Pneumonia is a serious infection of the lungs that can be caused by a number of different infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and mycoplasmas. The infection causes the small air sacs in the lung area to become inflamed and filled with mucus and pus, preventing oxygen from reaching the blood. Lobar pneumonia affects only one section, or lobe, of a lung. Although symptoms can vary in intensity, they generally include fever, chills, cough, bloody sputum, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin and nails), pain in chest, and rapid, labored breathing.

Pneumonia is usually preceded by an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold, influenza, or measles. Factors that increase the risk of pneumonia include being younger than 1 year or older than 60 years, a weakened immune system, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV infection, seizures or strokes, aspiration under anesthesia, alcoholism, smoking, kidney failure, sickle cell disease, malnutrition, foreign bodies in the airways, exposure to chemical irritants, and even allergies.

Bacterial pneumonia can be very dangerous and can come on suddenly or gradually, usually as a complication of some other health problem, such as a respiratory illness, a weakened immune system, or a viral infection. Older adults, young children, alcoholics, and people who have just had surgery are also at risk. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia. Symptoms usually include shaking, chills, and a high temperature. The cough is dry at first. A rust-colored sputum is then produced, and breathing becomes rapid and labored. Chest pain that worsens with inhalation, abdominal pain, and fatigue are also common. This type of pneumonia is unlikely to spread from person to person.

Viral pneumonia is more variable in course and severity. It can come on suddenly or gradually, and the symptoms, which are very similar to those of bacterial pneumonia, can be mild, severe, or in between. It is less serious than bacterial pneumonia, but if not cared for properly, a second infection of bacterial pneumonia can develop.

Fungal pneumonia, especially Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), is much less common than the bacterial or viral variety and is often associated with a weakened or suppressed immune system. People with HIV, AIDS, or certain types of cancer, or who take immunosuppressive drugs after an organ transplant, are more likely to be affected.

Mycoplasma pneumonia, or “walking pneumonia,” is caused by an agent that is not classified but appears to be both a bacterium and a virus. This form of pneumonia usually affects people under the age of forty. Symptoms tend to be less severe than those of viral or bacterial pneumonia and include spasmodic cough, chills, and fever.

Babies can get pneumonia due to a Chlamydia trachomatis infection transferred to the child during delivery. Childhood pneumonia can also be caused by the same bacteria that causes whooping cough.

NATURAL HERBS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PNEUMONIA

Chinese cordyceps mushrooms are available in a tonic formula to support the lungs. Ridgecrest Herbals Clear Lungs is a Chinese herbal formula designed to deliver nutrients to the lungs. Elderberry has antiviral properties and reduces symptoms of pneumonia. Ephedra (ma huang) is beneficial in relieving congestion and cough. Warning: Do not use this herb if you suffer from anxiety, glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, or insomnia, or if you are taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Eucalyptus oil is beneficial in relieving congestion. Put 5 drops in a hot bath or 6 drops in a cup of boiling water, put a towel over your head and inhale the vapors. Olive leaf extract improves the function of the immune system and fights all types of infections, including the flu virus.

More recommendations for the natural treatment of pneumonia

Drink plenty of fluids, especially fresh juices, teas, soups, and quality water, to prevent dehydration and help cleanse the body. To shorten the duration of the flu, follow a liquid diet that emphasizes hot herbal teas and hot broth for a day or two. Sleep and rest as much as possible. Do not take zinc at the same time you eat or drink citrus fruits or juices. It will decrease the effectiveness of zinc. Eat lots of other types of fruit. Fenugreek dissolves phlegm and mucus, and slippery elm helps remove them from the body. If you are over the age of sixty-five, see your health care provider.

Pneumonia can cause serious complications for people in this age group. Antibiotics are useless against viral diseases like pneumonia and influenza. The best way to end the problem or any other infectious disease is to attack it head-on by strengthening the immune system. The thymus and adrenal glands are the seat of power for the immune system. When the body is getting sick, or already sick, it is under stress, and stress tests the immune system. Researchers have linked vulnerability to colds, flu, and pneumonia with psychological stress.

The powerful natural treatment for pneumonia recommended by almost the best naturopathic doctors is self-administered oxygen therapy. They found that microbes, harmful bacteria and viruses such as pneumonia, cancer, heart disease and even AIDS, do not themselves cause disease. They simply thrive in their natural habitat, the oxygen deprived environment. The moment our body’s environment is deprived of oxygen, it becomes acidic and normally all kinds of harmful viruses and bacteria thrive and reproduce in spectacular fashion. The cells of our body with sufficient supply of oxygen is uninhabitable by all kinds of diseases, viruses and even pneumonia. Therefore, the recommended approach is to keep the body always oxygenated. Please take the time to explore and study this powerful and controversial treatment.