Can pneumonia be cured?

Written by Hu Xue Jun
Pulmonology
Updated on September 02, 2024
00:00
00:00

Can pneumonia be cured, and will there be any sequelae? Generally speaking, common pneumonia without complications can be completely cured. If pneumonia infection is detected, seek medical attention in a timely manner and treat it rationally under the guidance of a professional doctor, it generally will not leave sequelae or affect lung function. However, some complications of pneumonia, such as meningitis and pericarditis, may leave symptoms like headaches, dizziness, palpitations, and chest pain. Ordinary pneumonia might leave streaky shadows or irregular pleura on chest X-rays or lung CT scans, but these will not impact the human body. Patients who have previously been infected with tuberculosis may have calcification spots in their lungs, which is a normal phenomenon. Some people may experience sequelae after treatment, such as hearing loss caused by the use of antimicrobial drugs, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head occurring after SARS treatment; however, these are possibly side effects of the drugs, rather than sequelae of pneumonia.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yang Feng
Pulmonology
37sec home-news-image

Adult pneumonia symptoms

The main clinical symptoms of pneumonia include cough, expectoration, asthma, chest pain, chills, high fever, etc. If the pneumonia patient has some complications from other systems, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness may also occur. Once pneumonia is diagnosed, active antimicrobial treatment is necessary, and pneumonia can be cured. Additionally, for patients with low immunity or those who frequently suffer from respiratory diseases, annual influenza and pneumonia vaccinations can be administered for preventive measures.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
50sec home-news-image

Difference between Viral Pneumonia and COVID-19 Pneumonia

The differences between viral pneumonia and COVID-19 begin with their names. Viral pneumonia is a broad concept, referring to lung inflammation caused by any respiratory virus, whereas COVID-19 specifically refers to the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus that emerged in 2019. Additionally, regarding symptoms, viral pneumonia can cause fever, cough, and sputum production, but rarely progresses to severe disease. On the other hand, treating COVID-19 is challenging as there are no specific drugs available, and a significant portion of patients may develop severe illness. Furthermore, in terms of prognosis, there are many vaccines available that provide protection against viral pneumonia, whereas, as of now, there is no vaccine available for COVID-19.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Jian
Infectious Disease
1min 8sec home-news-image

How many days does the novel pneumonia take to develop?

After being infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia, symptoms generally appear within three to seven days, with the shortest onset reported within one day and the longest at 27 days. However, most patients develop symptoms within two weeks, typically exhibiting respiratory symptoms post-onset. The novel coronavirus primarily attacks the lower respiratory tract, including the trachea, bronchi, and lungs. Patients often experience recurring fever, with temperatures generally ranging between 38 to 39°C, lasting over 72 hours, accompanied by significant coughing. In the early stages, there is usually no noticeable expectoration, presenting as a dry cough. Most patients also experience significant fatigue. If the condition progresses, patients may suffer from shortness of breath and decreased blood oxygen saturation, leading to apparent respiratory distress. In severe cases, patients may experience respiratory failure and even death.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Xue Jun
Pulmonology
1min 6sec home-news-image

Can pneumonia be cured?

Can pneumonia be cured, and will there be any sequelae? Generally speaking, common pneumonia without complications can be completely cured. If pneumonia infection is detected, seek medical attention in a timely manner and treat it rationally under the guidance of a professional doctor, it generally will not leave sequelae or affect lung function. However, some complications of pneumonia, such as meningitis and pericarditis, may leave symptoms like headaches, dizziness, palpitations, and chest pain. Ordinary pneumonia might leave streaky shadows or irregular pleura on chest X-rays or lung CT scans, but these will not impact the human body. Patients who have previously been infected with tuberculosis may have calcification spots in their lungs, which is a normal phenomenon. Some people may experience sequelae after treatment, such as hearing loss caused by the use of antimicrobial drugs, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head occurring after SARS treatment; however, these are possibly side effects of the drugs, rather than sequelae of pneumonia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Xue Jun
Pulmonology
1min 28sec home-news-image

Is pneumonia contagious?

Pneumonia can be divided into many types, including viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and those caused by special bacteria such as tuberculosis bacillus, and atypical bacteria such as Legionella, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, etc. Generally, pneumonia does not cause large-scale disseminated transmission, because most people have normal immune systems that can resist these less virulent bacteria; however, in populations with lower immunity, inhaling droplets from patients with bacterial pneumonia can potentially lead to pneumonia. However, pneumonias caused by "SARS", anthrax, pneumonic plague, etc., are highly contagious and can cause large-scale transmission through droplets, and these are strictly controlled infectious diseases in our country. In cases of open tuberculosis, the patient's sputum and cough droplets might contain the pathogen, which could then infect those in close contact. Infectious pneumonia typically has an abrupt onset, with an incubation period of 2-10 days, and fever as the initial symptom, generally above 38℃, possibly accompanied by chills, coughing, scant sputum, occasional bloody sputum, palpitations, shortness of breath, and in some cases, difficulty breathing. It may also be accompanied by muscle soreness, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, and diarrhea.