Pneumonia: Regaining Lung Function
Pneumonia: Regaining Lung FunctionTranscriptYour healthcare team’s goal during your hospitalization is to treat your pneumonia tothe point where you’re strong enough to continue your recovery at home.Your strength, activity level and overall health will not be 100%, but you shouldbe discharged when your temperature, breathing rate, heart rate, blood pressurereadings, and blood oxygen levels all fall within healthy ranges. Your appetite andlevels of concentration should also have improved.But going home does not mean you are completely healed. You won’t be running anymarathons any time soon. You’ll still need time to recover at home. Your lung functionmay not be the same as before your pneumonia.You may make a full recovery back to what your activity level was before yourdiagnosis. But for many people whose lungs have been damaged by pneumonia, theiractivity level might never be the same. Here’s why:Pneumonia is a serious infection that can damage lung tissue. Your lungs may notbe able to expand fully when you breathe, or some lung tissue may be permanentlydamaged. This can affect the amount of oxygen that enters and amount of carbondioxide that leaves your body.This can leave you feeling tired easily, and sometimes short of breath. Muscleweakness is common after pneumonia due to lack of activity and possible weight loss.In addition, people who have underlying medical problems, such as lung or heartdisease, often experience an increase in their symptoms of those conditions.Your doctor will give you instructions to follow to help you recover at home. Thesemay include taking medication, slowly increasing your level of physical activity, andpracticing your breathing exercises.By following these guidelines you can regain your strength, help your lungs function20% gradient meshas fully as possible, and help prevent another infection. healthclipshealthclipshealthclipshealthclips4% gradient meshThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, orsuitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.hc_pd_10036_98_en_t00002.pdf © Milner-Fenwick, Inc.healthclips5% gradient mesh
© The Wellness Network
