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Walkong Phnemonia??
Can you die from it…My 6 yr old cousin was admitted to the hospital because she has walking phnemonia..What is it exactly?? Is it serious?
Pneumonia simply means inflammation in the lung. It can be caused by microorganisms, viruses, chemical irritants, or foreign bodies. The phrase “walking pneumonia” refers to a group of pneumonias that, even if untreated, would not usually need bedrest or hospitalization. They can, however, make someone feel miserable with a severe cough, fever, chills, headache, and abdominal pain and they can last a long time
When physicians diagnose someone with walking pneumonia, they are usually referring to an infection with an organism called Mycoplasma pneumoniae. (Apart from being a pain, mycoplasmas are kind of cool. They are the smallest self-replicating biologic systems known.) Mycoplasma is a major cause of respiratory infections in school-aged children and young adults. It is most common between the ages of 5 and 15, accounting for 70% of pneumonias in children aged 9 to 15.
Mycoplasma can be contagious with close contact. It usually requires prolonged contact to catch the disease. Epidemics have been reported in situations such as summer camps and boarding schools. The disease spreads through breathing air coughed by someone who is infected. Since the cough is often worse at night, people sleeping in the same room are most vulnerable
Thankfully mycoplasma infections are easy to treat - with the right medicine. The most common antibiotics in children are no help at all! Mycoplasma is exceptionally sensitive, however, to erythromycin, clarithromycin (Biaxin), azithromycin (Zithromax or Z-pak), and tetracyclines (usually only used over age 8).