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Mycoplasma pneumonia: from colds to pneumonia with persistent cough
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Mycoplasma pneumonia is a bacterium that mainly affects children and young adults. The infection often starts as a common cold but can sometimes develop into pneumonia with a prolonged cough. The symptoms of a mycoplasma infection usually disappear spontaneously.
Also read: Nasal douche: why rinse our nose with salt water?
Infection
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Mycoplasma pneumonia spreads quickly through contact with respiratory fluids in crowded areas, such as schools and hospitals. When someone coughs or sneezes, moisture containing the bacteria is released into the air, so that others in the area can easily inhale the bacteria. Once in the body, the bacteria can attach to lung tissue and multiply until an infection develops.
It is important that you try to prevent the transmission of the bacteria to other people as much as possible. So make sure you wash your hands regularly, ventilate the room well, use disposable tissues and cough with a tissue over your mouth.
Also read: What is best to disinfect your hands: soap or disinfectant gel?
Symptoms
Patients with mycoplasma pneumonia have complaints such as low fever, a stuffy nose, dry cough, mild shortness of breath (especially during exertion), malaise and fatigue. To a lesser extent, sore throat, headache and muscle pain also occur. Mycoplasma pneumonia can therefore resemble an upper respiratory infection or a cold rather than a lower respiratory infection or pneumonia. A dry cough is the most common sign of infection. In rare cases, the infection can become dangerous and damage the heart or central nervous system.
The symptoms of mycoplasma pneumonia usually disappear spontaneously after two to three weeks. In about 10 percent of patients, symptoms persist for more than a month. When there is pneumonia with a prolonged cough – the so-called atypical pneumonia – it can last more than three weeks in children, and more than four to eight weeks in adults.
In some patients the disease becomes chronic. The cough can then last for months or disappear temporarily and then return.
Also read: What can you do if your baby or toddler coughs often?
Therapy
An infection with mycoplasma pneumonia usually heals spontaneously. Often people do not even notice that they are infected.
For serious complaints such as severe coughing or shortness of breath, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics. He may temporarily recommend aerosols (especially for children) or puffers to combat shortness of breath. About five percent of patients develop pneumonia that requires hospitalization.
Also read: How do you use an aerosol or puffer with your baby?
Sources:
Last updated: November 2023
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2023-11-23 23:01:52
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