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Our Services / Pneumonia

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About Pneumonia

Pneumonia can cause not only discomfort and pain but possible death if it isn’t treated quickly by an experienced and skilled doctor like Joy Burbeck and a team of professional providers at Midsouth Independent Group (MIG) in Memphis, Tennessee. If you have pneumonia symptoms, get help now by calling the office or requesting an appointment online.

Pneumonia Q & A

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia develops when the air sacs within your lungs grow highly inflamed due to infection or injury. This can cause the air sacs to fill with pus or clear fluid, making breathing normally impossible.

Pneumonia can cause highly serious symptoms. In severe and untreated cases, it can even cause death.

What are the symptoms of pneumonia?

Symptoms of pneumonia can vary from one patient to another. Some of the most common include:

  • Persistent cough
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Extreme fatigue or exhaustion
  • Chest pain when you try to take a deep breath
  • Loss of appetite
  • Confusion, primarily in elderly individuals

Symptoms often worsen over time, especially if you don't get treatment promptly. Repeated bouts of pneumonia can be an indication of lung cancer.

How is pneumonia diagnosed?

A pneumonia diagnosis depends on the exact symptoms you're experiencing. Your MIG provider will perform a physical exam, listening to your lungs closely. Additionally, they might order blood tests to look for signs of infection and evaluate your white blood cell count.

A bronchoscopy is perhaps the most crucial tool in diagnosing pneumonia. In a bronchoscopy, your provider checks your airways using an instrument known as a bronchoscope. The bronchoscope is super thin and ultra-flexible. It has a miniature camera at the end.

With the bronchoscope threaded through your nose or mouth down into your lungs, your doctor can get a highly detailed picture of the air sacs and other lung structures to make a diagnosis.

A chest X-ray can give your doctor a better picture of your lungs and assist in making a definitive pneumonia diagnosis.

What is the treatment for pneumonia?

Pneumonia treatment varies based on both the cause of pneumonia and how severe it is. In most cases, oral antibiotics are highly effective in killing the bacteria that caused your pneumonia infection.

If there's currently a flu outbreak in your area, you might need antiviral medicine and antibiotics. Depending upon the severity of your pneumonia, you might need corticosteroid medicine to recover fully.

Be sure to follow all your provider’s instructions for the fastest and best recovery. This usually includes getting enough rest, drinking enough water, and taking all of your medicine exactly as prescribed.

Request your visit online now, or call the Midsouth Independent Group (MIG) office anytime to schedule.