

Stay away from smoke to let your lungs heal.Contact your doctor right away if your breathing gets worse instead of better over time. Drink warm beverages, take steamy baths and use a humidifier to help open your airways and ease your breathing.If your cough is preventing you from getting the rest you need, ask your doctor about steps you can take to get relief. Coughing is one way your body works to get rid of an infection.

Do not take cough medicines without first talking to your doctor.Drink plenty of fluids to help loosen secretions and bring up phlegm.Control your fever with aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen), or acetaminophen.Most people can manage their symptoms such as fever and cough at home by following these steps: Sometimes, though, symptom management and rest are all that is needed. If you have viral pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to treat it. Typical antibiotics do not work against viruses. If you stop, you risk having the infection come back, and you increase the chances that the germs will be resistant to treatment in the future. It is important to take all the antibiotic until it is gone, even though you will probably start to feel better in a couple of days. If your pneumonia is caused by bacteria, you will be given an antibiotic. Take any medications as prescribed by your doctor. It is important to follow your treatment plan carefully until you are fully recovered. The goals of treatment are to cure the infection and prevent complications. Treatment for pneumonia depends on the type of pneumonia you have, how sick you are feeling, your age, and whether you have other health conditions.
