Mycoplasma pneumonia is the most common form of bacterial infection.
It is contagious disease which is mostly seen in children with 5-19 years of age.
It is also known as walking pneumonia, which causes respiratory illness.
Mycoplasma is a bacterial form of micro organisms which resembles the fungal elements.
Mycoplasmal organisms mainly affect the antigen I of red blood cells due to which auto anti bodies are produced which can cause cytotoxic damage to epithelial cells.
How can you recognize mycoplasma pneumonia?
The main problem in identifying this infection is that the symptoms in the initial stages of mycoplasmal infection are similar to influenza or cold. It starts with mild sore throat and then continued with severe cough and running nose, which is common and similar to cold or influenza.
The simple clue to distinguish walking pneumonia and cold is that cough caused due to cold can be cured without using antibiotics where as cough due to mycoplasmal pneumonia is cured only after using antibiotics.
There are many ways to identify the symptoms associated with this bacterial infection. The first symptom is mild sore throat associated with low grade fever which gets worsen day by day. After few days, you may suffer with non productive dry cough.
Excessive sweating, chest pain, vomiting, head ache, fever, chills are also some of the signs of mycoplasma pneumonia. Apart from this, eye pains, neck lump, muscle aches, ear pain, rapid respiratory rate are also included in the symptoms of this bacterial infection.
Other manifestations associated with mycoplasma pneumonia
Some of the physical manifestations associated with walking pneumonia are throat infection and scattered rales. These are the symptoms noticed when you are suffering with severe form of walking pneumonia.
Some other extra pulmonary symptoms associated with walking pneumonia are gastro intestinal problems, cardiac manifestations like ECG abnormalities, congestive failure, and dermatologic manifestations include morbiliform rash and Stevens Johnson syndrome and neurologic symptoms like cerebral infraction, brainstem dysfunction.
How is mycoplasma pneumonia transmitted?
Mycoplasma pneumonia is a contagious disease which can transmit from one person to another through contact during respiratory secretions like sneezing and coughing. The droplets from nose and throat of an infected person are the main source for the spread of the infection.
The transmission of this infection is most obvious in schools, highly populated public places, institutions, and also in families.
Antibiotics such as tetracycline and erythromycin are very helpful in treating this infection. However, the mild form of the bacterial infection is improved on its own and is doesn’t need any antibiotics.
There is no perfect vaccine for mycoplasma pneumonia prevention and also there are no effective measures to control this contagious disease. The only method to prevent this respiratory disease is to cover your nose and face when you are sneezing or coughing.
