A change of weather and sudden exposure to extremely cold and bitter temperatures can bring on many health issues. While some may be a common cough and cold, there may be others that attack the pulmonary system of the body to wreak havoc on the same. This can also turn out to be fatal i f the condition is not diagnosed and treated on time. Pneumonia is one such condition where an infection causes inflammation of the air sacs.

Symptoms
Pneumonia patients experience a number of symptoms, including the buildup of excessive phlegm even as there are a constant cough and cold, along with high temperature and fever. Further, the patient will experience great difficulty when it comes to breathing which will be more painful. This may cause a lot of chest pain too.

Diagnosis
Before we talk about the treatment of pneumonia, let us cast a glance on the best way to diagnose the same. Usually, in order to find out if you have pneumonia, the doctor will begin by taking your medical history. If you have had the condition earlier, or if you are suffering from a chronic pulmonary related condition like asthma, then the doctor will ask you to go in for extra tests like blood tests, an X-ray of the chest, a Sputum test, and an oximetry of the pulse. The doctor will also conduct a thorough physical examination to find out if there is any cracking sound in the chest when the patient takes a deep breath or coughs. This is one of the best ways of detecting the condition.

Treatment Methods
One of the main premises of the treatment for pneumonia involves preventing complications which can create fatalities in the long run. This will be done by removing all traces of the infection with the various methods listed below.

• Medication
  One of the foremost forms of treatment for pneumonia includes the prescription of medicines. These can be quite heavy and may leave the patient feeling weak for a while later. The doctor will begin by prescribing antibiotics that will basically puncture the outer shell of the infection causing virus, so that it may not grow and reproduce. This will help in killing the same eventually. The antibiotics may be administered through IV in case the patient is too weak to ingest food and take the medication orally. After that, the doctors will also prescribe cough medicines which will bring down the intensity of a cough and calm the air sacs and chest pain so that the patient does not experience too much of discomfort and choking. The doctor will usually administer a low dose that will help the fluids move around easily without eliminating the same entirely. Painkillers and medication for the fever will also be prescribed as a treatment for pneumonia so that the temperature of the patient may be kept steady. Paracetamol and other fever medication will bring down the discomfort to a great degree.
• Hospitalization
  There are many cases in which a person suffering from pneumonia may require hospitalization as a form of effective treatment. Constant monitoring of temperature may be required, and the patient may have to take the medication via IV if the condition is in an advanced stage. Further, if the patient is above 65 years of age, and is facing mental disorientation, then hospitalization is a must as the treatment for pneumonia. Also, if the heart rate has fallen below 50 or risen above 100, and the patient needs assistance when it comes to breathing, then the doctors will have to keep him or her in the hospital under constant surveillance.

Dehydration
In conditions like pneumonia, it is very common to see symptoms of dehydration due to constant coughing. Also, the patient tends to ingest less water and fluids due to the cold and chills, which worsens the condition. In such cases, the doctor will need to the keep the patient on IV fluids so that the system is hydrated even as the treatment for pneumonia continues.

Infants and Children
Hospitalization may be required for children under 6 to 7 years of age, and will definitely be required for infants under the age of 2 years. In such situations, the treatment will have to be done deliberately and with the correct dosage that will not hamper the growth and overall development of the child in the long run. Therefore, there will be more of observation and monitoring along with recovery treatment methods rather than heavy medication for the child.

In order to carry out proper treatment of pneumonia, it is important to carry out the timely diagnosis of the same based on the earliest signs and symptoms of the condition.