but otherwise you need more help
then I have to offer.

God bless you and your little angel inside you.
May he keep you safe and healthy.

Bella
 
#4 ·
Since you said you had flu symptoms 3 weeks ago that never fully went away and now you are having breathing troubles, I would be concerned that it could be a bacterial pneumonia.

Are you spitting up phlegm? If so, check the color. If it is getting greenish or brownish tinged, then it could be pneumonia. Is it foamy? Streaked with blood? The type of sputum can also help docs determine what type of bug could be causing it. You could also ask for tests to determine if it's bacterial if you are concerned about taking antibiotics.

I have allergy-induced asthma which caused me to get a bronchitis that turned into bacterial pneumonia a couple years ago. I was treated with antibiotics. My naturopath prescribed the second round since it took two for me to kick it.

My main symptoms were the crackling and wheezing combined with fatigue. I am sure I had a fever, but I don't think it was extraordinarily high. A doctor can listen to your lungs while thumping on you to listen for rattles.

My ND did this a few times last time I was very sick and it ended up only being a bad case of bronchitis. Some of the symptoms are similar, but the location is different.

Obviously you don't want to take a trip to the ER if it's not necessary but if you have a regular ND or doc, I would call them. Possible pneumonia is not something to treat lightly especially since you are pregnant - you need enough oxygen. It sounds like maybe you don't have a doctor, so you might want to try calling a nurse or hospital helpline to help you decide if you should be seen. You can still use natural treatments while getting evaluated. I think it's best to know what you are dealing with so you can make an informed choice about how to best treat it.

Good luck.

PS - I found hot showers helpful in helping to loosen up the gunk. And I had some natural chest rub with peppermint and lavendar that helped too.
 
#5 ·
Struggling to breath needs looked at in my opinion. Every hospital and ER and the like have face masks. Put one on as soon as you get in and leave it on. But I would go in given what you described.
 
#6 ·
Thanks, ladies. Appreciate the input greatly.

So...Does anyone know how they would even diagnose pneumonia? Then... how they would TREAT it? Especially during pregnancy?? I want to weigh my options carefully, but at this point, don't even truly know what they are. KWIM?

I'm *not* running a fever. So I have to assume I don't have an infection. I know my lung function is not at full capacity b/c of being all squished from baby. That's the big danger with respiratory sickness during pregnancy. So...what could they do that I can't do here at home?? Help me think through this rationally. TIA
 
#7 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Starflower View Post

Are you spitting up phlegm? If so, check the color. If it is getting greenish or brownish tinged, then it could be pneumonia. Is it foamy? Streaked with blood?

No phlegm. No mucous. I do have a bit of sinus drainage down the back of my throat, but not even enough to make me cough usually. When I blow my nose, everything is completely clear. So I guess that's a good sign. Unless that means my morning coughs aren't productive and everything's just hanging out in there?? Hmmm....
 
#8 ·
When my husband was diagnosed with pneumonia in the spring he had bloodwork, a chect xray, and a sputum culture to confirm the pneumonia. Honestly, in your shoes I would get checked out - while my hubby was in the hospital another man was also admitted with pneumonia - he was feeling just a bit sick and took a sudden turn for the worse. Considering the fact that you are pregnant I would most certainly get checked - pneumonia can be very nasty and is not a disease that I would ever mess around with.
 
#9 ·
When I was 19 weeks pregnant, I had the flu and then after it cleared up, I had a horrible cough and had to sit up all night to breathe. I finally went to the doctor because it became harder to breathe during the day and they gave a breathing treatment right away and then an inhaler. Both are safe while pregnant. Once I got the inhaler, it only took a week of use till it was gone. Every time I used it was such a huge relief to be able to breathe well again.
It is worse for the baby to have decreased oxygen from coughing so hard and not being able to breathe when it gets this bad.
Please go to your dr if you can.

Hope you feel better soon,

Deb
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Chakra View Post

Everyone I know with pneumonia has been very very sick with high fever and lethargic.
This was me about 2 years ago. It started out as the flu, but I progressively got worse instead of better. Very high fever, horrible deep mucousy cough. I ended up getting an inflamed liver which meant an ambulance trip to the hospital where a chest x-ray confirmed atypical bacterial pneumonia.
It was by far the sickest I've been in my life. I was on heavy duty abx which worked instantly.

I hope you get well soon mama
 
#11 ·
I've gotten bronchitis during three pregnancies and pneumonia during two. They are all AWFUL. What you have sounds like terrible bronchitis---usually there is high fever with pneumonia. Either way, you need to get on some antibiotics FAST and get yourself better. Your baby needs oxygen just as badly as you do. The oxygen saturation in your blood is probably not too great right now, which is bad for both of you. Zithromax is one antibiotic that works great for lung crap and is safe at this point in your pregnancy. (It's not too great early in pregnancy.) NO, this cannot be treated at home.
 
#12 ·
Even if you aren't having sputum or a fever, if you are having breathing difficulty, please get checked out. Self-diagnosis could be dangerous. You and your baby need enough oxygen.

 
#13 ·
Well....It's bronchitis. I went to the ER this morning and got checked out. He gave me a prescription for antibiotics (zithromax) and sent me on my way, with orders to come back if breathing becomes more difficult. Good news is that my lungs sound perfect and my oxygen saturation was at 100%. So, although I'm having to really "work" to get those deep breaths in, baby is getting all she needs - and that settles my mind ALOT.

Thanks, you guys, for all the advice and prayers. You really helped me in deciding what to do. I was strattling the fence and weighing waaaay too many things at once. Guess I just needed that little push in the right direction. I appreciate your wisdom and help SO much.
 
#14 ·
I'm really glad to hear you got it checked out!

Also glad to hear it was not pneumonia. Bronchitis can really suck too though so be sure to get as much rest as possible. Also try to sleep elevated to discourage the gunk from going any deeper. I put a pillow under DD's mattress last night when her coughing started sounding chunky and it definitely helped.

I hope you are well again soon.
 
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