parisukat.com

Asthma and Pneumonia Confusion
My younger brother who has been asthmatic since we were kids was diagnosed to have Pneumonia. just a week ago.  My mom was in a dilemma about how to differentiate asthma from pneumonia because my brother only had signs  and symptoms of the usual asthmatic person. Whenever he gets exposed to various substances like dust, perfumes, powder, and other stuff with strong odors, he would get an asthma attack. He’s been hospitalized a few times before due to his condition. He usually has the usual spray and tablets that are used for  asthma medication, that was prescribed by the physician before. But during his last check-up, the doctor said that he has developed pneumonia.

The difference between Asthma and Pneumonia
Here’s what the doctor had to say: Both asthma and pneumonia are diseases that affect the lungs. Asthma however involves inflammation, while pneumonia is an infection.

How to tell if it’s Asthma or Pneumonia?
Asthma is due to changed that happen in small passageways(bronchi) of your lungs. When asthma is triggered, the bronchi either become constricted or narrow, swell, produce mucus, causing inflammation. This results in the symptoms of asthma such as difficulty of breathing and mucus production. With the passage of air narrowed, there is a distinct sound called wheezing. Some people who have no wheezes have coughing spells.
My bother was told to have developed pneumonia. The doctor explained that, in pneumonia, the lung tissue itself has been infected; in bronchitis only the airways are affected. In pneumonia, there is fever which is a sign of infection. There is also a productive cough with phlegm that is usually yellowish, greenish, or brownish. Examination of the lungs will show abnormal sounds called rales which is similar to crackling cellophane when crumpled. In asthma, it’s a fine wheezing sound like purring of a cat.

How was it diagnosed to be Pneumonia and not just Asthma?
The x-ray results showed that my brother had pneumonitis, which means that the changes seen are only mild or just beginning. However, the doctor made the diagnosis of pneumonia because of the manifestations and physical findings showed a pneumonic process aside from an asthma attack.

The Treatment for Asthma and Pneumonia
For the treatment, the doctor prescribed antibiotics that would help kill the bacteria infecting the lungs. To reduce inflammation caused by asthma, he was given drugs such as steroids with inhalers or oral medications that will relax the airway muscle and ease up tight breathing. In both cases, the doctor said oxygen inhalation may be needed when there is impairment of oxygen delivery or absorption into the lungs.

It was a good thing that we found out all about this, you see my mom is just a simple housewife without any knowledge about these things. But, at least now we know what was really going on with my younger brother and he’s doing much better now.  Pneumonia has been treated, and his Asthma is being managed with the help of his medications.