Viral Pneumonia
Definition
Incidence
Risk Factors
Symptoms
Evaluation
Treatment
drugs
questions for doctor
specialist
Home Care
cough in adults
cough in children
pain and fever adults
pain and fever children
warning signs
wheezing
Prevention
Outlook
Complications
Underlying Cause
Transmission
Anatomy
Trusted Sites
Viral Pneumonia Home Care
Home care for viral
pneumonia
includes:
Stop smoking
Avoid exposure to secondary smoke
Drink plenty of liquids.
Get plenty of rest.
Perform deep breathing exercises.
Acetaminophen
for pain
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications
for pain:
Ibuprofen
Naproxen
Ketoprofen
Take nonprescription
cough
medications.
Dextromethorphan
Take prescribed medicines as directed.
Use a vaporizer or humidifier.
Home care for
chest wall pain
includes:
Apply cold compresses:
Apply for 20-30 minutes, every 1-2 hours, for the first few days.
After several days, apply warm compresses:
Apply for 20-30 minutes, every 4 hours.
Perform deep breathing exercises:
Perform the exercises every 4 hours
Rest the chest:
Do not lift heavy objects.
Continue to
Viral Pneumonia Home Care: Cough In Adults
Related Conditions
Atypical pneumonia
Bacterial pneumonia
Influenza
Pneumonia Checkup
Breathing difficulty
Chest pain
Cough
Wheezing
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Last Updated: Aug 28, 2008
References
Authors:
Stephen J. Schueler, MD
;
John H. Beckett, MD
;
D. Scott Gettings, MD
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DSHI Systems, Inc.
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Viral Pneumonia References:
Cheng VC, Tang BS, Wu AK, Chu CM, Yuen KY. Medical treatment of viral pneumonia including SARS in immunocompetent adult. J Infect. 2004 Nov;49(4):262-73.
de Roux A, Marcos MA, Garcia E, Mensa J, Ewig S, Lode H, Torres A. Viral community-acquired pneumonia in nonimmunocompromised adults. Chest. 2004 Apr;125(4):1343-51.
Pugh RN, Omar RI, Hossain MM. Varicella infection and pneumonia among adults. Int J Infect Dis. 1998 Apr-Jun;2(4):205-10.
Virkki R, Juven T, Rikalainen H, Svedstrom E, Mertsola J, Ruuskanen O. Differentiation of bacterial and viral pneumonia in children. Thorax. 2002 May;57(5):438-41.
